Tracing the Pieces
After,
you have a scanned image printed out that is the same size as you would like
your final project to be, cover the picture with white paper and begin
tracing. Trace each portion of the image separately. You can see in the
balloon pattern, I traced a new section for each color of the balloon. It
is helpful when creating intricate paper pieces to have a foundation on which
all the pieces can be attached. For my foundation, I traced the outline of
the balloon shape and cut that out of white cardstock. Then, I traced the
red stripes, extending each one a bit for overlapping during construction, the
blue top section, and the brown stem of the balloon and basket. A light table is
a huge help when tracing.
To use this pattern, I simply roughly cut out the shapes and affix them to the color of cardstock desired with repositionable glue or a small piece of double-sided tape. Then cut out the shape through both the pattern and the cardstock. Remove the pattern and your pieces will be perfect. For the red stripes, I was careful to layout each one in order as I cut them.
After you assemble the pieces, you can add any details needed. In this case, I used a silver gel pen to draw in the arched lines on the blue portion of the balloon, extending these lines also up to the top of the balloon. I then added some small, white star punches, and drew in some detail on the tip and basket to finish it off.
Are you a paper piecing expert? Would you like to be? Come share and get paper piecing ideas on the forum. And be sure to stop in for a chat with other scrapbookers just like you.
The final page of this article contains the free paper piecing pattern for the striped hot air balloon.
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