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paper-piecing paper idea

16 years ago

I just came across this idea on a blog I was reading, and thought it was a good idea - kind of a "aha! why didn't I think of this!" It was suggested to use old phone book pages for the foundation paper - nice and thin and tearable and - free! (And here I just got through putting a few unwanted ones in the recycle bins last week.) They wouldn't work if you needed to have lines marked to sew on, but I was thinking of making a few string quilts and they would have been perfect for that!

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Comments (6)

teresa_nc7
16 years ago
Yep, great for string quilts and the daily newspaper as well! You could always mark the lines with a Sharpie pen, but for intricate work I'd stay with vellum or unprinted news print.

Teresa
allycaz9
16 years ago
I'll bet I read the same blog! And I'm working on one of those scrappy string quilts but I got cheap muslin for the backing. Don't know if I would want to do that again as the paper would be faster to cut to size (I think). Can't wait to see your quilt - I'm not sure if I'm going to like mine - have to see when I get the blocks togther. I have so much extra stash - I need to find something I enjoy doing to use it up for charity quilts.
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Jan, I think the black and white really helped. I made the same block for someone in red and yellow and I hated the results so much I ended up making a replacement. It lacked the 3-D" effect which was my goal with the pattern, plus despite being PP I didn't sew it right and the points were too close to the edge and it would not lie flat... But the black and white one I was rather pleased with, if I may say so myself... I'm sure there are already a lot of patterns very similar to that one out there, but it does feel kind of special to think you "designed the block yourself!"
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WOW! I am so surprized. This was a fun block to make. When I was making them I thought what cute placemats they would make. Then someone sent in a pattern for a tea pot or coffee pot and I thought that would make a great table runner to go with the placemats. That is just an idea. Tara
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I use the same method Faytay uses: I draw or copy one sheet of the pattern, then layer several sheets together (I don't staple them) and then sew through them all with a threadless needle. I'll do that as many times as I need to get enough sheets, reusing the top sheet each time instead of tracing a new one. I keep one needle just for sewing through paper. The perforations make it easy to fold on the lines and to tear them off. I like the firmness that regular copy paper gives, especially if the pattern is intricate. Parchment is too flopsy and slippery for me but I bet it does tear off easily.
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Thanks guys, it was really fun and your encouragement was tremendously appreciated! I talked to my friend today, and he said that Aunt Jean was taken to the hospital at 6 this morning because she was having trouble breathing... they have her on steroids and antibiotics and are trying to prevent pneumonia... I better fly through the border tonight so it's ready tomorrow! There's going to be smoke coming from my sewing machine :o) I'm going to visit her tomorrow with my friend who is her nephew (they are keeping her overnight), but I don't really want to take this to the hospital because I don't want it to transmit germs or get lost, and I really want it to be a "just because" thing and not a "get well" thing, but I'm scared something might happen to her if I wait too long and she'll never get it...
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toolgranny
16 years ago
Used dryer softener sheets work well for string quilt foundations if we want to talk recycle.
Linda
crafteedee
16 years ago
Great recycling idea...but doesn't the ink come off of those pages? I'm one that can't stand the feel of my hands after handling newspaper & phonebooks. Gotta wash!
scraphappy
Original Author
16 years ago
I thought newspaper ink would be kinda tricky to use without a mess, but maybe the telephone books would use more permanent ink? I might just try them next time I have an extra phone book - esp. if I need 80 - 120 papers or so.
rosajoe_gw
16 years ago
My newspaper ink does come off on my fingers, but I don't ever remember telephone paper ink coming off.
I also use used dryer sheets, I have used muslin and I had to starch it first. Too much trouble!!!!
Rosa

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