CARD TRICK
Using the Sirota “No More Tears©” Paper Piecing Method
Paper Piecing for the 21st Century
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 inhancing 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
FABRIC SELECTION
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6” x 12” ruler
Small cutting mat (9" x 12” is fine)
Highlighter (any color), pencil or pen (for taking notes)
Add-A-Quarter Ruler (optional)
Invisible Scotch Tape - any brand
Elmer's Disappearing Purple Glue Stick (preferable) or an acid-free, washable glue stick
CUTTING SPECS
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.
Click on the quilt for a better look.
When selecting your fabric, avoid directional prints.
Your finished wall hanging should measure 32” square
Basic paper piecing
The "No More Tears"© method
Precise block and quilt top construction (your points will match!)
In this workshop we’ll take the mystery out of:
Your 5 baggies of pre-cut fabric
Sewing machine, thread and bobbin
Pins, and just in case, a seam ripper
Rotary cutter (with a new blade)
You’ll need 5 ½” of each of four “card” fabrics and 1 ¼ yards of a background fabric.These cutting specs assume 40” of usable fabric from selvage to selvage, or WOF (width of fabric). If you prefer to use fat quarters, you will need 2 of each, or 8 in total.
From each of your four “card” fabrics cut:
Two 2 ¾” strips.
From these strips, cut nine 2 ¾” x 5” rectangles and nine 2 ¾” x 2 ¾” squares.
Then put each of your cut “card” fabrics into a baggie.
From your 1 ¼ yards of background fabric cut:
Four 5” strips.
From these strips cut twenty seven 5”x5” squares.
Cut the squares twice diagonally into quarter-square triangles.
Put your triangles in a separate baggie.
Then cut eight 2 ½” strips for the sashing and border. Put them the baggie with the triangles.
Bring some extra fabric to class…just in case😊