Foundation Paper Piecing a Scottie Dog

I stumbled upon this Scottie Dog pattern on a website called Womenfolk.com a few years ago. I love this version of a Scottie because the proportions are nice and the fact that I can turn it on point is a fun extra!

When I posted a picture of this Scottie on Instagram the other day, I had several folks asking for a tutorial. So here you go!

The first thing to do is to print the Paper Pieced Scottie from the website. There is another set of templates for piecing with templates. For our purposes we will use the foundation paper pieced version. Foundation paper piecing is stitching right through the paper...so you will want to discard your sewing machine needle after you are finished or at least set it aside and reserve it only for stitching through paper.  

This is a 9 inch block...be sure to copy at 100%.

Now, let's gather the other supplies you will need.

   

You will need the pattern fabric scissors, paper scissors, rotary, ruler and a postcard or rewards card to use in folding.

It's also very useful to have some type of fabric glue. I will use Roxanne's Glue Baste-It.

Reduce the stitch length on your machine to about 1.5. This is necessary to perforate the paper so it is easy to tear away after the block is complete. Also the reduced stitch allows you to tear off the paper without pulling the stitches out.  

Of course, you also need fabric! Foundation paper piecing is a tad wasteful with fabric because you are over-sizing the fabric pieces and cutting back to size. As you become more proficient there is less waste. But for those of you that are using this method for the first time, I would give yourself a little more wiggle room and cut your pieces a bit larger as you go.

I cut my pieces for each section as I need them...not before sewing. 

The key point to remember when cutting your fabric for each section, is to cut it AT LEAST 1/4 INCH LARGER ON EACH SIDE THAN THE SECTION. You will be trimming back as you sew and you need that 1/4 inch for the seam allowance.  

This is an easy pattern to foundation paper piece, but in the future if you have a pattern with a sharp angle, you will need to cut your piece quite a bit larger to accommodate the angle. 

So let's begin...

Take the A section of your pattern and place a small dot of glue on the wrong side of the sub-section marked A 1.

  

A1 takes a background piece. Cut your piece at least a 1/4 inch larger on each side than the pattern. You don't need to cut it carefully, I would just try to remember to keep the straight of grain parallel with the straight edges.

The wrong side of your background fabric will be placed to the wrong side of the pattern. Notice my fabric is larger than sub-section A1. 

Flip the pattern, with the fabric glued to section A1, over and using your card, fold on the line between A1 and A2.

   

The card helps make sure you are folding on the line because you will not be able to see this line.

I am folding back on the line between A1 and A2. My fabric is completely covering section A1 and I still have at least 1/4 inch extra seam allowance on each side of section A1.

Place your ruler so that the edge of the folded paper is hitting the 1/4" mark on your ruler. You will cut along this line, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

   

Now take the fabric that will cover sub-section A2 (remember it needs to be larger than A2). Place that fabric with right sides facing on top of fabric A1. Be sure the right sides are facing!!! Also, be sure that the fabric is situated so it will completely cover A2 and leave 1/4 inch more on each side. If you can't see A2...hold the pieces up to a light or window and you will be able to see where this fabric needs to hit.

  Go to the sewing machine and stitch on the line between A1 and A2. 

Flip the pattern over and press these two pieces open. Then place your card on the line between A1, A2 and A3, again, fold. You will notice the extra fabric from A1 and A2 extending beyond that line. Place your ruler on the fold be A1, A2 and A3 and trim, leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance.

     

Once you have trimmed, cut a piece of fabric for A3 (larger than you need and to completely cover area A3). Unfold the paper pattern and stitch directly on the line between A1,A2 

and A3.

Press back the fabric, fold, again between A3 and A4, trim seam allowance. Cut fabric for A4, sew on the line between A3 and A4, press A4 back. And repeat for A5!!!

When you have finished an entire section, flip the pattern over and trim on the dotted line. This pattern has included the outer most seam allowance. If you come across a pattern that does not include the outer seam allowance you must leave a quarter inch on the outside of the pattern.

Continue in this manner for the B and C sections of the pattern.

  

When you get to the D section there is no sewing involved. But I place several dabs of glue to hold the fabric to this larger section.

Then trim around the template.

Now you are ready to sew all of the sections together. A to B, AB to C, and ABC to D.
You may want to place a little bit of glue along the seam allowance before you stitch the sections together to keep the fabric from shifting with the paper.

**As you work with this technique, it's important to remember to always leave a quarter inch seam allowance and that the fabrics should be placed right sides facing. With the reduced stitch length, it is difficult to take out stitches.**

After all sections are sewn together....give it a good press and carefully remove the paper.
It is a good idea to place your finger over the stitches in your seams as you remove the paper....just to be sure you don't rip out the stitches.

There you have it! A paper pieced Scottie!
xx mary

  

A Gaggle of Geese....

I recently finished a Flying Geese Quilt, which I named Flight....

