I have long admired EPP (English Paper Piecing) quilts. Beyond the beauty of the intricate designs, EPP quilts evoke a mindset of time well spent, connection to the past, and introspection. Maybe it’s because I’m now a grandmother, but I decided I was ready to lean into sewing at a softer pace.
Last week, I zipped over to one of my local quilt shops, Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe, for some guidance. Shop owner April is an EPP master. She has several EPP samples on display, as well as supplies and patterns. I decided that a fun place to start would be with some mini charm packs. I purchased three 3 Sisters mini charm packs, a pack of 1” paper hexies, needles and a glue pen. (After a little research, I decided to use the glue basting method.) When I got home, I began working on a hexie flower and snapped this picture to share with you.
As you can see, I also couldn’t resist purchasing a jelly roll of the new Abide collection by Brenda Riddle, as well as a bit of green yardage from My Sew Quilty Life. I also purchased Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe’s EPP pattern called Jelly Garden. It calls for a jelly roll, but I haven’t yet decided if I will use the Abide JR for that project or not.
This weekend we traveled to see our sweet new granddaughter. She is almost three months old now and is such a joy! During the car ride to granddaughter’s house, I continued to work on hexies. Since I was working from 2 1/2″ squares, I simply trimmed them with my sharp Gingher sheers, rather than using a rotary cutter. But my Sue Daley rotating cutting mat, which I’ve had for many years, still made a nice surface for prepping the hexies!
Saturday morning, before the rest of the household was up, I made a few more hexies at our son and daughter-in-law’s kitchen table. In the early morning quiet, I began to think . . . hey lady, I think you have done this before! Sure enough, I searched my own blog, and ten years ago (January of 2016) I made a zipped pouch with appliqued hexies! I remember that I enjoyed the project, but for some reason I didn’t stick with it. I am certain that I will have staying power this time around. My heart is totally invested and excited about EPP. But once baby girl was up for the day, she got Grandma’s full attention.
Grandpa and I are back home now, but during our return trip I made a few more hexies. Once I’m finished with the lighter taupe fabric pieces, I will have a total of 100 hexies! What should I do with them? Here are a few thoughts I’ve had:
- Continue making six-hexie flowers and join them with green hexies, possible for a wall hanging.
- Join them all in a scrappy fashion and make a quilted tote bag.
- Make just a few flowers to applique onto a pillow, saving the rest of the hexies for a future project.
Clearly, the possibilities are endless, but there is one thing I know: I am not going to rush. I will take my time, wait for inspiration to come, and enjoy the process.
When I posted my first picture to Facebook and Instagram, I received so many encouraging comments as well as some questions about products and methods. I am not an expert, but I will share my initial experience with you. I would encourage you to reach out to your local quilt shop for advice or do some research on YouTube for video tutorials. That is what I did, and I discovered there are various techniques and preferences for doing EPP. We each need to find what works best for us, as well as what is most enjoyable!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I look forward to returning soon with my EPP progress. I am nearly finished with the binding on my pink and taupe “Next Up” quilt, so I will have that to share as well. I hope you all are enjoying springtime weather, and also finding time to get carried away quilting!
~Taunja
Products I used:
1” hexagon Sweet Papers for EPP by Sweet Water Cotton Shoppe
Jenna Kimball’s Foxglove Straw Needles #9
Aurifil 80 weight cotton thread
Sue Daley rotating cutting mat
Mini charm packs (2.5” squares are a great place to start if you want to make 1” hexies!)
Tutorial I found helpful:
Erica Arndt’s playlist (3 tutorials) for EPP
I learned to sew when I was 8 years old (I’m now almost 67), and one of the things my mother insisted on teaching me was how to sew hexies. I HATED those stupid little things, but Mother insisted that I needed to learn the method, even if I never again used a hexie in anything I did. A few years later, I had a Home-Ec teacher who inflicted the same torture on her students. Again with the “method” thing. I think because I’ve been tortured twice with them in my life, I consider them evil. But, you’re a brave woman, Taunja! And God love ya for loving ’em!
That is too funny Lori! I’m sorry for those early life sewing woes! Did they teach you to baste your hexies, because that looks like torture to me? I kind of find the gluing part fun, like a school art project!
We didn’t use glue way back then. . .
Oh, I absolutely love the colors you have chosen! Please tell me if the hexies shown are a combination of the 3 mini charm packs you are displaying.
I am very new to EPP but have thoroughly enjoyed playing with sewing different shapes together.
I now think it’s time to start a real project and the pattern you are showing is definitely a possibility.
Please keep showing your progress.
Hi Carolyn! I was intrigued when you said different shapes; it makes me wonder if I’ll ever get to that point. There are so many amazing EPP quilts with those “fit together pieces” that I love to look at. But then I remind myself . . . slow down and enjoy! Yes, my hexies shown in the picture come from those three charm packs. 🙂
Please don’t be mistaken. I didn’t say they were correctly sewn or that they looked good. I’m just having fun trying to connect the pieces. 🙂
I do love the color of the center in the flower shown. Wish I could find yardage in it I am thinking it’s from Promenade collection. In fact all of the reds shown are lovely.
I am making them, too. I think I’ll add to a jean jacket.
That is an AWESOME idea!!! Or even a denim shirt. Thanks for letting me know what you’re doing!!
Are you sure this comes under English Paper Piecing?
Well, I’m using EPP paper templates, and I’m piecing it by hand.
Very pretty. I made some w similar fabrics. Very pretty. But don’t know what to do w the flowers now. Any suggestions?