Welcome to Sip Tea and EPP! It´s the third year that our weekly party has been running on Instagram and this year, I am honored to co-host it with Larisa from Stitching notes. In this blog post I will tell your more about this English paper piecing event and how to join in.
What is Epp?
English paper piecing (EPP) is a traditional hand sewing technique, where you wrap fabric around individual paper shapes and then sew the shapes together to form patchwork patterns. It is a versatile technique in which sewists of any level and skill find something that appeals to them. You can make impressive fascinating quilts, you can add a bit of patchwork to small projects, you can create applique motifs to adorn your clothing or bags or new patchwork fabric/panels to cut up and sew into pouches, bags, clothing, toys... It does not require any fancy tools - just a fine needle and thread and desire to sew with your hands. The portability of the technique allows you to take your projects anywhere and sew on the go. It is relaxing and beneficial for your mental well being.
What Is #SipTeaAndEPP?
This informal Sip Tea and EPP party started on Instagram in 2018 when Megan from Dolly Henry and Larisa from Stitching notes decided to encourage people to get together, enjoy a cup of tea and work on their long forgotten EPP projects. The weekly event quickly became popular and many people from all over the world started to join in.
Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, Megan had to leave and Lauren from Molly and Mama stepped in. Lauren and Larisa have kindly given a lot of their time and
knowledge to the party over the last year and a half and created a caring, friendly and supportive environment for everyone interested in learning this craft or focusing on long-term EPP projects.
Last year presented many challenges for all of us. Unfortunately, Lauren could not continue with the party but rather concentrate on other projects.
This year Larisa and I would like to bring the community spirit back to Sip Tea and EPP. We have planned some fun events and new things which hopefully make our weekly meetings more interesting for you! Find some time for yourself, come and join the like-minded community of encouraging makers every Thursday (or any other day of the week), sit and stitch with a cup of tea (or anything you fancy)...
Speaking from personal experience... I joined the party at the very beginning. Not only have I learnt a lot about EPP but I have also made amazing friendships, connected with people with the same interests, and got so much inspiration. It is fun to meet and see each other´s projects growing and simply chat.
We encourage you to use the hashtag #sipteaandepp and tag the hosts Larisa @stitchingnotes and me @nordiccrafter so we could all visit each other and leave comments.
What Are The Themes?
We shall announce a monthly theme every first Thursday of a month. The themes keep the party structured and organized. We start from the beginning so those who are new can learn from the start and those of you who are more experienced will be able to share your knowledge and expertise with others.
So starting on January 7th, 2021 here is the list of the monthly themes:
1. January "Welcome to Sip Tea and EPP" 2. February "Basting Techniques and Sew Along" 3. March "Joining EPP Shapes" 4. April "Variety of EPP Shapes" 5. May "Tools in Details" 6. June "Fabrics" 7. July "Embellishments" 8. August "Quilting and Finishing EPP projects" 9. September "Books and Inspirations" 10. October "Christmas Sew Along, Part 1" 11. November "Christmas Sew Along, Part 2" 12. December "A Year in Review" What is new this year?
As you may have noticed in the themes - we have 2 Sew Alongs planned for the year - EPP Necessities Sew Along (February) and Christmas Sew Along (October-November). Why?
It is not only fun but also very motivating to sew together, see each other´s progress, get inspired and make new friends. If you are new to English paper piecing then it would be a great opportunity not only to learn more about slow stitching in general but actually sew a nice project that you can either gift or keep. You can learn much more through a project than just by sewing shapes together without any purpose.
We would also like to bring you an Expert's Advice on certain themes throughout the year - to explore the wonderful world of English paper piecing and give you the opportunity to learn from well known designers and teachers.
How To Join In
No matter if you are new to EPP or an experienced sewist - everyone is welcome!
- Meeting time - Thursdays or any other time that suits you during the week;
- Meeting place - Instagram;
- What to do: start a new English Paper Piecing project or pull out a long forgotten work-in-progress; take a photo and post it on your public Instagram account using the hashtag #sipteaandepp. Be sure to tag the hosts Larisa @stitchingnotes and me @nordiccrafter in your post so we can see it.
- You can also follow the hashtag #sipteaandepp and use it to connect with other crafters who are also sharing their EPP projects. Like their posts, leave a comment, or answer a question if needed. The idea is to be supportive and friendly and this is such a great way to reach out to others.
- If your Instagram account is private you can still can join #sipteaandepp - like the posts, leave a comment or ask a question.
If you have any questions we are always happy to help.
I hope to see many of you at Sip Tea and EPP in 2021!
Happy slow stitching!
Comments