 

I love the Flying Geese block.  It is very versatile.

It works great in a pillow....

As a border....

or even in minature....

What a great block!  There are many methods for making this block. Today I want to share with you a few of them...

First up we will use the Fons and Porter Flying Geese Ruler....

For my quilt, I used a 3 X 6 block.  In fact, I foundation paper pieced my block which consisted of two geese.  So my block finished as a 6 X 6 inch block.  

For each method described here I will be making a 3 X 6 inch block.

To use the Fons and Porter ruler, I cut a strip for the big triangle 3.5 inches by the width of fabric....and a strip for the small side units, also, 3.5 inches by the width of fabric.

  

   

To make the side units I line up my ruler with the blunted off point even with the top of my strip and the 3.5 inch mark at the bottom edge of my strip.  The first cut is just to get the angle of my unit.

After I make this first cut, I can flip the ruler and use the previous cut edge so there is no waste!

Now we need to cut the center triangles....

I line the middle of the ruler up with the edge of my fabric strip...again just to get the angle so I can cut, flip and cut.

Make sure the bottom edge of the shaded point is against the top edge of your fabric strip.  these blunted tips help with lining up the pieces when you go to sew them together....

 

now with right sides together line up the blunted tip of the side unit with the blunted tip of the center triangle...

 

stitch both side units, one at a time, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance and press the block open.

When you are attaching Geese blocks into a row....be careful to stitch just shy of the point where the two units cross to preserve your point....you want those geese nice and pointy!

The next method is the one I most often use, foundation paper piecing.

I have a foundation paper pattern measuring a finished 6 X 6.  Each individual block is 3 X 6.

Begin by cutting two large rectangles 4" X 7" and four smaller rectangles 4" X 4.5 "

  

Take a large rectangle and place it with the wrong side against the wrong side of paper pattern...you can use a dab of glue to hold it in place if it helps.

Now trim the right edge, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance...

 

Place a smaller rectangle so the raw edges are even....and stitch on the drawn line....

Note: it is a good idea to reduce the stitch length to about 1.5 so the stitches don't come loose when tearing away the paper.

 

Fold back the paper on the stitched line and cut away the excess fabric from the smaller rectangle - leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  

Note: to make it easier to fold back the paper on the line, you can either pre-fold the paper before you begin or lightly score the paper with the back of your seam ripper.

Repeat this process on the other side of the large center triangle.

Now you are ready to add the other rectangle to the top of this first Flying Geese unit...

Before you begin stitching the next large rectangle to the previous unit...fold the paper pattern back on the line dividing the two Flying Geese and trim leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

  

Repeat the steps described above.  After you have the second Flying Geese block added, flip the block over and trim around the block leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side.  Then carefully tear away the paper.

The next method is fabulous and a very close second to my favorite foundation paper piecing method...

I have seen several tutorials on this method, but I really like the one posted by Shannon of Pieceful Kwilter....you can find it here 

I will just briefly describe this method, but I would really encourage you to check it out on her blog.  It is a great method and the best thing is, you get 4 units....I like anything that makes the piecing even faster!

For my Flying Geese, I would cut one large square 7.25 inches X 7.25 inches....

and cut 4 smaller squares 3 7/8 inches X 3 7/8 inches.

Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on each of the smaller squares.

Place one smaller square on the upper left hand corner of the larger square and another smaller square on the bottom left hand corner of the larger square.  Pin in place.

Stitch a 1/4 inch from each side of the drawn line....corner to corner...

then cut apart on the drawn line...

you will end up with something that looks like a heart shape!

  

Take the other two smaller squares and place one on each of the remaining points on the larger "heart" shape....

again, stitch 1/4 inch from the drawn line (both sides) and then cut on the drawn line...

    

I have to say, this is a great method and Shannon explains it very well...so be sure to visit her at the Pieceful Kwilter!

Are you still with me?

The last method is also a paper foundation method from Triangles on a Roll....you can find this product at www.trianglesonaroll.com

With this method you cut a large square 7.25 inches and sub cut the square on the diagonal twice.....

 

then cut a smaller square 3 7/8 inches and sub cut once on the diagonal...you will need 4 of these squares to add to each of the larger triangles above....

From the roll, cut as many triangles as you wish to make...I will cut two.

Place the large triangle in the blue shaded area on the paper.  The difference between this and more traditional paper piecing is that the paper will always be on the bottom...

   

Place the smaller triangle on the left side....and stitch...

Repeat on the other side of the larger triangle...

  

Now add another larger triangle to the top and repeat the previous steps...

Once you have finished all the triangles you want to add, carefully tear away the paper!

Sorry for the long post!  I thought it would be nice to have all of these methods in one spot...

if you have a Flying Geese method you like, please share! I would love to hear if you use one I have shared here or if there is another that you prefer!

   

happy wednesday!

mary