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Foundation Paper Piecing quilt block example

What is Foundation Paper Piecing?

Foundation Paper Piecing is a sewing technique done by machine. In some parts of the world, this method is also known as “Paper Piecing”, which often leads to confusion with English Paper Piecing. However, the two techniques are entirely different.

In Foundation Paper Piecing, the entire quilt block—or part of a larger pattern—is first drafted onto a single sheet of foundation paper. This paper is thin and often semi-translucent, which helps with sewing accuracy. Many quilters use tracing or freezer paper for this method. (You can find suitable paper here: June Taylor Perfect Piecing Foundation Sheets.)

The individual fabric patches are placed on the reverse side of the paper, with the right side of the fabric facing outward. Each fabric patch covers its designated area in the pattern. The pieces are sewn to the foundation paper in a specific order using the “stitch and flip” method on a sewing machine:

1. The first fabric patch is pinned in place.
2. The second patch is placed right sides together on top of the first, aligning their adjoining seam edges.
3. You then stitch along the drawn seam line on the front of the foundation paper with a short stitch length (approx. 12 stitches per inch).
4. The second patch is flipped back (hence “flip and stitch”), pressed flat, and pinned.
5. The next fabric piece is added and stitched in the same way.
Continue until the full block is assembled.

Each section of the pattern is numbered, and the patches must be stitched in sequence for proper alignment. The finished block will be a mirror image of the pattern on the paper.

Once the block is complete, the foundation paper is carefully torn away. The short stitch length helps the paper tear off easily without disturbing the seams.

What is “Foundation Piecing”?

Foundation Piecing is a variant of Foundation Paper Piecing—simply without the paper! Instead, interfacing or fabric is used as the foundation. This eliminates the need to remove a paper layer once the block is finished, though the sewing process itself remains the same. The pattern is drawn onto the interfacing, and the “stitch and flip” method is used as usual.

The main advantage of foundation piecing (with or without paper) is its precision. Quilt blocks can be drafted on a foundation base, ensuring that all pieces are consistent in size and alignment. Quilters can also write notes—like sequence numbers and fabric choices—directly on the foundation, reducing mistakes and improving workflow.

Historically, foundation piecing with a fabric base (often muslin) predates the use of paper. The technique was especially popular in the 18th century, and some patchwork examples from as early as the 15th century are thought to have used foundation piecing. The method enjoyed a major resurgence in the 1990s and remains widely used by modern quilters today.

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