Foundation Paper Piecing

A few weeks ago the people at Craftsy asked me if I would like to take and review one of their quilting classes.  Hello, yes!  I took Carol Doak's Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing class and loved it!  Since I have paper pieced before, I wasn't sure how much I would learn, but Carol is full of great tips from start to finish!

At one point in the first lesson Carol talks about using paper specifically made for foundation paper piecing.  I have always used printer paper and when I saw her tug on her block to remove the paper I literally gasped out loud.  It was like seeing a toddler start to trip on a white rug with a glass of grape juice.  I was sure her block would be mangled!  But the paper just tore and came right off.  Very impressive.  I went and bought paper - and it tears off like a dream!

There are great materials included with the class to make all of the projects that she demonstrates plus the ebook 50 Little Paper Pieced Blocks.

I used one of the patterns in the 50 Little Paper Pieced Blocks ebook to make the apple on this little pouch.  Not all of the 50 three inch blocks are my style, but there are some fun star blocks in there that would be fun to use in small projects.

Some of the most helpful tips were how to determine how large to cut your fabric when you have a pattern that doesn't specify fabric size and tips on how to make sure your corners match exactly each time.  Plus there is a place to post pictures of your projects and to ask questions.  Carol is very active on the site and has answered every question.  Impressive.

Interested in taking the class?  You can use this link to get the class half off!  The link and half off deal don't expire.  Thanks Craftsy!

Plus, have you seen Craftsy's free classes?  Bag Making Basics, Sewing Machine 911, Creative Quilt Backs and the Craftsy Block of the Month?  What great resources!