Practical evenings

MAY 2015

English Paper-pieced Sunflower

The aim is to cover each paper piece tightly with fabric.  There are many ways of basting paper pieces but we will be sewing through the papers, so it won’t be necessary to use clips, or other means of holding the fabric and papers in place.  The pin used when attaching the paper pieces to your fabric can be left in place when basting.  Remove the pin after half of the sides have been tacked, so that the fabric can be smoothed tightly in place.

1)                Cut out the sunflower centre on the lines. For the petals, cut on the inside the lines at the petal to petal sides and on the lines elsewhere  (you should end up with slivers of paper between all the petals. This takes allowance of the extra thicknesses of fabric between the many smaller pieces being joined – not essential but you might find it easier to piece). 

2)                Pin the fabric pieces, with the wrong side of the fabric under the papers. Centre the brown fabric and lay the petals with the edge to be sewn to the centre, on the fabric grain-line.  Also, not essential but will look more pleasing on the finished piece.

3)                Pin on all the petals, leaving about ½” between each and cut out.

4)                Starting with a knotted thread in the centre of one side, fold the fabric tightly over the edge of the paper sew through all layers.   At the corners, fold first the current side of fabric and then the next side of fabric, to make a sharp corner.  Start to baste each petal from the side furthest from the point – this just makes life easier!  Use a fingernail to ensure the fold is right at the edge of the paper.

5)                 Back stitch when you get back to the beginning of the tacking.

          You could trim the tail of the thread at the knotted end where you start and run the end of the thread underneath the fold of fabric where you finish, then cut.  This isn’t essential but it does help, when piecing, to have no ends of tacking thread getting in the way.

6)                 Hold the sunflower centre and one of the petals, right sides together, then run the thread up from the back piece and out through the corner and start whip stitching the pieces together (this looses the knot inside the fold of fabric).

7)                Carry on sewing all the petals on the sunflower centre before joining petal to petal.  This just ensures a smoother join of petals to the centre, all round.  When you have joined all the petals together, down a tot of rum. Just checking you read all this…..!

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