With all the hand sewing I've been doing lately (particularly since I discovered All Points Patchwork and English Paper Piecing), I've learned lots of ways to make my piecing easier and more accurate. Here is my list of top EPP tips. I hope they are as useful to you as they have been to me.
Relax your thread before sewing. I picked this tip up from one of Natalie Chanin's books. After you cut a length of thread, hold it at one end and slowly run your fingers down the length of the thread with your other hand. This releases some of the twist and prevents some tangling. If you use cotton thread (which I like to do sometimes), try using a thread conditioner or a light coat of beeswax to prevent curling and tangling.
Get accurate placement. With thread basting (as opposed to glue basting), it can be difficult to get perfect placement of a specific design on the right side of the fabric. To help position the fabric, lay the paper piece centered on the wrong side of the fabric piece then put it up to a bright light source so that the design shows through. Nudge the paper piece around until you have the fussy cut design where you want it. If you use thicker paper like I do, you will only be able to gauge accuracy from the overhanging fabric, or what will be the seam allowance.
Baste with removal in mind. Make the tacks and basting stitches large enough to easily slip a seam ripper under to pull the stitches out. Also, for tacking stitches, don't insert the needle in the same place or the thread will go thorough itself, making it difficult to remove without cutting the thread.
Get accurate corners. When it comes to obtuse angles, the fabric does not always hug the corner of the paper piece, no matter how carefully you baste and tack. If you find this happening to you, use your fingernail to check where the corner is before aligning and sewing pieces.
Avoid thread catching. I often have trouble with my working thread catching on the knot or on edges of the pieces I'm sewing together. If this happens to you, try keeping a finger on that spot. Your fingertip should extend just beyond the top and side edges. The next time the thread catches in that spot, your finger will be there to nudge it away.
Let gravity help. If your pieces are too large for your finger to reach the edge and prevent the thread from catching, turn the pieces upside down as you pull the thread through. The weight of the thread, although slight, will pull itself away from the places it might catch.
Avoid shifting pieces. One of the benefits of using the whip stitch is that it allows slight adjustments by shifting the pieces after you have already begun sewing. This ability to shift can also be a negative thing, particularly if you want to keep the pieces in the exact position they started in. You can minimize shifting by taking two or three stitches very close together when you begin sewing.
Are there any tips you've learned along your hand sewing journey? I'm sure there are lots more ways I could improve my own. If you have any tips or techniques you'd like to share, add them in the comments.
