Turkey Tracks: January 31, 2020
Best EPP Tip of the Year
I’ve been working on this English Paper Piecing project for about a year. It’s the “36-Ring Circus” pattern by Jo Anne Louis.
It has been VERY slow going, and I realized I am avoiding it whenever I can.
Why?
The curves are really hard to manage, especially when sewing a block into the rows of six blocks.
Tara Faughnan in THE COLOR COLLECTIVE, from Sewtopia, to the rescue!
Tara taught in a recent month’s project to use ARTIST TAPE on the FRONT of the block to hold the seam placement firm.
Artist tape is used to mount watercolor art to mats in order to frame them. The tape is heavier and stickier than something like the blue tape one can when painting a room. Though blue tape might also work—but maybe wouldn’t be reuseable???
After one places the tape, one then does a flat back stitch on the back side of the piece—and it works best to just keep that line of stitching very narrow.
Wow! Now this project is going much faster, with much less stress.
And the tape worked well to insert the block into the row as well. Two more blocks, and I’ll have two rows of six done.
Here’s an image of what this quilt will be like when done—though I am attempting to use Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics for the centers and solids for the rest.
Louisa Enright's Blog 
Love this Louisa. It looks great so far! Keep it going. Can’t wait to see more of it in person. Love all those little tiny prints.
Great tip Louisa! And I have to say I like your fabric choices better!!!!
Thank you so much. I am struggling too!! I think it is going to be a long project and I like you I keep avoiding it! Will definitely try the tape.
It is good to know that someone else is struggling with this project besides me. Thanks so much!! Mine is on the back burner for the moment while I handquilt a project and after that, there will be bindings to sew down. But I will get back to the “Circus” eventually. I’d love to see your version of this project. Thanks for reading my blog.