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Modern Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) green tree quilt block on a cutting mat with a rotary cutter, pink pin cushion, and paper template, part of a beginner-friendly tutorial by Cotton + Joy.

Foundation Paper Piecing Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide

Today's tutorial is all about Foundation Paper Piecing, or FPP for short. In foundation paper piecing, instead of sewing two pieces of fabric together as you usually would, you sew the fabric onto a paper template. 

Video: If you prefer watching a video, scroll all the way to the bottom or head to my YouTube Channel!

Modern foundation paper pieced green tree quilt block on a cutting mat, with a rotary cutter, pin cushion, and FPP template for a beginner-friendly tutorial in modern quilting.

This technique is ideal for achieving sharp points and complex shapes with accuracy and creating intricate, precise designs. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the basics of foundation paper piecing step-by-step for beginners.

Materials Needed

The materials needed for Foundation Paper Piecing are more or less the same as you'd need if you were doing traditional machine piecing, so things like fabric, rotary cutter, cutting mat, thread, pins, ruler, sewing machine, etc. Here are some of the "extras" needed: 

  • Pattern: I'm including a free pattern for practice with this tutorial
  • Paper: You can use regular printer paper or purchase foundation paper that is a little thinner and, therefore, easier to remove in the end.
  • Glue stick: the kind kids use at school works great!
  • Seam ripper: I always, always end up using it when I do FPP
  • Tape: seems odd, but sometimes the paper can start ripping before you're done, so having clear tape handy can come… well, handy!

Extras:

  • Lightbox: A lightbox can make placing your fabric a little easier, but a window will do!
  • Add-a-quarter ruler: This ruler was specially designed for FPPing. Any ruler with a ¼" marking will do, but this one makes trimming a breeze.

Materials for a modern foundation paper piecing (FPP) project, including a green fabric selection, FPP tree template from Cotton and Joy, glue stick, rotary cutter, and quilting ruler.

Foundation Paper Piecing: Step by Step

Step 1: Print and Prepare Your Pattern

If this is your first time trying FPP, stick to a simple block with fewer pieces. The more pieces, the more complicated it will be. I'm including a free FPP block in this tutorial, which was created for beginners.

When printing your pattern, be sure your printer is set at 100% scale / "Do not scale". All FPP templates should include a test square. After printing, measure the 1" test square on each printed page. If the template pages are printed at 100%, they should be correct, but sometimes printers have a mind of their own. Measuring this square ensures your templates have printed correctly and you won't end up with blocks that are too large or too small. 

Once you've ensured your templates are printed at the correct size, cut out the block. It’s okay to leave a bit of extra paper around the edges for now; you’ll trim it later.

Modern foundation paper piecing (FPP) setup with green fabric pieces, rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and tree template pattern from Cotton and Joy for a beginner FPP project.

Step 2: Fabric Preparation

Grab the fabrics you want to use for your project. FPP is a great time to use scraps since many patterns have small pieces.

Some patterns (such as my Night Court pattern) include specific fabric measurements designated for each template piece. If so, cut out all your fabric and label the pieces to stay organized.

If the pattern you are using does not include fabric cutting instructions for the FPP portions, gather the fabric you plan to use and prepare to cut it as you sew. Each fabric piece should be at least ¼" larger than the section it will cover. However, I like to make my pieces a good ½"-¾" larger. It's better to trim down than to use my seam ripper!

Step 3: First Seam

Place the first fabric on the WRONG SIDE of the template, right side out. The fabric should extend beyond the Section 1 lines by at least ¼" on all sides. Use a pin or glue to hold it in place. 

Step-by-step foundation paper piecing (FPP) tutorial for modern quilting, showing template alignment and sewing along lines for precision in constructing quilt blocks.

Next, place the second piece of fabric on top of the first and right sides together. Make sure the fabric is large enough to cover section 2 completely.

Finally, sew the seam. Turn the paper pattern over so the printed side is up, making sure the two pieces of fabric do not shift. Stitch along the line between Section 1 and Section 2 using a short stitch length (1.5-1.8). 

Step 4: Press and Trim

Press the second piece of fabric to the side. You can use your iron or a seam roller. The fabric should now completely cover Sections 1 and 2.

Before moving on to the next section, trim the seam allowance. Flip the paper back to the fabric side, then fold the paper along the sewn line and trim the excess fabric, keeping a ¼" seam allowance.

Beginning steps of a modern foundation paper piecing (FPP) project, showing initial fabric placement on the template and trimming with a rotary cutter for precise quilt block construction.

Step 5: Repeat the Process

Continue adding fabric pieces, following the numerical order of the pattern's sections. So after Sections 1 and 2 are done, it's time for Section 3, then 4, and so forth. 

For each new section, place the fabric, right sides together, with the previous piece, sew along the line on the printed side, press the seam, and trim the excess.

Foundation paper piecing (FPP) quilt project in progress, showing green fabric pieces arranged on a cutting mat with a rotary cutter, glue pen, and paper template for a modern quilting tutorial.

Step 6: Finish the Block

Once all the sections have been sewn and pressed, trim the block, leaving a ¼" seam allowance. 

Then, carefully tear away the paper. Start from the outer edges and work your way in. Do this carefully to avoid pulling the stitches.

Foundation paper piecing (FPP) tree template on a cutting mat with trimmed fabric scraps and a rotary cutter, demonstrating setup for a modern quilting project.

Joining Templates Together

Many FPP patterns have multiple templates that must be sewn together to make one finished quilt block. This part is easy since you'll be joining two pieces together the same as you would in traditional piecing–the only difference is that you might still have the paper attached to the fabric.

I think the proper instruction here is to leave the paper on the pieces until after they have been joined. This is especially true since some patterns will have instructions within the seam allowance on the templates so you know which pieces to sew together. However, I find it's sometimes easier to remove the paper as soon as that unit is done and then join units together like I would any other time, using a ¼" seam allowance. 

I hope this step-by-step tutorial has been helpful and you are able to tackle foundation paper piecing without fear! I know some quilters avoid FPP at all cost, but it can be incredibly satisfying to create intricate designs with accuracy. Just remember to go slow, cut larger-than-necessary fabric pieces, and enjoy the process!

If you prefer watching a video, here you go!


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