Card Trick 2.0

Using the Sirota “No More Tears©” Paper Piecing Method

Paper Piecing for the 21st Century

Class Project
"Is This Your Card?"
36 x 31 ish

Card Trick has always fascinated me because I love optical illusion quilts. I prefer to paper-piece Card Trick because it pretty much guarantees more accuracy, as well as eliminating seams, which enhances the illusion.

But for many of us, paper piecing can be a quilting brain-teaser, right? Well if you love paper pieced projects but find the process somewhat “confusing” and a bit tedious, then you’ll want to check this out. You’ll be learning my revolutionary “No More Tears” © method of paper piecing, and although you won’t be finishing the entire project in class, you should have at least one, if not two or three, completed 8”x8” blocks, and the tools you’ll need to finish your project at home. You’ll see that it will take half the time you’d expect from paper piecing. Don’t believe me? Well, join the class and find out how!

BRING TO CLASS

Your pre-cut fabric
Sewing machine, thread and bobbin
An all-purpose piecing foot and a 1/4" foot
Rotary cutter (with a fresh blade)
Your patterns printed on 17# vellum (for virtual classes only)
Click here for more about the paper

6” x 12” rotary cutting ruler
Small cutting mat (9" x 12” is fine)
Highighter (Pink, green, blue, orange, but NOT yellow)
Pencil or pen (for taking notes)
Add-A-Quarter Ruler (optional)
Invisible Scotch Tape - any brand
Elmer's Disappearing Purple Glue Stick

FABRIC SELECTION

A word about design and fabric selection:

Please, keep it simple, and keep in mind that we’re here to learn a new method, and maybe not design the ultimate Card Trick masterpiece. Ideally, we’re looking for four distinctly different fabrics for the “cards”, and a contrasting background fabric. Typically, the background fabric looks like a solid. In other words, a print that reads as a solid from a short distance away is most desirable, because it camouflages your seams and makes your cards pop.

Click on the quilt for a better look.

When selecting your fabric, avoid directional prints.

Your finished wall hanging should measure 32” square without borders.

CUTTING SPECS

Fabric Requirements: (does not include borders)

For the cards: half a yard of each of your four distinctly different card fabrics (you'll have plenty left over)

For the background: 1 yard

For the five "Square in Square" card blocks:

From each of your four card fabrics:

Cut one 2" strip. From that strip:

Cut five 2”x3-1/2” rectangles of each card color
Cut five 2”x2” squares of each card color

Cut one 5" strip. From that strip:

Cut three 5”x5” squares of each card color. Cut the squares in half diagonally. You should have six HSTs of each color. (You'll only use five.)

From your background fabric:

Cut two 3" strips of your background fabric . Cut the strips into fifteen 3"x3" squares. Then cut the squares in half two times diagonally to end up with sixty quarter square triangles of your background fabric. (click to enlarge image)

Cut two 6 ½” strips. Cut the strips into ten 6 ½” squares. Then cut the squares in half diagonally. You should have 20 HSTs.

For the four large card blocks:

From each of your four card fabrics:

Cut one 3-1/4" strip. From that strip:

Cut four 3-1/4"x 5-3/4" rectangles of each card color
Cut four 3-1/4”x 3-1/4" squares of each card color

From your background fabric:

Cut two 5-1/2" strips. From the strips cut twelve 5-1/2" squares.

Then cut the squares in half two times diagonally to end up with forty-eight quarter square triangles of your background fabric. (click to enlarge image)

Bring your extra fabric to class…just in case😊

YOU GOT THIS!!!!!

Basic paper piecing

Precise block and quilt top construction (your points will match!)

CARD TRICK 2.0