Using Quarter Inch · Cutting and printing
Print foundations for paper piecing
Sew a block on paper instead of cutting every piece exactly. Quarter Inch splits it into sections, numbers the pieces, prints them mirrored at true size, and cuts the fabric large.
The short answer
Sew a block on paper: Quarter Inch prints its sections mirrored at true size and cuts the fabric large. On the quilt’s Cutting page, open Foundations, set the block to Foundation piece, then Print foundations. Each piece is cut as a rectangle 1¼″ bigger than finished, and the chart says so.
Choose foundation piecing
Open the quilt’s Cutting page and choose Foundations. The tab is there when a block in the quilt can be foundation pieced, and its pill says how many.
On the block’s card, switch from Rotary cut to Foundation piece. Rotary cut is where every block starts. The card shows the block’s sections as they print, mirrored, and how they join.
Porch Stars with its Sawtooth Stars foundation pieced. The Ohio Stars stay rotary cut. Choose Print foundations. The Print dialog opens with only Foundations, mirrored ticked. Under it choose A copy for every block (10 for Porch Stars) or One of each, to copy at the printer.
Print at Actual size and measure the 1″ test square on the page before you sew. Then sew each section in number order, A1 first.
What changes in the chart
A foundation-pieced piece doesn’t need its exact shape cut. Each is cut as a rectangle a little large: its box, plus its ¼″ seams all around, plus ¾″ to spare (1¼″ more than finished, each way). The chart says so on each line, “cut large for foundation piecing”, and the yardage follows.
| Block | Sawtooth Star, 12″ finished · Make 10 |
|---|---|
| Sections | 4 sections. Join C to D, then B to CD, then A to BCD. |
| Its center, C4 | 7¼″ square of Accent, cut large |
| Quilt top and binding, rotary cut | 6⅜ yd |
| Foundation pieced | 7⅝ yd |
Foundation piecing uses more fabric, and gives sharp points even on pieces off the ruler. New to it? Foundation paper piecing for beginners.
Like the cutting chart and printing. Quilter is $9 a month or $89 a year. On the Free plan, Yardage and the Shopping list are yours.
If it doesn’t look right
- There’s no Foundations tab. None of the quilt’s blocks can be foundation pieced.
- A block says Can’t be foundation pieced. The card says why: curved seams, set-in (Y) seams, or too many pieces. Cut it with the rotary cutter and templates instead.
- The printed block is a little small. The printer scaled the page. The test square, and fixing it.
Checked against the app on
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
Why are the foundations printed backwards?
You sew from the printed side with the fabric underneath, so a mirrored foundation makes the block come out the right way around.
Can I print one and copy it?
Yes. Choose One of each in the Print dialog, then copy it at the printer, at 100%.
Can every block be foundation pieced?
No. Blocks with curved or set-in seams can’t be sewn on a foundation; the card says which and why.