Of all the things I’ve tried this year, foundation paper piecing is my favorite! Looking for free paper piecing patterns can be overwhelming; I am drawn to modern shapes and graphic animals. You can see my first attempt at foundation paper piecing in my TSNEM post here, as a part of my yearly Try Something New Every Month challenge.

As always, when preparing myself to try a craft technique I found loads of ideas and tutorials that were inspiring and wanted to share them! Download one of these free foundation paper piecing patterns and grab some fabric scraps to try this neat quilting technique.

This post was updated to delete dead links/closed shops as of January 2024, if you see photos on pinterest but can’t find the patterns listed below!

Tutorials for Paper Piecing

If you’re new to foundation paper piecing, here are some resources that will be useful before you start sewing with one of the free foundation paper piecing patterns!

• General foundation paper piecing sewing tips from Polka Dot Chair
• I haven’t used this yet, but I think it will be handy to know how to enlarge & reduce a pattern from Sew Hooked
• This free pattern at Blossom Heart Quilts also has a tutorial – I like how she pointed out that pinning will skew the fabric a bit, and the trick of holding the pattern/fabric up to the light to see if it covers. Also how she used the ruler to fold the paper is nifty, easier than perforating the paper like the video tutorial that I used in my previous post.
• Freezer paper is apparently not only for applique – check out this method for using it as a foundation, with a tutorial from Sandi at Piecemeal Quilts

Different tutorials seem to “require” different tools – I already use and love a rotary cutter and quilting rulers but I am going to look for a Clover finger press at the fabric store next time I go, they look nifty.

On to the free paper piecing patterns!

You can pin this post for later, here:

Free paper piecing patterns

Sign up for the Kohatu Patterns newsletter and get this sweet free foundation paper pieced bee pattern!

Feather style free paper piecing pattern from Blossom Heart Quilts

Free bee hive paper piecing pattern from Love Patchwork & Quilting.

 

Pumpkin free paper piecing pattern from 1/4″ Mark

Airplane free paper piecing pattern by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Art Gallery Fabrics

Abstract Modern Blocks free paper piecing pattern from The Long Thread

Herringbone Block free paper piecing pattern from Quiet Play

[picture kindly provided by Kerry Green of Verykerryberry]

Tiny House free paper piecing pattern from VeryKerryBerry

Cow free paper piecing pattern from Piecemeal Quilts

Free airplane paper piecing pattern from Quiet Play

Free starburst paper piecing pattern from Six White Horses

Free mermaid paper piecing pattern from Sewing Under Rainbow

Free pinwheel block paper piecing pattern from Ellis and Higgs

Free paper pieced flamingo pattern from Sew What Alicia

Free geometric paper pieced patterns from 3 and 3 quarters and sewn by me.

Free paper pieced carrot pattern on Diary of a Quilter.

Free palm tree paper pieced pattern, designed in house for Love Patchwork & Quilting and shared on their website and in issue 74.

Cheery sunshine paper pieced free pattern from Polkadot Chair

Free patterns that aren’t pictured because I didn’t hear back about image sharing permission:

• • Free gnome paper piecing pattern from Unicorn Harts
  • Free candy cat paper piecing pattern from Unicorn Harts
  • Free penguin paper piecing pattern from Unicorn Harts
  • Free flower paper piecing pattern from Unicorn Harts
  • Free geometric paper piecing pattern from Jessica Dayon
  • Hexagon Bee free paper piecing pattern from Badskirt

Paper piecing books & online classes

If books are more your thing, I have my eye on these two and will be checking my library for them: Playful Little Paper-Pieced Projects: 37 Graphic Designs & Tips from Top Modern Quilters & Paper Pieced Modern: 13 Stunning Quilts • Step-by-Step Visual Guide.

There are two Craftsy classes I found, one has over 100 positive reviews and includes a free e-book of 50 patterns,  Mastering Foundation Paper Piecing with Carol Doak, and the other seems newer but appears to be geared more towards beginners,  Start Foundation Paper Piecing with Elizabeth Dackson. Have you taken either of them? I’d love to hear if you have!

Normally in these round-up posts I only include free paper piecing patterns but there were too many amazing patterns for sale, so I wanted to include those too. I can’t decide which one to buy for my next attempt – I’m leaning towards the llama to make a couch pillow!

Paper piecing patterns for sale

• Cow Pattern from Bubblestitch
• Butterfly Pattern from Lillyella Stitchery
• Unicorn from Quiet Play
• Sewing Machine from Quiet Play
• Kestral from The Tartan Kiwi
• Little Bear from from The Tartan Kiwi
• Gemology Block from SarahRose Quilts
• Also, ALL THE DINOS from Julia Eigenbrodt’s shop
• Paper pieced heart sewing pattern (not pictured) from Sew What Alicia

Lastly, these quilts are just too cool. I still haven’t recovered from making my first full sized quilt, but I can’t shake the desire to have that lion hanging on my wall!

Forest Abstractions Quilt from Violet Craft

Jungle Abstractions – The Lion Quilt from Violet Craft