Sew a paper pieced Varsity letter
Curious about foundation paper piecing, but nervous to try? Sew an alphabet quilt block with me! Grab the free template by entering your email below, and then follow along with the video. Whether you’re new to this technique or already a pro, you may just find yourself sewing up an entire alphabet in no time.
FAQs
Q: Do I need previous experience with paper piecing to make these quilt blocks? A: The pattern assumes some knowledge of paper piecing, but it includes two pages of tips and guidance. Plus I made a video just for beginners, showing step by step how to make the letter A. I’ve heard from lots of beginners who were successful with the Blackletter pattern, and I’d venture to say that Varsity is much simpler as far as construction.
Q: What’s included in the pattern?
A: Varsity is a 43-page digital pattern in PDF format, which you can download and print at home. It includes foundation paper piecing templates for:
- 26 letters
- 10 numbers
- an exclamation mark, comma, period, and quotation marks
Q: What size are the blocks? A: Letter and number blocks are 5 1/2″ wide by 6 1/2″ high, unfinished. Punctuation blocks are 6 1/2″ high to make alignment with other blocks easy, but vary in width. The pattern includes guidelines for borders, kerning, and word spacing so you can adapt depending on the type of project you have in mind (i.e. a full alphabet quilt vs. specific words or phrases).
Q: What are the fabric requirements?
A: These blocks are scrap-friendly and the amount of background and foreground fabric required varies depending on the block. In general, for one letter, allow roughly:
- one 7 x 7 piece for the strokes of the letter
- one 8 x 8 piece for the background
Q: Can I customize the quilt to feature my favorite sports and teams?
A: Yes, please do! The Varsity pattern is designed with football, hockey, baseball, and basketball enthusiasts in mind, so you can create a one of a kind tribute to your home team, or a gift for your favourite sports fan. Get your team colours out!
Q: Do I need any special tools to make these blocks?
A: To create your blocks, you will need: a printer, scissors, lightweight paper, a sewing machine, thread, needle, ruler with markings in inches, cutting mat, and a rotary cutter.
Q: Can I resize this pattern?
A: This pattern was designed and tested to be printed and sewn at 100% scale. You are welcome to scale the size the blocks up or down as your project requires!
Q: Is the pattern available for immediate download?
A: Yes, the pattern is available for download as a PDF file as soon as your purchase is complete. You can print the pattern at home and get started on your quilt right away.
Q: What is paper piecing, and how is it different from traditional quilting techniques?
A: Paper piecing is a quilting technique where fabric is sewn onto a paper pattern to create precise and intricate designs. It’s different from traditional quilting techniques because the fabric pieces are sewn together in a specific order onto a paper foundation (that’s the F in “FPP”!), rather than piecing together fabric strips or blocks.
Q: What’s the best fabric for paper piecing?
A: The best fabric for paper piecing is 100% cotton, as it is stable and easy to work with.Avoid stretchy or slippery fabrics, as they can be difficult to work with and may not hold their shape well.