Patchwork beginner question.

[zisforzebra]

I did a tiny bit of patchwork when I was a kid but have recently decided to try again, starting with a curtain for my hall (loads of little bits of fabric in the stash, no bigger bits and no money to buy any). I have a pack of plastic cutting templates but no mat or rotary cutter.

Do I make a paper template to cut round (i'll be cutting out with scissors) or just draw straight on the fabric?

Also, the little booklet mentions having papers inside each patch or iron-on interfacing to stop them distorting, is this absolutely necessary?

My usual technique for most things is to cast off all directions and just get on with it but I want this to look nice rather than a dog's dinner!

if you are doing hand-pieced English patchwork, then you cut a paper for each piece and leave it in till you've sewn on all the pieces around it; if you're machine piecing I think you draw straight on the fabric round the plastic template.

I come from the slattern school of patchwork/craft so...

...this any good?

Otherwise it is really easy to make a "string quilt" with no faffing about with little papers.

string quilt tutorial

Spider web block (I am saving my scraps for this one

Log Cabin block I have made lots of cushions for gifts using a similar method, it is sew easy!

Thanks Seth and Soccer.

I love those links especially the description of 'down and dirty' patchwork on the Log cabin block one!