I started a new foundation paper piecing (FPP) project tonight, and I realized that I take it for granted that I have the perfect paper to print my paper piecing patterns on (try saying that 3 times fast!)

If you’ve ever printed and FPP pattern on your home printer, you probably know that everyday printer paper is a bit tough to pull out after you’re done stitching. I know there are papers marketed specifically for FPP, but it seems to me that they are quite pricey. I tried searching the big box office supply store for papers by weight, but that was an exercise in frustration.

It turns out, the answer was sitting in my stationery drawer all along! And had been sitting there for decades…

If you overbought notebook paper on a back-to-school shopping spree and no longer need the pink and blue ruled 3-hole sheets for your Finder Binder or Trapper Keeper, you may be delighted to learn that it is thinner than copier paper and much easier to tear out of your seams!

I’m sharing 12 days of mini-tutorials and sewing tips to help make your sewing merrier! Read all the posts here.