FOUNDATION PAPER

The advantages of working with Becolourful Foundation paper!

• The paper is very flexible and easy to work with.

• You can iron, press and write on it and it is, because of the 20” width and the length of 11 yard, very convenient to use for the loose pattern parts which you might need in your quilt.

• The Foundation paper has 2 different finishing’s: a shiny and a dull finishing. It does not matter which side you use as long as you keep working with the same side. When you use one side, for example the shiny side, in the entire quilt, you do not mirror the paper pieced parts or the loose pattern parts!

What do you need and how do you use the Foundation paper?
You need the original pattern, the Foundation paper, a ruler, a pen and tape.

• Place the original pattern in front of you.

• Place the Foundation paper on the original pattern sheet, and tape it with small pieces of tape in order to avoid the Foundation paper will shift.

• Again, it does not matter which side you use as long as you keep working on the same side.

• Trace, with a normal blue or black pen, not with a sharpie, pencil or felt pen, the curved shapes in a striped/dotted line (this way the tracing of curved shapes is easier and faster)

• Trace the stars, the flying geese and/or the sharp points using a ruler.

• Trace also the numbers, crosses and/or other markings from the design on the Foundation paper.

A few sewing tips for a perfect result!

• I like to use a needle 90: the wholes are a little bigger.

• The stitch length on my Pfaff is 2.5. This is easier when you have to remove the paper as it will tear much easier and your piece of work will be more flexible as well. And when you have to pull out some parts, this large stitch is much more convenient.

• At the beginning and at the end of each stitch I always make a small back and forth stitch: not 30 x back and forth, but 2 or 3 stitches are enough to secure the stitching.

• When you nevertheless need to pull out some stitches  remove the stitching on the fabric side and not the side with the Foundation paper. Because the paper is so flexible, there might be a chance that it will tear before you are finished.

• Pulling out can be done as follows: cut with your seam ripper 1 stitch every 3rd or 4th stitch on the fabric side. Now you can, very gentle, remove the stitching, without damaging the paper.

Sewing of the paper piecing parts:

• Stitch the pattern parts according the paper foundation method.

• Press the paper piecing parts.

• Cut any excess fabric around the paper piecing part.

• Trace the crosses and/or other markings on to the fabric.

• Remove now the Foundation paper.

The ¼’’ seam allowance, which was already drawn on the original pattern part, is now already incorporated in your fabric. In other words; you don’t have any paper in your seam allowance and you have a perfect paper piecing part that will be used in your quilt, without any in-between layer.
The result: a perfect and flexible quilt.