Dipping My Toe into EPP: My First Ever Busy Bee
My very first English Paper Piecing project — Busy Bee by Lina Patchwork. A take-anywhere make, a little cheerful unpicking, and a new craft I think I'm falling for. 🐝
I’m dipping my toe into something new — English Paper Piecing!
This is Busy Bee by Lina Patchwork (linapatchwork.com), and it’s my very first ever EPP project. I picked it as a bit of a test, really a gentle way to see how I get on with English Paper Piecing before I tackle anything more challenging.
I started it on 1 September 2025, and I’ll be honest with you it’s been a journey of learning! When I first put the fabrics together, I wasn’t happy with how busy they looked all combined. So I’ve been unpicking a couple of sections and swapping in a plainer fabric to break things up a little. Now, nobody enjoys picking out and re-sewing (do they?!) but I’m so glad I did.
I’m back at it now, I stitched in another section just last night while watching the England World Cup game ⚽. Two more to change, and then it’s back to the finishing edge squares.
And do you know what? I think I’m starting to like it a lot more now — I could really get into this! One of the things I’m loving about EPP is how wonderfully portable it is. I’ve been stitching away on my commute into London, out in the garden, and on the sofa chilling with the family. It’s the perfect take-anywhere project.
The fabrics are Makower UK and Andover, from the ‘Wave’ collection in the Golden and Red colourways — and they really are growing on me now that I’ve broken them up a little.
I’ll share more once It’s finished, but for now, I’m just enjoying the slow, soothing rhythm of it. 🐝
Looking good and the fabric swap is definitely a good choice. I too find EPP relaxing and am particularly addicted to hexagons.
Hey Alison! I had no idea you did EPP. You are a very talented lady. Well I got another one changed tonight whilst watch the footy and with now two poorly fluffs it was the smallest thing I could find with a pooch on either side of me. I think I could get into it, that is for sure, think I just need to work on colour theory, as this is all a little new – but very relaxing and faster than my stitching lol.