English Paper Piecing Designer
How it works
- 1Start from a design. Pick Grandmother's Flower Garden, Tumbling Blocks, a star, clamshells or apple cores, build a rosette with symmetry, or start blank.
- 2Add and color papers. Point at an open edge to add a paper; click any paper to color it with the fabric you picked.
- 3Check the shopping list. See how many fat quarters (or smaller cuts) each fabric takes, and set up fussy cuts.
- 4Print the pattern. Download the pattern PDF with fabric amounts, cut maps, papers to print, templates and the sewing order.
Supplies for English paper piecing
Fabric in the cuts the shopping list asks for, fine thread for whipstitching, and papers and glue pens.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the EPP Designer free?
Yes. Designing, the shopping list, the pattern PDF and the coloring sheet are all free. A free account lets you save designs and come back to them on any device.
What shapes can I use?
Hexagons, half hexagons, jewels, kites, long hexagons, 30°, 45°, 60°, 36° and 72° diamonds, triangles, pentagons, squares, octagons, Lucy Boston honeycombs, clamshells and apple cores. Papers are sized by the length of one side, the way paper packs are sold.
Will the pieces actually fit together?
Yes. Papers only join where their edges match, so anything you build can be sewn. Clamshells and apple cores snap into their own interlocking layout.
What's in the pattern PDF?
Fabric amounts for each fabric, a cut map for each one, papers to print (with how many copies), true-size templates with your seam allowance, and a numbered sewing order. Print it at Actual Size and check the 1-inch square before you cut.
Can I fussy cut?
Yes. Upload a photo of your fabric, mark it Fussy cut in the Shopping list, and drag the window over the motif you want. Every piece shows that motif turned with the piece, and the shopping list tells you how many pattern repeats to buy.
What seam allowance should I use?
⅜″ is the usual for English paper piecing. You can switch to ¼″ or ½″ under Shopping list, and the templates and fabric amounts update.