EPP Mania and our May 30th Meeting

Have you tried English Paper Piecing (EPP) yet?  It could just be me, but it seems to be all the rage right now in the quilting/sewing blogosphere.  Or at least on Instagram, where I seem to get sucked into an inspirational spiral of all the pretty things.  (If you don't already, make sure to follow us @DCMQG on Instagram!)

I haven't tried yet but I really want to learn how to EPP. When I first started teaching myself to quilt via the internet, I would never have dreamt I’d have the patience to want to do any sort of hand-quilting, let alone hand-piecing!   And yet, seeing all the beautiful La Pascalgia’s, hexagon projects, and gorgeous patterns that float across my social media feeds, all I want to do is learn how to join those tiny pieces of fabric into big ol' quilts.  Needless to say, inspiration abounds for hand-sewn quilting projects!  Like I need anything else to enable my project start-itis...  


Giveaway!
Drawstring pouch by Jessie Aller

At our upcoming meeting at the US Botanic Gardens this Saturday, May 30th (from 10am - 2pm outdoors in the Amphitheater area), we are focusing on hand-sewing.  Everyone should bring some handwork in process (e.g., a hand-sewing project, binding, embroidery, or even knitting) and we can sit and sew together.

As a special feature, we'll be lucky enough to enjoy an EPP demo session with our very own past DCMQG president and EPPing enthusiast, Jessie Aller!  She has recently opened the most adorable little online shop, Faraway Road, where you can purchase great little freezer paper pieces to use with your projects.  Jessie is going to be on hand at the May 30th meeting to show us her method of using her die-cut “Snowflakes” paper pieces to make beautiful EPP creations and she’ll even have a few for sale.  Now that’s shopping local!  Be sure to check out her website, Faraway Road, where she has great info and tutorial videos about EPP.  So whether you’re a total beginner (like me), have already tried it with a project in the works, or are an experienced EPPer, join us at the Botanic Garden this Saturday (5/30) for a day of inspirational handwork.


EPP Progress- I took out the bright red diamonds that were surrounding the pink star and replaced with pale mint & aqua. 
(The above EPP photos lovingly lifted from Jessie’s Flickr page!  Thanks, Jessie!)

About the Meeting

When:  Saturday, May 30th, 2015 from 10am to 2pm  (and the group typically grabs lunch nearby after we've worked up an appetite from all the hand-sewing!)

Where:  The Amphitheater area of the US Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC  20001 *

*Alternate plan if there’s bad weather:  Stay tuned to the blog or IG for any last minute updates but, if it’s raining that day, we’ll aim to meet in the entry area at the National Museum of the American Indian.

What to Bring:  Your handwork project(s), materials to try EPP if you want, outdoor-friendly snacks. Hope to see you there!