How to Design Paper Pieced Quilt Blocks
There are a number of different ways of making quilts, depending on fabric, design and other factors. One of the ways of making a quilt is through paper piecing. This is basically using the medium of paper and attaching different pieces of different colors to produce a desired result.
- Decide the design you are looking to create. Visualizing what your finished product will look like is the first, and perhaps most important, step in the quilting process. From the idea of what you are trying to create will come the planning on how to piece everything together. Keep in mind the difficulty level you are looking for. Piecing together simple geometric designs (triangles, circles, squares, etc.) typically works best.
- Transfer your ideas to paper by drawing out the design. Keep in mind that you are not just drawing the object, but drawing how it will look in geometric objects. An animal, for instance, will be made of the blocks and triangle shapes. Design the drawing to look like what the quilt will look when it is complete. Also, keep in mind dimensions and have the drawing to scale.
- Prepare the quilt pattern by working from the center of the pattern outward. This will allow you to focus on building your design and incorporate additional objects to give the quilt more detail, as well as more attractive coloring.
- Transfer your design onto the foundation paper when you have finished it. Make sure that the interior design corresponds with the seam allowance. This will keep the completed work in the shape of a square.