Ok, now we get serious. I love this block, but at 15x15cm, there was no way I could make it by hand. I couldn’t even hold the seams — my fingertips are thicker than each of these little triangles.
American paper piecing to the rescue!
For those who are unfamiliar with the idea, you print the block pattern out on a sheet of paper, then trace the pattern to the back on a window or a light box. Placing a bit of fabric over one drawn ‘patch’, you then cover it with the next, sew a seam, flip the fabric, and keep going. I won’t go into more detail because there are many many great tutorials out there.
Not all blocks can be done this way, as they need to fan out; this block was created in eight sections then pieced together. After you’re done, you pull the paper away. It’s really quite a lot of fun: the only drawback is, it uses a lot more fabric than my old trace-and-cut method.
For more amusement, here’s Harry Potter in APP.
Patches in this block: a whopping 92
Patches so far: 564
November 7, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Oh, that is beautiful!! Love it in the grey too- the colour doesn’t distract from the intricate piecing.
November 8, 2008 at 12:37 am
Have you ever tried the freezer paper method for foundation piecing? I think it’s easier than using regular paper, especially when using very small pieces of fabric. Check out this post for more details. Love the block, by the way!
November 8, 2008 at 10:04 am
Hey, great idea for the next technique to try! I’ll give it a go.