Nisha and Kim from Brimfield Awakening are the queens of English Paper Piecing! With a goal to create beautiful designs, share their knowledge, and inspire sewers to try out EPP. They have created a whole business around this classic, handwork technique. There are so many reasons why this talented duo loves EPP, and they were excited to share this love with us in this week’s Off The Spool Interview.

Nisha and Kim’s journey in EPP began years ago when they met at a sewing retreat! After realizing they were from the same town, they became fast friends and embarked on their journey together learning to quilt. Both have a love for antique quilts, often finding inspiration in them for new designs and projects. This is how Brimfield Awakening got started! When Nisha and Kim found a beautiful antique quilt block at the Brimfield Antique Market (their name’s sake), they knew they had to find a way to recreate the design. Although the original block was done using what they believed to be hand piecing and applique, the pair started researching techniques they could use to recreate it. This is when they discovered English Paper Piecing. “With EPP you can make complicated designs a lot more easily than with a machine especially old school quilting, you can remake blocks that weren’t originally EPP”. You can trace out or design a line drawing that can then be turned into papers for EPP. They discovered this while recreating their first antique quilt block, but still use EPP for designing or recreating quilts to this day.

As Nisha and Kim experimented more with EPP they realized there were so many things to love about it. Since the technique is done fully by hand it’s extremely portable. Which was perfect for Kim, a mother whose always on the go. She could work on her EPP projects wherever she went. Sports games, doctor’s appointments, school pickup, anywhere! “Ever since I started EPP it’s like an addiction, I have to have it with me all the time”. Nisha found that she loved the technique for very different reasons. It’s somewhat mindless, you can very easily lose yourself in it with the repetitive motions and simple stitching. She loves to work on her projects cozied up on the couch at the end of the day to unwind. Both women love the look of handwork, as well as the satisfaction they get from creating an entire quilt by hand. “It’s so satisfying to do something completely by hand”. Their work often surprises people, as they find it hard to believe you can create such beautiful, detailed pieces without using a machine. “People always come up and ask what you’re working on, it’s a good conversation starter, they always say YOU DID THAT BY HAND”?

Tips for epp

Nisha and Kim want to encourage sewers to try EPP! “Don’t be scared to start, don’t get paralysis because you think it’s too hard, all of us were scared to start but we were so inspired by what we saw we jumped in”. Start off with a simple design, made up of straight lines. Things like hexies are a great beginner project. Brimfield Awakening even has some beginner projects available on their site called Beginnings! They are at the same level as hexies but offer variety in design. Starting with something simple allows you to learn how to do the hand sewing aspect of EPP, and you’ll get some gratification from finishing smaller projects. Also be sure to explore social media, as it is a great place to learn and find inspiration. Nisha and Kim are always happy to answer questions or help beginners on the Brimfield Awakening Instagram. Attending classes at local guilds or events can also be a great way to learn more and begin to hone your skills. This also gives you the chance to meet people and make new friends in your area!

Beginnings Patterns

Best Threads For EPP

For EPP it’s extremely important to use fine threads that keep your seams flat and neat! Nisha and Kim’s go to thread for piecing is DecoBob™, our 80wt cottonized polyester. DecoBob™ is lightweight yet extremely strong, making it a perfect choice for creating quilts that will last! A great thread for beginners and experts alike this thread makes precise piecing much easier. Kim highlighted that she even uses DecoBob™ on garments, it’s that strong. When she’s creating quilt coats, or garments with quilting accents Kim says DecoBob™ is her go to.

The pair also occasionally use InvisaFil™! Our 100wt cottonized polyester thread. This thread is just a touch finer than DecoBob™, for those with a discerning eye who want their stitches as hidden as possible. InvisaFil™ is often preferable when creating quilts for shows, which are examined under a magnifying glass. Generally, they prefer to use DecoBob™ for EPP, and InvisaFil™ for appliqué. But explained that the two can be used interchangeably depending on what you prefer for certain projects. Both women agreed that the most important thing to consider when choosing a thread is the project you’re using it on. Are you creating a garment that will experience ware and tear, or an art quilt that must lie flat, or maybe a baby quilt that needs to look great but will be washed often? Think about the uses of your project, and choose a thread based on that. Neither of them thinks about colour too much, as they are always using dove grey for their piecing and appliqué projects. If you pick one neutral you like, that matches all your projects across the board, then you don’t have to color match for every project. “Especially if you’re using a fabric with a lot of colours in the pattern it matches everything light or dark”!

Nisha and Kim are also avid users of WonderFil sewing notions, specifically our Bobbinator™ and the Wonder Guard™. The Bobbinator™ was designed to allow you to use bobbins as top thread on your machine! But they have been adopted by the EPP community as one of the best ways to store piecing threads when you're on the road. Pack your Bobinator™ with four DecoBob™ prewound bobbins. Pop whatever bobbin you’re using into the top compartment to feed the thread out of the Bobbinator™ as you stitch! This little tool is compact, & travels extremely well. Making it easy to bring your thread with you on the go without it tangling or falling off the spool. The Wonder Guard™ can serve a similar purpose for sewers who prefer to use full spools when piecing. Just wrap a Wonder Guard™ around your spools to keep the thread safe and neat in your purse or project bag. These products are Nisha and Kim’s go to’s when they know they’ll be stitching on the go.

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Where to find Brimfield awakening

If you are interested in English Paper Piecing and are looking for resources to learn more be sure to follow Brimfield Awakening on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter. This is the best way to stay up to date on their pattern releases, see what events they’re attending, and learn more from Nisha and Kim! Brimfield Awakening also hosts a sewing retreat each year called Sew Brimfeild in honour of the retreat they met at. This is an open sew quilting retreat held in the greater Washington DC area, featuring classes on English Paper Piecing and other quilting techniques. Sew Brimfield is a stress-free all-inclusive sew-what-you-want open sew retreat that aims to create a fun environment where sewers can exchange ideas, work together, and inspire one another. Those signed up for the newsletter get an early chance to sign up for the retreat. Learn more or sign up now at the link below.