Help with April Finishing Instructions (Paper Piecing Instructions)

Trace the New York Beauty strip onto lightweight foundation paper or tracing paper. Label with the numbers.



Lay Fabric #1 WRONG sides together next to #1 on the paper. Make sure the fabric covers area #1 completely, including the seam allowances. You might want to pin it. On the Bohemain colorway, I used various pieces of turquoise for all the "backgrounds" (numbers 1, 3, 5 & 7). See pictures at the end of this tutorial. On the Holiday block, I used various medium greens.

  

Place Fabric #2 right sides together so that it will completely cover space #2 when it is sewn and flipped. Sew on the line between #1 and #2, starting and ending the seam well beyond the seam allowance. On the Bohemain colorway, I used the same yellow piece of fabric for area numbers 2, 4 and 6. On the Holiday block, I used golds.



Flip and press (with an iron!). Make sure all of area #2 is covered, including the seam allowances. Once you're sure the area is covered, you can cut away the excess fabric underneath.

  

Do the same thing with the rest of the sections until the New York Beauty strip is covered.



Sew a piece of lightweight fusible interfacing with fusible side right sides together to the fabric side on both of the long curved seam lines. If you don't have fusible interfacing, use a piece of water soluble stabilizer or lightweight fabric.
 


Trim on the cut lines and remove the foundation paper carefully.


 
Clip curves on both curved edges and turn the piece right side out. Finger press so that the interfacing doesn't show on the right side.
 
  

Get one of the 12-1/2" squares that you cut and marked with a diagonal line during the March finishing instructions. Place a piece of fabric in the center and a piece as the background on the muslin. For the center in the Bohemian colorway, I used a flowered piece; for the Holiday, I used a patterned piece that had both green and red. For the background piece, I used a purple for the Bohemian colorway, and for the Holiday, I used a Dark green. You only need to cover half of the block; that's why we drew the diagonal line. Be sure to cover at least 1/4" more than the line to account for seam allowance!!
 
   

Press the fusible-sided New York Beauty strip to the muslin and fabric or pin. Applique the strip to the fabric. I used a blind stitch for the inner curve and a decorative stitch for the outer curve. Voila!!