There’s still plenty of time to add a handmade touch to your Christmas tree with our step-by-step guide to mastering English paper piecing
Designer: KATE WEBBER
3D ENGLISH PAPER PIECING EXPLAINED
Become a pro at 3D English Paper Piecing with Kate Webber’s simple step-by-step instructions on glue basting, whip stitching and ladder stitching. All you will need to get started are your EPP templates, basting glue, some colourful fabrics and a needle and thread! You can download the templates you’ll need from gathered.how/ss-templates.
GLUE BASTING
Step one For these decorations, the papers are left in to provide stability for the finished project, so Kate recommends glue basting. You can generally use any washable glue – just check that when dried it does not show through your fabric. Step two Place one of the EPP templates on the wrong side of your chosen piece of fabric, and secure with basting glue or a dot of washable glue. 01
Step three Trim the fabric around the template, leaving a generous 0.5cm seam allowance all the way around the shape. 02
Step four Starting along one edge, swipe a small amount of glue along one side of the paper template. Next, fold the fabric over to the wrong side. 03
Step five Finger press to make sure it’s completely secure. 04
Step six Repeat this process on each side, working around the whole shape, until all of its sides are basted and secure. 05
WHIP STITCH
Step one Whip stitch is the type of stitch most often used in EPP. It is quick to stitch, but can sometimes show on the front of your work, so it’s important to use a matching thread to minimise this. Kate used a contrasting thread in her tutorial, to make sure you could see her stitches.
Step two Begin with the EPP pieces right sides together. Knot your thread and push your needle through both pieces at the corner, with the needle perpendicular to the two pieces. 06
Step three Aim to pick up one or two threads only from each piece. This helps minimise the chances of any stitches showing on the front.
Step four Push your needle through the pieces again, working in the same direction as you began. Step five Kate stitches with her needle from back to front. You can also stitch from front to back; just be consistent, experimenting between seams until you find what works best for you. 07
Step six Repeat step 3, working your way across the pieces where they will be joined. 08
Step seven Space your stitches approximately one needle width apart. When you reach the end of the area being stitched, run your needle through the loop of the last stitch twice to knot it off and keep it secure. 09
