Tools – What tools do I need?
You only need a few essential tools to get started with English Paper Piecing: fabric, needle and thread, scissors, and the paper pieces themselves. Some quilters also like to use an acrylic template to cut their fabric.
Fabric: It’s advisable to stick to good quality 100% cotton fabrics, preferably all of similar weight and pre-washed. That way you minimise surprises regarding shrinkage and colour run when your finished quilt is washed for the first time.
Needles: Good quality, fine hand-sewing needles are a must-have. Use the finest needle you can comfortably thread—typically size 8 to 10—as finer needles make stitching easier.
Thread: Good quality 100% cotton thread of a medium to fine weight (50–80 wt) works very well, though some quilters prefer a thin polyester (e.g., Bottomline) for piecing. Match thread colour to fabric where possible; if using two very different fabrics, a darker thread often hides stitches better.
Paper pieces: In the past, quilters drafted and hand-cut their own paper pieces—often from old cards or catalogues—which was time-consuming and inconsistent.
Pre-cut paper pieces remove the need to cut your own and became more readily available in the 1940s–50s. Today there’s a huge variety of shapes and sizes—where we, as a manufacturer of pre-cut paper pieces, come in. 🎉
Why use pre-cut paper pieces instead of making your own?
The advantages are plentiful: (1) accuracy of the shapes, (2) consistency of the paper stock, and (3) significant time savings—time you can spend sewing rather than cutting. Drafting shapes correctly also requires solid geometry; inaccuracies won’t tessellate cleanly in a pattern.
What about Acrylic Templates for cutting fabric?
In EPP, Acrylic Templates are used to cut fabric patches for your paper pieces.
Briefly: Place the template on your fabric and cut around it with a rotary cutter, or trace around it and cut with scissors.
Acrylic templates are clear (sometimes tinted) and include the paper shape outline plus a built-in seam allowance, so the template is larger than the paper. Template size is usually given as the paper size it matches, and you can choose a ¼″ or 3/8″ seam allowance. Many quilters prefer 3/8″ for easier wrapping.
Do I have to use Acrylic Templates?
Strictly speaking—no. Templates aren’t essential for EPP. Accuracy comes from the paper pieces themselves, so you don’t need a perfectly exact seam allowance. You simply need enough excess fabric to fold over the paper on all sides. Place (or pin) the paper on the wrong side of the fabric and cut with scissors, leaving roughly ¼″–3/8″ (6–8 mm) all around. Strips (e.g., Jelly Rolls) can work well if the paper shape fits the strip width.
If you have limited hand mobility, you may find a rotary cutter and templates easier than scissors.
What’s the advantage of using Acrylic Templates?
They make it easy to fussy-cut your fabric to feature motifs precisely.
Technique – Which EPP technique should I use?
There are 3 different English Paper Piecing techniques: Traditional Thread-basting (stitching through the paper), the Corner-Catching method (basting without stitching through the paper), and modern Glue-basting. Each has merits and fans for different reasons.
Advice for beginners: Try each method and choose the one(s) that suit your workflow and results best.
The initial preparations are the same for all three techniques:
Preparation
Select the fabrics and paper pieces for your pattern. Place the paper on the wrong side of the fabric (pin if needed). Cut the fabric at least ¼″ (6–7 mm) larger than the paper. Scissors or an acrylic template both work—just ensure there’s enough excess to wrap the paper cleanly.
Technique 1 – Thread-basting
This traditional needle-and-thread technique suits all sizes and shapes. As you baste, rotate the paper clockwise (if right-handed) and fold at each corner, keeping folds consistent in the same direction. This improves accuracy and prevents mis-folded tails on pointy shapes like Diamonds.
Use 50 wt cotton; knot one end. Start by folding one edge (start on the longest edge if lengths differ). From the middle of the edge, make large basting stitches (¼″ or bigger) through all layers toward the corner. At the corner, place a stitch over the fold to secure (no back-stitch), smooth along the edge, and continue. Work around the shape, keeping folds consistent. At the end, add an extra basting stitch and snip—leave a short tail. Don’t cast off; basting is removed later.
Pros & cons: Delivers excellent, durable results for any shape; covered pieces store well and papers are reusable. Some find it slow, and stitching through paper can slightly wear the papers (though still often reusable).
Technique 2 – Corner-Catching
Also traditional, best for smaller pieces like Hexagons up to ~1″ edge. Because you don’t stitch through paper, fabric can slip on larger shapes.
Thread with 50 wt and knot. Start at a corner, fold two adjacent edges, and secure the fold with a small “gathering” back-stitch through fabric only. Jump corner to corner, repeating. At the last corner, add an extra gathering stitch and cast off neatly (no trailing ends). These basting stitches stay in; papers are later removed via the central opening.
Pros & cons: No basting removal; papers stay cleaner and reusable. Folding accuracy takes practice and can introduce slight inaccuracies, especially on larger pieces. Very tiny pieces (<½″) can make paper removal trickier.
Technique 3 – Glue-basting
A newer method using non-permanent glue (stick or pen). Rotate clockwise, apply glue near (not on) the paper’s edge, fold the seam allowance, and press for a few seconds. Work one edge at a time; coloured glue dries clear.
To remove papers later, slide a pin under the glued allowances to break the bond rather than peeling back aggressively.
Pros & cons: Fast—no threading needles—and papers are easily reusable when glue is used sparingly. Too much glue makes removal harder and consumes refills (try keeping pens cool). The biggest pitfall is mis-folded corners on pointy shapes (e.g., Diamonds); keep fold direction consistent so tails all point the same way. See: Points and Tails.
Getting started: Sewing your pieces together
Once your pieces are prepared, hand-sew them into beautiful patterns. Use a fine needle and good quality thread (50 or 80 wt cotton, or polyester if preferred), matching colour to fabric. Use a single strand with a knot.
Place two pieces right sides together, align ends, anchor with a double stitch through fabric edges (avoid paper), then whip-stitch along the seam with small overcasts—about 6–10 stitches per inch (~every 2 mm). Anchor again at the far end before opening the seam. Add the next piece and continue. Y-seams are straightforward by hand; fold parts of the work as needed.
Remove papers once a patch is sewn in on all sides. For thread-basted pieces, snip basting in a couple of places and pull out. For glue-basted, slide a pin under the glued allowances to release. Reuse papers if still in good condition. ✨