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.
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.
- Sew What Sherlock has a “lazy way” tutorial that mentions tracing the pattern on both sides, which would’ve helped me on my first try!
- 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
Concentric Heart free paper piecing pattern from The Tartan Kiwi
Free airplane paper piecing pattern from Quiet Play
Free starburst paper piecing pattern from Six White Horses
Free lipstick paper piecing pattern from I Am Lunasol
Adorable free paper pieced fox pattern by Stars & Sunshine
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 cat paper piecing pattern from Sew Under A Rainbow – this link is dead from Bluprint and I can’t find it anywhere else online 🙁 Leaving an explanation up here in case people are looking for it from the collage images, I’m sorry!!
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
- Leonard the Llama from Sew What Sherlock
- 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 (not pictured)!
- 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
Ivana Monteiro
Wednesday 17th of June 2020
Adoro fazer artesanato.. Achei lindo esta ideia proposta
Melissa
Saturday 7th of December 2019
I just did side A of the feather and can't figure how side b goes on because they dont seem to go together right. I haven't pulled the paper off yet all pieces are facing right side down. Not sure what I did wrong any help would be appreciated.
Stephanie - Swoodson Says
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Melissa, you'd have to contact Blossom Heart Quilts :/ I just link to the pattern, I didn't design it! Good luck!
Brenda L. Bixler
Tuesday 3rd of September 2019
I so enjoy your blog and all the wonderful free patterns and the tutorials I am a fairly beginner and your easy free patterns help me a lot to improve my skills so Thank you
Stephanie - Swoodson Says
Wednesday 8th of January 2020
what a nice comment Brenda, sorry it took so long for me to reply but you made my night!
Mary Hill
Monday 10th of June 2019
I just ordered a Peek-a-boo swim tankini top and boy cut through your website. order no 249680, paid with paypal and when I tried to download, I could not and now can't get back into the site to try again. today June 10, 2019
Stephanie - Swoodson Says
Tuesday 11th of June 2019
Hi Mary! I just link to Peekaboo Patterns, I don't run their site or have anything to do with their orders. I know Amy is great though, I'm sure she will help you out her email is peekaboopatternshop@gmail.com :)
Pam Recko
Thursday 28th of March 2019
One of my hobbies is quilting, and I am really drawn to the modern blocks. My next project is kind of a non traditional quilt block, may I have your permission to use one or 2 of the blocks(or parts of the block) in my next piece? Or do I need to get permission from the Long Thread? Thank you for your blog, I have seen lots of great ideas! Pam
Stephanie - Swoodson Says
Sunday 11th of August 2019
Hi Pam! I am so super sorry that I'm responding 5 months later, for some reason your comment was marked as spam :( You would need to contact Ellen at The Long Thread - any tutorials on my site are free for anyone to use for personal or selling but I'm not sure about hers!