I tried EPP but find it awkward to hold onto to sew neatly because of the stiffness as the project grows - I do mine Linda Franz's way - Inklingo - print the templates directly onto fabric - stack the pieces in your project box and sew on the lines with a hand stitch. Nice and neat, easy to hold onto and gets done quickly - I did my Patchwork of the Crosses like that, hexies too and hand quilting a queen size right now all done with Inklingo. I think I have done about 5 quilts that method

I tried EPP for the first time this summer when we were traveling. I was able to make 2 rosettes before other projects became a priority. I like that it is portable if you prepare all the pieces before you start sewing.

I find the concept of EPP daunting...which translates into "probably stressful, so will not be trying it anytime in the near future..." That being said, I love the look of so many of the EPP projects, and wholeheartedly admire anyone with the skills and courage to tackle it.

If a great quilter, (like say) Carrie Nelson, were ever teaching a class that had an EPP element to it, I'd sign up!!!! (hint, hint). Have a feeling this technique is easier learned "hands-on" in a classroom setting (followed by adult beverages!)

Another great post, that has left me with a new technique to add to my quilting bucket list!

Lots of great inspirational information. Thank you.

sounds very stressful to me I do mostly applique and some piecing.
Missie Carpenter uses liquid starch for hex shapes and I tried that
on small scale.

What has really piqued my interest is the use of Bonnie and Camille fabric. I have never seen that used for EPP, and I just love the look.

Great info shared in a wonderful way! I loev that you can send email links to friends at the3 bottom of your posts. I just wish Moda Bake Shop operated the same way so you could email yourself a project and have it on your phone to use as a diagram and instructions instead of having to print it out.
Some people don't live where all the signals hit, but if it's filed on your phone, you have access to it 24/7 x 365 days.
Think of all the money saved (to buy more fabric) and the environment protection possibilities realised.

I have done some EPP, but as Karen said in her post, things get very stiff, quite rapidly. The larger the project becomes, the more impossible it becomes to try to fold up and travel with.

I use Inklingo, which is made by Linda Franz. You just print on fabric with NO paper that you have to glue or hand baste on, which translates into not having to buy (or make) paper templates, and don't have to remove them at some point, from your project.

From my experience, Inklingo is easier and quicker to use, making the project much more portable. There are MANY shapes of Inklingo, so you have MANY different designs and sizes to choose from.

I'm definitely not a happy thimble user either but have come to terms with Clover Flexible Rubber Protect and Grip thimbles (I believe they're actually silicone) after trying many many others. More comfortable and user friendly because of the flexibility.

I would definitely recommend trying Inklingo over EPP! The Patchwork of the Crosses can be done in several sizes with Inklingo and is much easier and faster than EPP, in my opinion! Here's a link to the 1 inch 90 degree hexagon pattern: http://lindafranz.com/shop/lucy-boston/4/product/90hexagon-1-inch-/30 for your consideration! (Not affiliated, just a fan.)

Love using Inklingo in lieu of English paper piecing too!

I vote for inklingo as well for many reasons. One is the ease and speed of printing accurate shapes directly onto your fabric using an ordinary home printer. And also the stitching line which makes accurate stitching so easy by either hand or machine.
Love the Lucy Boston book. It is nice to have a historical context to our work!

I am also a happy Inklingoist. EPP gives me sore fingers. I also find it either expensive, or too time consuming, depending upon if you purchase the paper pieces, or make your own. It just adds too many steps to the process.

Love the designs....Inklingo makes them doable with less effort and perfect accuracy. There are not enough adjectives to describe how Inklingo has revolutionized my quilt making!!

Ugh, just the thought of all the extra work to do EPP makes me shudder. So much faster to print the cutting and sewing lines on the back of your fabric with Inklingo, cut the pieces apart and stitch with a running stitch. Much more portable, lighter in weight (no paper), and once the seams are stitched, you're done, no paper to have to remove.

The Bonnie and Camille fabrics look amazing with the Patchwork of the Crosses pattern! I love EPP. It was well worth learning just for the added strength a quilt gets from pieces that are whip-stitched rather than running-stitched together.

