Foundation Paper Piecing is a sewing technique done by sewing machine. With this method, the entire quilt block, or part of a larger pattern, is drafted onto a single sheet of foundation paper which is thin and see-through.  It is an easy way to get detailed, point precise, and unique blocks.  It will open a whole new world of possibilities with quilting.

If you have ever been on the fence or have always wanted to learn, I encourage you to sign up for my 2-day virtual interactive through zoom paper piecing class.  Your class fee includes a pdf pattern of the below 19" x 31" Runner and a private Facebook group for more personal interaction and videos to revisit or strengthen your skills.

Classes will be Sat, April 22nd & Sun, April 22nd 1pm - 4pm EST

The sign me up button will take you to The Quilted Cow to register with the opportunity to purchase an optional kit.

If you have missed the exciting news, I am now an exclusive designer for a quilt shop in Branson West, MO called The Quilted Cow.  They are a wonderful family own shop that offer a wide variety of quilting products and now, patterns written by me to add to their collection.  I have been busy with hosting sew-a-long for quilts inspired by TV shows too.  There is Let 'er Rip which is from Yellowstone, Elsa from 1883, Laura from Little House on the Prairie, and coming May 5th, Little Miss from 1923.  The sew -a-long's are free and I give the measurements as we go, however, The Quilted Cow has optional patterns and kits for sale.  If you are not following our Facebook groups, I highly recommend you do so you can join in on the fun too.  Hope to sew with you soon!

Call me strange but I love HSTs. They are so versatile and make gorgeous quilts. However, in these days and times, any time we can cut corners and save time is a plus and this method will definitely achieve this goal. At the bottom of this post, you will find a printable PDF reference sheet of how to make 8 HST at a time with a table of square sizes needed. Feel free to print and share.

First, you need your two squares that will make up your HST. In this example, I need 4” finished HST in my quilt which would be 4-1/2” unfinished. Using the reference sheet, my two starting squares will be 10”.
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​Place the squares right side together and on one of the squares, draw a line on the diagonal twice.

​Sew on each side of the drawn X lines with a 1/4" seam.

​Cut your square into four quadrants down right down the center (this is not on the drawn lines).

​Then cut the quadrants in half. You will cut on the original drawn line.

Look how pretty these HST turned out!

​That is all you do. Simple, right? I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and fall in love with this method of quick HST.

Reminder to scroll down for reference sheet and video.

Here's the PDF download of the reference sheet

Turn the block to the backside and from the sewn line, measure over how much the block was off. (In this case, it was off 1/4' so from my sewn line, I measured 1/4" and drew a line)
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​In my early days as a quilter, I never pinned. Every seam was 100% glue basted. It is the best way to ensure accuracy when piecing a block. Not sure why, but I would have the pieces perfectly lined up and when I went to pin it, they always shifted. I spent more time ripping seams than anything else. Once I started glue basting my seams it made quilting a whole lot easier and fun! No more stopping to remove pins nor the worry of sewing over one and breaking my needle. Aside from the expense, it is dangerous.

Today, I do not glue as much, however, if it is a quilt that requires precise seams or small pieces, I grab my bottle.
Here's a few pros of why glue basting rocks:

• No more pins that bend, shift, or break needles.
• Precise seams
• When you go to sew your block, there is no chance of sewing the wrong side because you know the glued side is the side to sew. I cannot tell you how many times I have ripped a block because I sewed the wrong side.
• After glued, you can flip the block back to the seam allowance to see if it is lined up right. If not, carefully pull apart and re-glue.
• As long as you heat press it, it is dry and will not gunk up your needle.
• It will wash out when you wash the quilt.

How to Glue Baste
First, make sure your glue is washable. Not all glue is the same. I will give you a couple of links to available glues I recommend, in addition, I researched, and the price is great (typically, more economical than other sites).
Personally, I’ve tried two types of glue that have worked well. Roxanne basting glue, this is a 2 oz bottle with a micro point applicator and a fabric glue stick. For small projects, the glue stick works well but for larger projects or several back-to-back projects, Roxanne Basting Glue is the best. I have tried Elmers School Glue but found this one is not as thick and ended up putting too much on my seam making a mess.

Steps to Glue Baste

• Apply a small bead of glue along the top of the seam within the allowance.
• Line up your fabric and finger press
• Using your iron, I do recommend a piece of scrap fabric on top just in case it bleeds through, heat press the seam for a few seconds drying the glue.
• Flip your block back to make sure it is aligned perfectly. If not, pull apart and repeat. If yes, sew your seam.

That's it, you are done. It is that simple.

At times, it may seem time consuming, however, if you factor in ripping your seams because they are not aligned or not sewn correctly, it is actually faster.

Bonus tip: If you have a stubborn seam (like on a 9 patch) that keeps flipping as you sew, apply a dab of glue on the seam and heat press. It will stay out the way!

Get the most of your bottle. After you are done sewing for the day, take the lid off of the bottle and rinse it with warm water and dry it well. You can also place a sewing pin in the top to keep the tip clear from glue. (Do this only after you wash or else the pin will be glued to your top)

If you would like to see it in action, check out my video on youtube. Link is at the bottom of this post.