AboutConnie Hester Expertise Quilting and applique expert.Can advise on the following topics:quilting, art quilts, quilt design and construction, machine and hand quilting, paper foundation piecing, machine piecing, hand piecing, raw edge applique, turned-edge applique and fiber art.
Experience Winning awards in international fiber and art competitions since 1983; http://www.conniehester.com/
BS,MS
See my work and books at http://www.conniehester.com/
Expert: Connie Hester Date: 7/9/2006 Subject: Quilt top with newspaper
Question I discovered a quilt top which was probably made by my husband's grandmother. Newspaper hangs from the underside seams. There's very little of the paper left or I could exactly date it! Anyway, why were the stitches made through newspaper?
Answer Hi, Linda,
It's difficult to say for sure without actually seeing the pieces. Often newspaper was used for templates which remained attached to the fabric. However, it may be more likely that the newspaper was used in order to stabilize fabrics which were used in whatever way they were usable, rather than cut strictly on the straight-of-grain. Paper is commonly used in paper-foundation piecing today for this reason as well. The paper kept/keeps the quilt top from becoming distorted from incorporating many off-grain fabric pieces.
