Answer: Try to catch only a couple of threads of fabric in each stitch, you don't need your needle deep into the side of the hexagon - this is how they become visible.
Conversely, you need to bite down enough, or your work will eventually pull and become loose.
Keep an even distance between each stitch and keep the tension regular (pulling the thread taut, not enough to snap the thread and not loose enough that you can see a looseness to the front) Over time you will settle into a sewing rhythm, with the placement of your needle and fingers which will keep your stitches neater.
Use proper lighting. Creating such tiny stitches in a matching thread is barely visible to most people – this type of precise work requires good lighting. Sloppy sewing is easily done in the evening under bad lighting - I can attest!
Lots of practise and a fine needle and matching thread goes a long way!
Needle biting in not too deep (a couple of threads into the fabric).
Keep a regular tension.
Answer: Yes. Once a shape is sewn in and covered on all sides by other shapes the paper template can be carefully removed and re-used.
If you aren't using too much glue, the paper template will be easy to pop out once dry. If you corner tack, the papers pop out very easily.
If you thread baste through the paper template just cut away your basting stitches in the front and pull them out (if you haven't knotted at the start and end of basting, then you can simply pull on the thread to loosen and pull them straight out.
To save time continually stopping, removing papers as you go. This is best carried out by removing a section at a time. For example, removing the papers from a row when joining rows together.
If you are working on a large quilt, removing the paper templates in sections will make it easier to work on – it can get quite heavy and warm to work under! In the past, some English paper pieced quilts made of silk and velvet had the papers left in intentionally for warmth. These were sewn to a backing fabric and kept as a coverlet, which was not quilted.
A little trickier removing small shapes, but they will pop out very easily if the glue is dry and you haven't used too much.
Once a shape is joined around all of it's sides, you can remove the paper template.
Answer: This is often inevitable due to the precise nature of English paper piecing but can be avoided by basting shapes in the same method, with a consistent tautness (see more on basting shapes for EPP here), using fabrics of a similar thickness and sewing pieces together at the correct points.
Liberty Tana Lawn and quilting cottons are different thicknesses, for this reason do not baste Liberty Tana Lawns incredibly tight, it will make sewing more difficult and cause slightly different sized pieces. If you are working on a complex pattern of very small pieces with small angles you might find it easier to work those particular shapes in the same fabric type to keep it uniform and easier to work with.
When sewing pieces together, starting and stopping sewing at different points can lead to gaps forming when joining because shape sides have become longer or shorter. Feel out the paper template when sewing a side, so you won’t be falling short or increasing the length unnecessarily.
The beauty of English paper piecing is often this is not a problem for concern if you have sewn a shape in along one side and you notice the next line of stitching will fall short, you can manipulate your pieces to line up and even though your paper template might fall short - just wrangle the shape into position when sewing. If you notice you have different sized basted shapes before sewing, place the pieces centrally together (even though one is smaller) spread the distance between them - it’s easier to stretch the distance between two distances than stretching further with one.
It's hard to tell from photos, but basting shapes too tightly will make it harder to sew together as you will be biting down into the paper template when whipstitching and stitches could be more visible.
Corners should still be sharp, but benefits having a little 'puffiness' to the fabric on the top of the shape for easier sewing.
Note the sloppy basting has caused inconsistencies between the same sized shapes.
I have exaggerated this here with a shape basted much too loose and one very tight so it's easy to see, but varying differences can create difficult sewing later on.
Answer: This question stumps me a lot of the time to be honest. I would say put emphasis on getting your stitches small and neat as opposed to worrying about which thread colour to match to, however this isn't always possible and working with tiny shapes and small projects seems to make stitches more visible. And in that instance I have always been in the mindset of using a lighter colour for years, but I think having done these new photos below I may have been wrong! In the examples below, using the matching darker thread it appears to blend in to be invisible, with the lighter thread match being the most noticeable.
When in doubt a grey thread works wonders to blend seamlessly along with a beige or 'griege' colours. As well, I am a stickler for always using a red colour thread when working with red fabrics as lighter thread really tend to stand out on red fabric.
From a distance thread colour choice is not noticeable.
Use a fine 80wt cotton thread. The more neat your stitches are the less important thread colour will be.
Matching with a darker thread appears to not be noticeable at all.
Matching with a lighter thread appears to be more visible.
Using a grey thread is good to blend between colours which will avoid being too noticeable.
