An English Paper Piecing Tutorial (Pt. 1 - What is EPP?)
One of my favorite family quilts is a traditional grandmother’s flower garden quilt pieced by my great-grandmother. When I saw Katja Marek’s Homage to Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt, I knew I had to make this quilt and see it side-by-side my Great Grandma Hicks’ traditional quilt. In that moment, I knew I was going to learn the English Paper Piecing technique.
If you’re interested in English Paper Piecing, this series of blog posts will walk you through everything I’ve learned in the last six years from supplies, to cutting your fabric, fussy cutting, basting and piecing. We’ll tackle stripes, matching patterns, different options for basting, curved piecing and more. Before we can get too far along, though, we have to talk about what English Paper Piecing is.
So what even is EPP?
English Paper Piecing, also called EPP, is a hand-sewing technique that originated in England in the 1700s. In this patchwork method, fabric is stabilized around paper templates before they are hand-stitched together. After the pieces are stitched together, the paper templates are removed and the piecing is left in tact.
You may be thinking that this sounds like a lot of effort when I could just piece a quilt top on a machine, and you’re right. English Paper Piecing does take a lot of effort. It is a labor of love. The process is entirely done by hand and it takes time. So why bother? There are several reasons to love EPP and give it a try.
First, this technique provides very precise results. Unlike machine piecing, paper piecing allows for unique shapes and angles without worry over a perfect 1/4” seam, Y-seam, partial seam or sewn curves. Because the seam is already turned under, you can achieve perfect points rather easily.
Secondly, and my favorite feature of EPP, is that it is so portable. I have a small box that holds everything I need to piece, and it goes almost everywhere I go. I am also the kind of person who likes to keep her hands busy, and I find the process very soothing. I can easily watch (or listen) to TV while sitting on the sofa and working on a project.
Finally, and maybe surprisingly, it’s not that difficult. If you’ve ever stitched with a needle and thread, you already have the skills necessary to learn EPP.
So, let’s go! Jump on over to the next blog post where we’ll talk about supplies!