Piecing and learning and pressing on

Another hot day, so I was busy indoors paper piecing another project. I've gone as far as I can with the silk piece, and need to let it alone a day or two to see if the design works.

So I embarked on another orgy of template making and cutting and fitting and piecing. I'd already picked out the five fabrics from my newly arrived package of cotton squares.

Here's where I am. All the covered template pieces need to be pressed before they're fitted together. Well, the v shaped ones are already fitted, they were in two parts. Front first

Then back

with paper template action. The sticky-out dog ears don't matter -- they'll be dealt with as I assemble. It's looking quite promising up to this point. Three more areas to make and assemble, and we'll see how it goes.

I've adapted a Flossie Teacakes rosette design here. And I've discovered there are two sorts of templates: the paper ones in the exact size of the piece, which are wrapped in the fabric, and the plastic ones you cut to  include seam allowance, when you're cutting out the fabric pieces.

This is not clearly explained anywhere I've looked. I sort of stumbled on it. So in case you're interested, now you know. So you only need one plastic template per shape, using it to cut around for your fabric bits. It's the other kind of template, paper, you need in multiples. I was just guessing at seam allowance for the pillow, but there's an easier way to do it, with the plastic template with seam allowance marked on it.

The other reason for using plastic, aside from making your own templates, is that you can see through it to decide just which bit of pattern you want in the piece, before you cut. It's part of the fun of designing.

So this is where I am. Pressing tomorrow, then pressing on.