Friday 26 September 2014

English Paper Pieced Table Topper...


Back in May, I showed you some English Paper Piecing I was working on. Four months later and I've finally finished the front of my table topper. 


I find hand sewing quite therapeutic, but progress is slow, especially given that I only work on it when I'm watching TV (I rarely sit down and watch TV), or sometimes when I'm away from hone visiting someone.


This project was started at the three day Autumn Quilting Triple Treat at Blackheath. Day 1 was English Paper Piecing, with Rachael Porter, from Stitches and Sew On. It was a fabulous day!!! I learnt a lot and it took me out of my comfort zone. 

We had to use glue on fabric!!! I do not like to use glue at the best of times, but there's no point going to a course if you're not going to give things a try.

That little pink, pen like gizmo in the photo, is a glue stick specifically made for fabric.


Although I initially wasn't keen on the process of glueing, the back of my work looks MUCH neater than the back of my hexies I'm also working on, where I'm basting with needle and thread.

Once I got the hang of it, the glueing went quite smoothly and I had all bar the last row glued at the workshop. The last row are basted with needle and thread as I was out and had no glue when cutting those pieces. And that's when I could see just how much neater the glued ones are. No difference that I can see on the front, though. 


I mentioned a fussy cutting mirror in my first table topper post and a few people commented, saying they'd never seen or used one. Well, neither had I until that day. 

It's a really cool little gadget that allows you to create many different patterns from the one piece of fabric. The mirror enabled me to see patterns I just couldn't imagine otherwise.


I'm not going to attempt to explain how to use a fussy cutting mirror, but you can see the results in the photos. Here's the fabric I used to create the centre star. And below are three variations that can be cut from the same piece of fabric, the last one being the one I went with.




Just the quilting and finishing off the edges to go. In the pattern, there's one row of paper pieced shapes on the back. I've run out of templates and I'm trying to work out a way that is quicker and doesn't involve paper piecing. 

I'm in no hurry, as long as I finish for Show and Tell at the retreat in 2015. It'd be so embarrassing to see everyone else's table toppers and to have to say mine wasn't finished.

... Pam

13 comments:

  1. Pam, your paper pieced table topper is gorgeous! How talented you are!

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  2. Your table topper top looks great. Such beautiful work.

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  3. Why don't you remove the papers from some of the centre ones to use on the outside? I think you only need to keep papers in the ones you're sewing together. It's looking great, i didn't realise you were an EPP fan!

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  4. Wow, this came out beautiful! I love the way the patterns connect each other.
    it is always fun seeing something new on your blog :)

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  5. I love the mirror. It gives you so many options for piecing that you might otherwise not see with the eye only. Thank you for sharing

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  6. The table topper is gorgeous. Where did you get your mirror?

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I purchased the mirror at the quilting retreat I attended, from a shop called 'Blueberries'...
      http://blueberries.net.au/

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  7. Pam, This is beautiful work. The fabrics are beautiful.

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  8. My mind is boggled here. Never heard of the mirror gadget before and know very little about paper piecing. I can't even imagine how to actually use the mirror! No classes around here, so I'll have to hope there are some videos out there. The table topper is beautiful!

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