Читать книгу Hexagon Star Quilts - Cathy Perlmutter - Страница 11

TECHNIQUES

English Paper Piecing

Once you have the basic supplies, you can begin planning your project and creating your stars. Pick a star and then copy and print the page you want directly onto cardstock via your printer (Option A). If your printer does not take cardstock, see Option B; for those with pigment-ink printers, see Option C.

Option A: Print Directly to Cardstock

1. Print or photocopy patterns onto cardstock (A). If you’re printing from a digital copy of this book and your printer menu lets you change the setting to heavy paper or cardstock, try that, but the patterns may print out fine on a normal setting. If you’re using a printed copy of the book, photocopy the patterns onto cardstock. After you’ve printed each star pattern, measure the outer hexagon; it should be 6" (15.25cm) from one corner to the opposite corner and 3" (7.6cm) per flat side. If not, check the print menu to be sure it’s printing at full size.

2. Cut out all of the pieces on the lines (B).

3. Place each cardstock piece onto the BACK of the fabric, with markings facing up so you can read them throughout the piecing process (C).

4. Cut the fabric about ⅜" to ½" (0.95 to 1.3cm) larger all the way around (D). Absolute precision is NOT required here!

5. If it’s a tiny triangle or has narrow sharp points, cut a little less of a seam allowance (only about ¼" [0.65cm]). You can also cut straight across, a scant ¼" (0.65cm) above the cardstock triangle’s tips (E). You may want to “fussy-cut” your fabrics. Refer to page.

6. When you’ve done all of these steps, it’s time to baste. See page.

Option B: Print on Paper and Glue to Cardstock

1. If your printer does not take cardstock, photocopy and print the page onto copy paper. Check that the hexagon is 6" (15.25cm) from corner to opposite corner and 3" (7.6cm) per flat side. If not, check that the printer is printing at full size.

2. Rough-cut around the pattern, outside the boundaries (A).

3. Use a glue stick lightly over the back and then press the pattern to the cardstock (I used an old manila file folder) (B). Let the glue dry.

4. Cut out all of the shapes on the lines (C).

5. Follow steps 3 to 5 under Option A.

Option C: Print on Décor Bond

Décor Bond 809^®, by Pellon, sold by the yard, is an inexpensive medium-heavy interfacing with fusible glue on one side. It doesn’t shrink with heat or pressure. The huge advantage is that it stays in place permanently, so after machine sewing, you won’t face the problems that ripping out cardstock can cause.

1. FOR PIGMENT-INK PRINTERS ONLY: Pigment inks are water resistant. Dye-based printer inks may smear on the fabric. Your printer manual will tell you what kind of ink it is, or do a simple test—drip some water on a paper printout, and if it doesn’t smear, you probably have pigment ink. If you’re using a pigment-ink printer, cut the Décor Bond into 8 ½" x 11" (216 x 280mm) sheets, and then run the sheet through your printer, printing on the non-glue side (A). If you don’t have a printer that uses pigment ink, do the next step instead.

2. Print or photocopy the star pattern onto paper first and then tape it to a surface (C). Tape Décor Bond on top, shiny/glue side down. Use a fine-point permanent marker and small ruler to trace lines accurately (D). Copy the arrows and letters on each Décor Bond piece (D).

3. The next step, whether you’ve printed or traced your patterns, is to cut out each Décor Bond piece (B and D; you can use scissors, or a rotary cutter and small ruler). Press them onto the back of the fabric, using a wool setting with steam. Don’t scrub the iron, or you might distort the pattern pieces. Instead, pick the iron up and put it down.

4. Cut out each fabric piece ⅜" to ½" (0.95 to 1.3cm) larger than the template (E).

5. Fold the edges in (F and G), relying on your fingertips to fold accurately over small points. A little bit of glue in corners helps hold things in place.