English Paper Piecing 101

Here are a few photos of English paper piecing (EPP) basics:

I keep a small box ready with my EPP supplies and fabric squares. All you need are paper template shapes, scissors, needle, a few pins, and regular sewing thread.

Start by pinning a paper shape to wrong side of fabric.

Trim around paper shape, leaving approximately 1/4” on all sides.

Fold seam allowances to wrong side of paper at one corner, making a miter. Take a few small stitches to secure.

Without trimming thread, repeat at next corner. Some people stitch through the paper as well as the fabric, but if you stitch only fabric, it’s easier to remove paper later.

Continue around the shape, until all corners are securely stitched. Trim thread and remove pins.

There you go...a nice EPP hexagon! Love that cute goose print.

Make another one, and then we’ll put them together.

Place 2 hexagons right sides together, aligning raw edges. Using knotted thread, take your first stitch right at the corner.

Take next stitch about 1/8” from corner. Try to get very close to edges, only picking up a few threads of fabric on each hexagon.

Keep going...we’re getting close to the next corner...

At the corner, take a few tiny stitches to secure, and then trim thread.

Here’s what the seam looks like from the wrong side...

...and from the right side.

That’s it for the basics of EPP! Leave the paper shapes in until they are enclosed by future stitching on all sides.