The first time I tried English Paper Piecing, I was thrilled. Until I stitched my pieces together and saw those clunky, obvious seams staring back at me.
No matter how carefully I sewed, the stitches refused to disappear. My beautiful quilt was turning into a patchwork of frustration! 😑
Then, I find the EPP ladder stitch. It works so effortlessly. You just gotta do it,
Epp Ladder
To do the EPP ladder stitch by hand, bring the needle up through the fabric fold on one piece, take a tiny stitch on the opposite fold, and repeat in a zigzag motion for an invisible seam.
If you’ve ever struggled with making your EPP seams look seamless, don’t worry. You’re not alone! I struggle with it, too. That’s why I came up with this. So I thought, why not share it with our sewinginspo readers.
How To Do Epp Ladder Stitch By Hand?
I gather my two fabric hexagons, which I’ve basted to paper templates for English paper piecing. I place them with their right sides facing each other, aligning the edges I want to join. I secure the pieces so they don’t shift while I work.
I cut a thread length (about 18 inches) and threaded my needle.
I tie a small knot at the end of the thread or make a few tiny anchoring stitches along the seam allowance on one hexagon. This helps keep my starting point secure.
I begin at one corner of the hexagons. I insert my needle from the seam allowance inside at the top of the hexagon’s corner.
I push it through to the bottom epp corner. I gently pull the thread so the corners align perfectly, and I repeat this stitch again at that corner to ensure it’s secure.
Now, I move to one of the edges I want to join.
I insert my needle into the fabric edge just inside the seam allowance on the top hexagon.
I slide the needle along the edge for a short distance (about ⅛ to ¼ inch). And then I bring it back out at the same spot. This creates a little “rung” of my ladder stitch.
I leave a bit of slack in the thread for now, not pulling it too tight.
I take my needle over to the bottom of the other epp. Give 1 mm space and then again slide the needle through it.
I repeat the same process:
Inserting the needle inside its edge, sliding it along the edge for the same short distance, and then bringing it back out. Now, I have a small stitch connecting the two epp like one rung of a ladder.
I continue by alternating between the 2 epp:
- I stitch a short distance along the edge of the top epp, then bring the needle out.
- I move over and do the same on the bottom epp.
I make sure each stitch is about the same length and spaced evenly. I keep the stitches close together for strength and invisibility as I work.
After a few stitches, I gently pull the thread.
As I do so, I notice the ladder-like stitches begin to disappear into the seam.
I adjust the tension carefully. It is tight enough to close the seam neatly but not so tight that it puckers the fabric.
When I reach the end of my seam or complete the joining of an epp, I make a couple of extra stitches at the final corner. I tie off the thread securely or if I plan to join another piece. I leave a little tail to continue stitching.
I turn the fabric over to check the seam from the wrong side.
I’m pleased to see that the stitches are nearly invisible on the right side of the fabric, leaving a clean, professional finish.
Ending
And that’s how I complete an epp ladder stitch. It’s a great technique to ensure the seams remain neat and nearly invisible, letting the beautiful fabric designs take center stage. Did you try it on yourself? If you do, then don’t hesitate to share it with us. We love to take ideas for our next embroidery work.
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