I'm glad you asked! This is my most asked question. That's why I wrote a blog post listing everything I use in my EPP. Enjoy!

Traditionally, quilters have been taught to use 20 stitches per inch. I use around 12. In my experience, my quilts hold up to real use, washing and drying.

My best solution is to make sure you line up the shapes on all sides before sewing them together. For example, if you're sewing 2 diamonds together, line them right sides together so that all edges of the shape align as best as possible. Don't just line up the two corners you're starting from and sew. The folds of fabric can add different width additions to the paper shape, but this trick should help counteract that. 

Let me count the ways!

I love that my paper templates are made from recycled paper. It's my little way of continuing the tradition of quilters past, who reused their newspapers to make their own templates.

I love that my papers are actually paper. The paper I use is 105gsm (grams per square metre). For reference, copy paper is 80 gsm, and crafty cardboard, the kind I used to use for school projects, is around 230gsm. 105gsm is like fancy stationary, like wedding invitations. It keeps it's shape while basting, but bends oh, so nicely when you need to fold you shapes to sew around corners. It keeps the blocks light in your hands while sewing, until you're ready to take the papers out.

Finally, if you choose to go bigger than the kit, my papers are reusable. If you're using glue, baste the other side to what you glued last time, so that you don't re-wet the glue left on the paper. Not using too much glue, and being careful just to sew through the fold of the fabric will make the papers easy to use again.

I love my acrylic templates! They are tinted like the old Coke bottles, sea green if you look at them side on, but clear when you look through them. Just don't forget to remove the protective film before use!

Acrylic Templates are used for cutting fabric to the correct shape. You can draw around them on the fabric and then cut with scissors, or cut around them with a rotary cutter.

All of my acrylic templates have a 3/8" seam allowance which is perfect for EPP, but they also have marking holes for folks who prefer the American hand-piecing method to English Paper Piecing.

To be completely honest, I rarely use them, unless I want to centre a sweet little motif in the middle of my shape. Generally I cut strips (the size of which, I always include in my patterns), and then cut the shapes from the strip, estimating a 3/8" (1cm) seam allowance around the paper template. But some people never make an EPP quilt without them! They love how all their seams are even, or they love the kaleidescope effect of fussy cutting.

That's why I've left ordering acrylic templates completely up to you, rather than including them automatically. I let you build your own kit based on how you love to sew.

Each of my quilt kits have different components listed separately so that you can 'build your own' kit. If you know you'd like the complete kit, add the PDF pattern, paper pieces, and acrylic templates one at a time to your cart. You'll get a 10% discount when you do!

If you'd like to try the pattern first to see if you want to make it, or to make your own pieces, or buy them elsewhere, you can add the PDF to cart, and then come back later and choose the other kit parts if you wish.

I use the same shapes in a lot of my quilts, so I offer acrylic templates separately, so that you can choose if you need them. Acrylic is not easily recycled, so rather than including the templates automatically, they are left as optional for folks who love to use them.

100% post consumer recycled paper just means that the paper is recycled from office waste. There aren't many governing bodies checking words like 'recycled', and so sometimes 'recycled' paper is actually made from leftover timber pulp from mills (which I think is fine, although sometimes these mills are milling old forests), or isn't recycled at all.

This is a term that gets thrown around without regulation or accountability

I use it because I've made an effort at every turn to avoid single use plastic in my packaging, and to make sure my actual product is the most earth friendly option I can find.

My paper shapes are made from recycled office waste, my envelopes and gift boxes are the same. All of my labels are printed to order so we never over-buy and need to throw out. All orders are wrapped with plant-based cellophane which can be added to your compost heap!

My responsibility for my impact on the earth is also the reason that offer my kits in separate portions rather than all together. Acrylic is difficult to recycle and has so far been impossible for me to buy in recycled form. So if you're not going to use it, no point buying it!

All of our shapes are cut and shipped from Melbourne, Australia.

Yes! We use Australia Post to ship all of our parcels around the world. In fact, over 75% of our orders are from outside Australia! We have excellent success getting parcels to their destination, and replace any lost items (something we only need to do once or twice a year!)

Occassionally there are countries experiencing turmoil, and the postal service will be suspended. If you're unsure, you can check the Australia Post Website. In most cases, though, shipping overseas is straight forward, quick, and safe.

The best way to check that is to add what you'd like to cart, and then see what the shipping calculator on the cart page says once you type in your destination. This is not an estimate, but the accurate price you'll be charged to ship what's in your cart.

In my experience, Standard shipping takes 1-3 days to Victoria, 2-4 to built up areas of NSW and SA, and around a week to other parts of the country.

In my experience, Australia Post is excellent at getting your package out of the country and handing it over to the local postal service. Most packages sent via standard shipping arrive at your home in the US, UK, and NZ within 10-14 days.

Occassionally packages take up to a month. In most cases, this is not because they are lost, but because they've ended up at the bottom of a pile at an airport, or because your country requires extra attention at customs. Make sure you put your phone and email on your order to get customs notifications if this occurs.

In the last 6 years of sending paper pieces around the world, this has only happened maybe 3 or 4 times? Even during Covid!

Even so, we guarantee all packages. If yours hasn't arrived in 6 weeks, send me an email and I'll double check your tracking info and send your order again.

Sometimes your order gets returned to us because of an error with the address, or because you haven't taken action with customs. If this happens, we'll get in touch to check your address, and resend your package. Please double check your address during checkout, especially if it's autofilled, to avoid any delays.

If your package has been unopened or unused, in many cases we will accept returns and refund the amount for the product itself when it arrives back. Just send me an email, and I'll keep an eye out for the return.

We do our very best to double check orders, and package them to keep them safe in transit. If your papers or acrylic templates arrive damaged, let us know and we'll replace them. If, on the rare occassion, we send you the wrong thing, please email us a photo of what you received. We'll send you the correct item without needing you to return the error. It can be our special gift for you to keep or share with a friend.