What is Paper Piecing?

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Quoted from Quilted Paradise:

If you have never tried quilting before but would like to experience the joys of this ancient art, all you need to start you off is a little method we call Paper Piecing.

Paper piecing, also called "Paper Foundation Piecing" (sometimes also called "Foundation Paper Piecing") or PFP by quilting fans, is a method used to construct quilting blocks easily and accurately by sewing fabric directly to the lines of a paper pattern.

Unlike traditional template piecing, PFP is a good technique for making miniature quilt blocks. It also allows the quilter to create complicated designs by doing one block at a time. What more, with PFP, you can use little scraps of fabric lying around.

Anybody can do it. It does not require any particular skill but involves a series of steps which anybody can follow.

Paper Piecing Then and Now

Quilting has been around for hundreds of years. The oldest quilted work was found in Egypt worn by a 3200 year old Pharaoh statue. However, Paper Piecing evolved much later -- during the great "quilting age" in 19th century Europe. The oldest record found which used paper piecing was a quilt top dated 1889.

Over the years, quilters used old magazines, catalogs, typing paper to do PFP. However, there were no standard procedures and most crafters invented their own system.

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