A DIY Pennant Flag for the Typecast Blog Tour!
I’ve been thinking about trying my hand at English Paper Piecing for quite some time now, but when Sheri of Whole Circle Studio first let me know about her new Typecast EPP pattern, I knew that my time had come. Far from the norm with these curved and gorgeous letters, I was sure that the letter T would not only be a great start for me.
I set out to create a sweet little pennant flag for my nephew, Trevor. I was a little hesitant at first and decided to wait on his brother’s initial, Z, until I was sure this one was a success!
Lucky for these little guys, I think it was a huge success, and I can’t wait to get started on the slightly more difficult, Z!
English Paper Piecing
An Overview
I’m no EPP pro yet, but I’ll have a tutorial for newbies coming soon! Here’s an overview if you’re thinking about dipping your toe in the water though:
Cut it Out
The first few steps of EPP are fairly simple…actually all the steps are fairly simple! The Typecast pattern is perfect for beginners- I didn’t use any other references when learning this new skill.
First you’ll cut out your fabrics 1/4″ bigger than your templates, then you’ll baste your templates to your fabric (there’s a few ways to do this- it isn’t difficult at all though!)
Then you’ll start at the center, and hand sew your pieces together. I used a whipstitch, but Sherri is very thorough in her Typecast pattern and even shows you a few types of stitches you can use!
As you’re stitching, you’ll probably realize that this is incredibly relaxing and wonder why you didn’t start doing this sooner!
After I was done with my English Paper piecing, I incorporated the block into a little sports-style pennant for my nephew- how cute!
Needless to say, I already ordered my Z and am ready to cut it all out! All I could think about while I was sewing were these two little flags hanging side by side in their all-boy room. And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that Aunt Rachel is always on their Team!
About Typecast
I’m sure as you’re reading this, you’re having all sorts of great ideas and your quilting dreams have just been realized, so let me give you all the details on how you can make your very own EPP words, initials, or alphabets!
Where to Buy
To get started, you’ll want to purchase the EPP guide written by Sheri of Whole Circle Studio. I strongly suggest it-—I think it is very well written!
Next, you’ll want to chose your templates. You can either get card stock templates (sew and go as soon as you get them!) OR an acrylic template set that will last you forever!
Last, you’ve got to choose your letters! I suggest getting the whole alphabet pack, because you’re going to love these things…I promise!
Find Inspiration
Now that you’ve ordered your set, make sure to see an alphabet of inspiration and check out these other awesome projects created by my fellow blog-tourers!
A: Kate Brennan of Aurifil
B: Mathew Bourdreaux of Mister Domestic
C: Tara Curtis of Wefty Needle
D: Leah Day of Free Motion Quilting Project
E: Jess Finn of Paper Pieces
F: Sylvia Schaefer of Flying Parrot Quilts
G: Giuseppe Ribaudo of Giucy Giuce
H: Hilary Jordan of By Hilary Jordan
I: Kim Soper of Leland Ave Studios
J: Yvonne Fuchs of Quilting Jetgirl
K: Karen O’Connor of Lady K Quilts
L: Kristy Daum of St. Louis Folk Victorian
M: Molli Sparkles of Molli Sparkles
N: Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft
O: Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios
P: Pat Sloan of Pat Sloan
Q: Joanna Marsh of Kustom Kwilts
Q: Lindsay Széchényi of Lindsay Széchényi (and Patchwork Threads)
R: Andrea Tsang Jackson of 3rd Story Workshop
S: Sarah Thomas of Sariditty
T: Rachel Rossi of Rachel Rossi
U: Kitty Wilkin of Night Quilter
V: Jenn McMillan of Fabric, Ink
W: Jenny Meeker of Bobbin Roulette Studio
X: Stephanie Kendron of Modern Sewciety
Y: Debby Brown of Debby Brown Quilts
Z: Nisha Bouri and Kim Martucci of Brimfield Awakening
Last, but not least, make sure you head on over to the Whole Circle Studio blog for some awesome giveaways during this tour! You’ll be glad you did!