Here are some advanced tips that may help you with your tear bears and other critters. 

First of all, the quality of paper is important.  Tissue mulberry is not generally used for paper piecing as it is too thin, and heavy weight will not give you much texture.  X thick mulberry paper, aka extra thick, is desirable, the more texture the better.  There are some sellers who are selling heavy mulberry paper and calling it extra thick.  Extra thick is 150-165 GSM, heavy is only 100-110, so make sure you know what you are paying for.  The extra thick paper sold at The Mulberry Bear is all 150-165 gsm.

One of the ways some  sellers get their animals to look so fluffy is to make the animals small...more fluff in proportion.  Check the dimensions of the actual animals of the paper piecings you most admire...even the tallest bear should not be more than 5".  Most torn bears are 3-4".  The second thing the experts do is to layer their pieces.  Some of the sellers who get the best prices use as many as four layers.  Some also use pop dots to raise parts of their animals, such as the paws.  Make the layers exactly the same size so that there will be more edge fluff.  You can use some of your less than perfect torn pieces on the lower layers and you can even add a extra small fluffy piece under an edge that needs more fur.

Make sure the paper is wet all the way through, along the line you are tearing.  If it is not the fibers will break rather than separate.  Some people put a groove with the wood end of a small paintbrush to create a place for the water to pool, some wet the entire piece if the paper is very thick, but most just use a cotton swab dipped in water to mark around the pattern piece.  Several sellers are selling brushes, little wire or very stiff nylon ones, such as you might find to clean the grooves of a golf club or in the barbecue or auto parts, or furniture refinishing departments.  If you buy $19.90 or more paper, just ask for a free fluffing brush if you need one, and we will include it with your order.  A second tool that is being used is a wood dowel that has three brads on one end.  You can make one using a cork or wood dowel.  Cut the heads off the brads, dip them in glue, and poke into the cork or drilled holes in the dowel.  Make sure your pieces are thoroughly dry (I put mine on my light box...just enough heat to make the pieces dry quickly) and with either tool, brush the fibers, lightly, from the inside to the outside of the torn piece.  Some fibers will come off, this is normal.  Just do not brush so vigorously that you go all the way through the paper.  if you are doing more than one layer, glue the layers for each part together, being careful not to get glue on the areas you have fluffed.

Chalk the edges, if desired, and assemble your piece.  For the faces, it is easiest to use already punched faces, available in my store, or you can buy punches yourself. An oval punch (generally 3/8 or 5/16", Fiskars has a good 5/16" punch) will work for eyes and and the larger part of a Paper Shapers punched paw by EK Success is commonly used for noses. An oval turned sideways will also work.  Hearts will  work for such animals as cats and bunnies.  I sell googly and some stationary eyes in my store.  Small children are fascinated with movable eyes, but paper ones work well and can be made from scraps.  It is hard to get a good gel pen for the accents, but a customer recently sent me a wonderful one.  I liked it so much I ordered some to sell and have them listed in my store.  They are expensive but totally worth the price.  Even easier, try using rub on faces, there are five different sets.  You can also use acrylic paint and apply it with a toothpick or a use a tube of paint such as fine tipped Tulip Slick.  Gel pens do not bleed like other markers and pens may.

Some people are  also cutting all or parts of  animals from mulberry paper.  Using  mulberry will give you added dimension which you will not get with smooth paper. Also, try peek a boo animals...just faces and paws for cute quick paper piecings.

If you are still having trouble, send me a picture of your paper piecing and I will try to help you.  Or, do one and put it in a drawer and then do 9 more and check the last with the first...I promise you will see great improvement.

One additional hint.  Cut your pattern pieces from vinyl and you will not need to trace them.  Just hold the pattern piece on the back of the mulberry paper, thoroughly wet around it, and tear away.  Inexpensive vinyl folders will give you an assortment of colors so you can color code your patterns.  Quilters template vinyl will also work and the patterns can be printed right on the vinyl with most laser printers.
Hope this helps,
Jan

E-mail a friend about this item.

Return to Catalog