I like paper piecing! 
I had to watch this video (youtube link) again before I started my current paper piecing project to remember how to do it right!
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I find I don’t mind doing the FPP itself (and honestly enjoy some of it), but I hate the scraps that it leaves behind. Let me clarify: I don’t hate scraps, but I don’t like the type of scraps FPP makes. Usually I can slice and dice my scraps into strips or squares that I know I will use in future. But the off-cutting from FPP leaves me with weird little wedge shaped ‘crumbs’, and I flipping hate piecing crumbs. I just don’t want to do it. So I feel guilty throwing out those scraps, but otherwise they sit in my studio, also making me feel guilty and cluttered, which isn’t good for my mental health. But I do love the results of the FPP.
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So many videos on paper piecing seem to think you have unlimited large sized scraps to use. And they waste so much in trimings. One.trick is to cut pieces to a bit larger using the paper piecing pattern, it’s easier to use your fabric more efficiently.
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So I’m a bit more reconciled to paper piecing today because I watched Karen browns video on it. All hail the mighty Karen. She’s just really good at explaining stuff. I’ve done super complex FPP but every time I do a new one I have to learn all over again.
But after watching her video today, and following her set up. It went much smoother. I was relying on eyeballing scraps, I think I was probably unpicking about 20% of my seams. I was being far too parsimonious with the size of my pieces. As @MistressJennie said not waiting to generate unusable scraps.
Basically Karen’s set up boils down to.
- Print a second pattern, which you cut into individual pieces
- Cut out each piece first, trying for a 1/4" seam all around.
- Then start piecing, you end up with more manageable sizes that are easier to visualise in the correct spot.
I am redoing a pattern I did yesterday, and while I had to unpick the very first seam, I think I am down to less than 5% unpicking. I used yardage for this method and actually didn’t generate nearly as much crumb as I had feared.
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Toss the crumb. Seriously! I hate piecing crumb too, I’m trying to lose the scarcity mentality I have around fabric. The reality is, I have more fabric that I can use in my lifetime. So I refuse to leave little scraps around to annoy me!
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The bingo call yesterday was for using 2.5" strips. The block pattern handed out Tuesday at my valley guild meeting (bring completed to next meeting) used 2.5" strips. Which I picked up off the free giveaway table (the white came from my stay though). Just finished tonight. Though… getting pics is difficult.
About an hour later (now a bit wrinkled)
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Pretty, and the block is wonderful too!
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-I Edel , offer FPP and quilted cushion for January’s prompt.
My friend has a dachshund and her birthday is tomorrow, I got her some Doxie related stuff, but I didn’t think it was enough, so I found this pattern online and it’s been driving me nuts for the last three days. I made the original size which was 50% smaller than this. Just for reference, this was one of the smaller pieces in the 50% enlarged pattern 
Anyway this is her flat
And as a cushion
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That came out great darling! I love the background fabric. Very cool.
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Thanks sweetie. It is a great fabric, my friend is another engineering sciencey nerdy type, so its perfect for her.
Now I’m wondering why I didn’t just applique it, as my husband reasonably asked me why I couldn’t have avoided using those tiny pieces and just cut it all out of the one fabric. 
And he’s not wrong!
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Turned out nicely, but sorry for the aggravation! Those little legs must have been a bugger!
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They were, each leg had at least three pieces!
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I’ve not been in a crafty mood recently, but I picked up a hand quilting project and at least I sewed about half a six-pointed star together 
I’ve nearly finished handquilting my hexie project from the swap on the old site, and I’ve nearly finished piecing a small rectangular six pointed star top that will become a matching pillow case. The hexie quilt has a white border and backing, and from the scraps I cut the background diamonds for the pillow case.
The carpenter promised he’ll finish the ladder to the little room above my craft room before Easter, and when it’s finished I’m putting a guest bed there, the hexie quilt and star pillowcase will go on the guest bed. I call it guest bed but I’m expecting to spend a lot of hours there myself - who doesn’t want a bed in their craft room to lounge and read books and craft magazines?
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I finished the top for the 6 pointed star pillow
It’s handpieced but I will finish it on the machine.
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So pretty and delicate. It has a nice historical vibe. Nice points!
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It’s beautiful!!!
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That’s beautiful, @Immaculata
I have so many things on my Q1 list… so I started another quilt lol. Cut 450+ 2.5" squares and 100+ 4.5" squares yesterday and today. “Traffic Jam” by Pat Sloan. First block done; the rest will be done as leader/ender style.
Also 2 of my Q1 projects have hit the “what did I do with the rest of the pieces?!” Stage.
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Thanks guys! I didn’t intentionally go for the retro vibe, but a scrappy 6 point star almost does that by itself. Especially because the colours and prints feel 1930-ish too.
I foresee more handpiecing in my future, I enjoy it a lot, and these little blocks are easier to transport than the hexie quilt was.
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It’s really lovely
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