Essential Tips & Techniques for English Paper Piecing and Needle Turn Appliqué, Featuring the Antique Sampler Quilt

Over the years, I’ve completed many Needle Turn Appliqué and English Paper Piecing quilts. With a busy schedule, I’m always searching for the easiest and quickest ways to finish my projects.

In this guide, I’m sharing my favorite tips and techniques—perfect for anyone looking to improve their English Paper Piecing and Needle Turn Appliqué skills.

All the techniques, tips, and photos below are drawn from my experience making the Antique Sampler Quilt, a pattern designed by Sue Daley.

This quilt features 64 small blocks and 9 large blocks, each created with either English Paper Piecing or Needle Turn Appliqué. I hope you find these insights helpful as you work on your own quilting projects!

English Paper Piecing

Whenever possible, I bulk cut my fabric shapes by stacking several layers and cutting around the paper templates with scissors. For example, if I needed six pieces, I’d cut all six at once, simply estimating a 1/4 inch seam allowance by eye.

For fussy cutting, I work one piece at a time to ensure the fabric’s design is placed just right. Precision isn’t critical here, since the fabric will be folded over the paper shapes.

I also use the acrylic templates included with my pattern to cut fabric. These templates make it easy to layer and cut multiple pieces at once, or to fussy cut individual pieces as needed.

Preparing the Paper Shapes

I used a Sewline Fabric Glue Pen to glue my fabric to the paper shapes making sure I firmly folded the fabric over.

Stitching The Shapes Together

When I stitched my shapes together I tried various needles and thread.

The thread that gave me the best results was the Bottom Line thread.

This is a semi-translucent thread that disappears and blends into your fabric. It is strong and doesn't fray or break as you drag the thread

against the paper shapes.

I used a neutral colour for all my shapes regardless of fabric colour. Cream, grey or taupe work really well.

You can purchase this thread on 1420yd spools

I like to wind a bobbin with the thread I’m using and keep it with my project for easy access.

My preferred needles for English Paper Piecing are Clover Black Gold No. 9 Quilters Betweens or Sharps.

I especially love the Clover needles because their black coating helps them glide smoothly through the fabric.

While some quilters like to use Milliners needles, I find them a bit too long for the overcast stitch.

Regular Golden Eye No. 9 Quilters Betweens also work well.

I prefer using Bohin Appliqué No. 12 needles for needle turn appliqué. They’re exceptionally smooth, and their smaller size allows for tiny, precise stitches that take just small bites of fabric.

Once my paper shapes were finished, I sprayed them with Mary Ellen’s Best Press—a fantastic starch that doesn’t leave any white residue and has a pleasant scent.

This gave my shapes extra body and helped them hold their form. When I removed the papers, the turned-under edges stayed neatly in place, and my pieces kept their shape beautifully.

This product is available in store only.

Appliqueing Finished Shapes

My pattern called for appliquéing the shapes onto a background fabric.

Instead of using pins, I secured each piece with Roxanne Basting Glue—a water-soluble glue that only requires a few small drops around the edges. It dries quickly, but if you’re impatient like me, you can speed up the process by pressing with an iron. Using glue instead of pins makes stitching much easier, as there’s nothing for your thread to catch on.

I then stitched the shapes to the background using either an appliqué stitch. The Bottom Line thread works perfectly for this, especially when paired with No. 12 needles.

Needle Turn Applique

I was never a big fan of needle turn appliqué because I wasn’t satisfied with my results. That changed when I started using a product called Polystick—a stick-on, wash-away interfacing.

I trace my appliqué shapes onto the paper side of the Polystick and carefully cut them out along the lines.

Next, I peel off the paper backing and stick the Polystick shape to the wrong side of my fabric. I cut around the shape, leaving just under a 1/4-inch seam allowance, and clip any inward curves.

Using a fabric glue pen, I apply glue around the edge of the Polystick, then fold the seam allowance over and press it in place. The glue holds the edges neatly, making the appliqué process much easier and giving me results I’m happy with.

The best part about using this product is that you can leave it in the quilt—most of it washes away, and any remaining interfacing becomes soft, adding just a touch of body to your appliqué.

Once my shapes are finished, I secure them to the background fabric with Roxanne’s Basting Glue, then appliqué them in the same way as my paper-pieced shapes.

Creating the Circles

Once my appliqué pieces were finished, I moved on to creating the circles and appliquéing them onto my dark background squares—a different approach from Sue’s original pattern.

First, I cut a 6-inch circle from template plastic and a 5-inch circle from heat-resistant Mylar template plastic.

I centered my design within the 6-inch circle, traced around it with a removable marker, double-checked the placement, and then cut it out along the line.

Next, I stitched a running stitch about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the fabric circle.

I placed the 5-inch Mylar circle in the center, then pulled the thread tight to gather the fabric evenly around the template.

After spraying the circle with Best Press, I pressed it with an iron until dry.

Gently remove the 5 inch circle, the finished circle is ready to be glued to the background square and appliquéd in place.

All my blocks are now complete, and it’s time to assemble the quilt top. The final step is adding the scalloped edges and border!