Pies and Tarts – Month One
Jan-2011
Hi Everyone and welcome to Pies and Tarts Month One, English Paper Piecing, playing with silks, cottons, threads, needles, pins,
Videos complete, will be up shortly 🙂
Cut your fabrics into strips of 3″ and 4″
Fold silk strip in half once (2 layers) then cut out your templates
add your cling to the back of your templates this way they won’t slip when your cutting.
same with the cotton fabric fold your strip in half (4 layers) then cut out your templates
don’t forget to trim off your selvages 🙂
remove the paper covering on your templates then add the cling to the back
start basting your fabrics to the paper templates by turning in the corner first then fold over each edge
start the basting, using long stitches
sew your pie and tart slices together in two, making sure to always connect the colours in the same order.
now onto the applique part 🙂
press your background 8″ square into 4 just on the edges of the fabrics so you can see where to center your pie shape
with your short applique pins, pin in place below where you will be stitching
You will use a small slip stitch come up from the back, grab a little of the top fabric then go back in straight down where you’ve come up…then take a small piece of the front and go straight back down…once you pull tight you won’t see your stitches at all 🙂
Your first completed block, thanks to Kathy B for helping me pick this round of colours, I love them!!
Onto the tarts 🙂
Any questions?
HI! Thank you for the color photos and directions! I have one question and am going to refer to this paragraph:
"You will use a small slip stitch come up from the back, grab a little of the top fabric then go back in straight down where you've come up…then take a small piece of the front and go straight back down…once you pull tight you won't see your stitches at all :)"
what is the difference between the top fabric and the front? I'm wondering if it is the block background and the pie?
Hi Duff, you are correct, the background and the pie makes much better sense – thanks for your comment!
Valerie
Today brought a very special package to my mailbox. I received the first month's package of Pies and Tarts and the fabric is GORGEOUS! I hope that my plans for the weekend work out and I can devote a big chunk of time to this, I can't wait to start.
Hi Vivian, I was wondering how you've been and I'm sew glad you've received your first package 🙂 Good luck this weekend with getting some "me" (well you) time lol
Valerie
There is a video to come so stay tuned ladies 🙂
Valerie
Hi, Valerie – I've got my rhythm on these. Every night I do a stack of pie pieces while talking to my daughter about her day. I'm having so much fun! Just one question, what do I do with the Tarts? I assume I assemble the tarts and then just put them aside until all the blocks are sewn together and then applique them onto the corners of each of the block joins. Is this correct?
Hi Beth, yes you are correct? What you'll do is just set your blocks (pies appliqued onto the background) and tarts aside – take a picture of your whole pile of pis and tarts, email that to me and your name will go into the draw:)
Once we get into this a few months we will start connecting the blocks together and placing the tarts in as well but we'll need more colour variations before we can move to this next phase.
Good luck ladies, I have next months package and will be sending it maybe today:)
Valerie.
I have made a few of the pies, and I am finding I keep ending up with a small hole at the centre where the tips converge. Any hints for avoiding or correcting this?
Hi Isobel, sorry you're having "holes" another lady mentioned this to me also. The one thing I can suggest trying is instead of folding the bottom point of fabric over your template, fold one side put your basting thread through, then fold the other side of the fabric over the point letting this one have a tail. I've been trying both methods and I find this one seems to work the best.
I'll see if I have pictures of this part.
Any other questions ladies?
Thanks, Valerie, I have just finished a pie changing that first fold and it came out much better. I think I will have to go back and undo my other ones and re-do them. I am hoping I get faster at this as I get going: so far everything is taking a looong time.