For those who are dismayed by the stiffness of an EPP quilt in progress: you can remove the card stock templates from the interior patches on the quilt in progress. Just leave the card stock in the pieces around the border of the section you're working on so you can easily stitch sections together. Much less bulky!

I have Diane Gilleland's book and it is a great resource for illustrated instructions on piecing, especially for curved pieces that can be challenging. My only small quibble is that she seems to disapprove of stitching that is visible on the right side of the quilt. There are EPPers who use hand quilting thread to stitch patches together because they intend for stitches to show. It's not wrong for your EPP quilt to look hand-stitched (in fact, for some of us, that's a big part of its charm).

Inklingo is the only way to go! EPP is like making the quilt twice...first with paper and glue, and then, finally, the sewing. With Inklingo, just print, cut, and sew! "Love the lines", not the templates and glue!

I'm another Inklingo fan. I tried EPP in the past. and wasn't very pleased with the end result, not to mention not enjoying dealing with fabric that was stiff from having the papers basted in. No matter how carefully I matched thread to my fabrics, no matter how tiny my stitches were - I could still see my stitches on the front and that was not what I wanted. I think Inklingo has saved many EPP Grandmother's Flower Garden quilts that had been started but relegated to the back of closets. And it has encouraged people to start new ones.

Inklingo makes it easy to print perfect templates on the back of fabric, templates that have both cutting and stitching lines and matching points. And the shapes are always perfect. One can sew by machine or with a simple running stitch by hand or a mixture of both - whatever works for a particular block/quilt.

Some stunning Patchwork of the Crosses quilts have been made using Inklingo. Fussy cutting/printing is also easy as can be with Inklingo which meant some absolutely spectacular effects were achieved.

I finished a fully had sewn hexagon quilt for a co-worker last year. Her daughter in law was cleaning out her mom's house and found it. All ready to go, with even hexies sewn to the back as "binding". All I had to do was put batting and a backing on, tie it (did buttons in the centre of each flower) and sew the edges down. I was trying to save them some money and I'm not much of a hand quilter, hence the button tying. Everyone I told about this quilt heard about how it was completely hand sewn and even fussy cut on several of the flowers. I couldn't imagine at the time ever doing something like it, but now an EPP quilt is on my list of long term projects...once I get my yarn stash and 5 huge cross stitch projects going/done.

I am an Inklingo fan too. Also, if you don't want to buy the paper pieces all the time, Linda has an option on the programs to print without the seam allowances so that you could print onto cardstock if you would like.
The instructions are very well laid out for you with videos also.

I have Lucy Boston's Patchwork of Crosses on the top of my list of to do quilts. I am very excited to start it but am currently working on a 6 pointed English Paper Pieced that I must finish first. I do think that I will be using Inklingo to piece it though.. I thoroughly enjoy English Paper Piecing. I do it in Doctors offices, waiting for kids at school, long drives (hubby drives) guild meeting etc. I need to have something in my hands at all times.

I use Inklingo, much faster , less expensive and I don't like sewing with paper.

I use Inklingo exclusively for projects that call for EPP and general piecing of all shapes both by hand and machine. A friend passed on an EPP project to me because she did not like the amount of tools necessary for her "portable" project. I gave it a try but set it aside as well. When Inklingo came out, I finished the project that was started with EPP. I have to say that because of Inklingo, the quilting projects I do now are more complicated, complex but much more gratifying. Inklingo definitely was the reason I was able to advance to a higher level in my quilting journey. It is easy to use and the support from Linda Franz and other users of Inklingo is invaluable.

I have been doing some EPP--took Mickey Dupree's Craftsy class on Pieced Hexies. But I'm really interested in trying the Inklingo hand piecing method!

Great info.I haven´t tried the Inklingo hand piecing method,I stil been traditional.Print templates and cut .
I`m fan of EPP, it`s relaxing while watiching tv or music, while you are in a car, train ,,traveling, is a easy project to do.My tip is to iron the EPP before to beging joining them.

Another Inklingo fan coming out of the woodwork. Much faster than EPP and more accurate. It also allows beautiful pressing so the back looks almost as good as the front..

Once you have tried Inklingo you will never ever ever EPP again! so much faster, and both the front and the back look so much better!