How to Foundation Piece a Quilt Block

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Select your pattern and photocopy or print enough of them to make your quilt.

   You will need one copy per block.
   
   Use the thinnest/lightest weight paper that will work with your printer/copier for ease in removal. ,, Washing them first means that the worst shrinkage, running, fading, etc. takes place before they're stitched.,, These can actually be ripped/torn in strips and then cut for speed and ease.
   
   Note that with lighter-weight fabric, tearing/ripping will damage as much as
   1.5" of fabric, and can be very wasteful.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Trim all edges to a quarter inch (6 mm) seam "allowance". ,, You've got a perfectly sewn quilt block, with perfectly measured "seam allowances" and perfect corners
   - even in those hard-to-manage acute angles!
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   Step 2: Select your fabrics.

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   Step 3: Launder all of your fabrics.

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   Step 4: Iron the fabrics smooth if necessary.

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   Step 5: Cut rectangles or squares in sizes which will cover the shapes in your pattern blocks.

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   Step 6: Notice that the pattern pieces are numbered in the order in which you should sew the pieces.

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   Step 7: Place the cloth for piece #1 on the BACK side of the paper with the back/wrong side of the cloth towards the paper.

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   Step 8: Hold the paper up to a light to verify that the fabric is oriented so that it covers all of the area of piece one with at least a quarter inch of overlap in all directions.

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   Step 9: Place the cloth for piece #2 (white) with its right/front side facing the right/front side of piece #1 (red) and its seam edge aligned with the seam line and overlapping by a minimum of a quarter inch.

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    Step 10: Pin the two fabrics in place on the paper.

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    Step 11: Flip the paper to the front/printed side.

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    Step 12: Machine stitch the seam line from the printed side.

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    Step 13: Trim the seam allowances to 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm).

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    Step 14: Unpin the fabrics and flip piece #2 over the seam and pin it in place over its allotted area on the block.

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    Step 15: Hold up the paper block pattern to the light to check that piece #2 will cover its allotted area.

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    Step 16: Place the cloth for piece #3 with its right/front side facing the right/front side of piece #2... and its seam edge aligned with the seam line and overlapping by a minimum of a quarter inch (6 mm).

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    Step 17: Pin the two fabrics in place on the paper.

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    Step 18: Flip the paper to the front/printed side and use back light to check the placement.

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    Step 19: Machine stitch the seam line from the printed side.

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    Step 20: Trim the seam allowances to 1/4 inch (6 mm).

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    Step 21: Unpin the fabrics and flip piece #3 over the seam and pin it in place over its allotted area on the block.

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    Step 22: Repeat the process of placing

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    Step 23: pinning

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    Step 24: checking then sewing and trimming for each successively numbered piece.

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    Step 25: Machine baste around the perimeter of your block when complete.

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    Step 26: Before trimming - note the ragged edges.

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    Step 27: Tear away the paper "backing".

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    Step 28: Voilà!

Detailed Guide

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