String Quilt Tutorial: Jenny Doan's Foundation Piecing Method for Scraps
Every quilter has a scrap bag — that overflowing basket of leftover strips, odd-sized pieces, and fabric bits too pretty to throw away but too small to use in most projects. Well, here's the best news you'll hear all day: those scraps are about to become a gorgeous quilt. The string quilt is the ultimate scrap-buster, and Jenny Doan's foundation piecing method makes it absolutely foolproof.
With over 1.3 million views, this tutorial has helped quilters around the world turn their scrap bags into stunning, one-of-a-kind quilts. Foundation piecing (also called paper piecing) gives you perfectly sized blocks every time — no measuring strips, no math, no stress. Just sew, flip, press, repeat. Let's dig in!
What Is a String Quilt?
A string quilt is made from narrow strips ("strings") of fabric sewn onto a paper or fabric foundation. Unlike traditional piecing where you cut precise shapes, string quilting embraces the chaos — strips can be any width, any length, and any angle. The paper foundation underneath ensures your finished block comes out perfectly square, no matter how wild your strip placement gets.
String quilts have a rich history in American quilting. They were originally made from true scraps — worn-out clothing, leftover sewing projects, and every precious bit of fabric a quilter could save. Today, they're beloved for their scrappy charm and the fact that they're practically free to make if you've been saving your leftovers!
What You'll Need
🧵 Fabric scraps and strips — raid your scrap bag! Any width from 1" to 3" works beautifully. Shop fabric.
📄 Paper foundations — newsprint, copy paper, or purpose-made foundation paper cut to your desired block size
🪡 Lapel/glue stick — for tacking your center strip in place (won't clog your needle or stiffen the fabric)
✂️ Rotary cutter, ruler & cutting mat — for trimming blocks to size. Shop rotary cutters.
🪡 Sewing machine — use a slightly shorter stitch length (helps perforate the paper for easy removal)
🔥 Iron and ironing board — for pressing each strip as you go
🧵 White or neutral fabric strips (optional) — for a center strip that creates a secondary pattern
Jenny's secret: If you always put a white strip down the center of every block, when you set your blocks together you'll get a beautiful secondary diagonal pattern running through your entire quilt!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Paper Foundations
Cut your paper foundations to the size you want your finished blocks to be. Common sizes are 6½", 8½", or 10½" squares. The paper acts as both your pattern and your stabilizer — you'll sew directly through it, and remove it later.
Jenny uses plain newsprint paper, which is inexpensive and tears away easily. You can also use copy paper, phone book pages, or purchased foundation paper. Just make sure whatever you choose can go through your sewing machine without jamming.
Step 2: Glue Your Center Strip
Using a lapel stick (or washable glue stick), run a bead of glue diagonally from corner to corner across your paper square. Place a fabric strip right down the middle of this diagonal line, right side up. This is your anchor strip — everything else will be sewn onto it.
Press the strip down firmly so the glue holds it in place. This strip should extend past the paper edges on both sides (you'll trim later).
Jenny places her first strip diagonally across the paper foundation — this is where the fun begins!
Step 3: Sew and Flip Your Strips
Now the fun really starts! Grab a scrap strip from your stash and lay it face down on top of your center strip, aligning the raw edges. Sew a ¼-inch seam along the edge where the strips meet — you're sewing right through the paper.
After sewing, flip the new strip open (away from the center strip) and press it flat with your iron. That's it — that's the whole technique! Now add another strip on the other side of the center strip, and keep alternating sides as you build outward.
Step 4: Cover the Entire Foundation
Keep adding strips, working outward from the center, until the entire paper foundation is covered. Don't worry about sewing strips all the way to the paper's edge — just make sure every bit of paper is covered by fabric. Check by flipping the block over and looking at the paper side; if you can see any paper peeking through, add a small strip to cover it.
The strips can be different widths, different colors, different patterns — that's the beauty of string quilting! The more random, the more charming your finished quilt will be.
Step 5: Trim to Size
Flip your block over so the paper side faces up. Now use the paper as your cutting guide. Lay your ruler along the edge of the paper and trim all four sides, slicing away the excess fabric that extends past the paper. Your block is now perfectly square — guaranteed!
This is the step that makes foundation piecing so satisfying: no matter how wonky your strips looked going on, the finished block is perfect every time.
Step 6: Remove the Paper and Assemble
Once all your blocks are trimmed, gently tear away the paper foundations. The perforations from your sewing stitches make this easy — the paper pulls away cleanly, leaving just the fabric behind. If you used a shorter stitch length, this step is even easier.
Lay out your blocks on a design wall or flat surface. When the white center strips line up corner to corner, you'll see a beautiful secondary diamond pattern emerge across the quilt. Sew your blocks into rows, then sew the rows together to complete your quilt top.
Step 7: Quilt and Finish
Layer your quilt top with batting and backing. Because string blocks have so many seams, an allover quilting design works best — stippling, meandering, or simple straight lines all look wonderful and won't fight with the busy strip pattern.
Add your binding and enjoy your brand-new, one-of-a-kind scrap quilt! There's something incredibly satisfying about knowing every piece of fabric in this quilt has a story.
Pro Tips for Beautiful String Quilts
⭐ Sort scraps by color family. Toss strips into bags or bins by color — warm tones, cool tones, neutrals. This lets you control the overall look of each block while keeping the scrappy charm.
⭐ Use a shorter stitch length. Setting your stitch length to about 1.5mm perforates the paper more, making it much easier to tear away later.
⭐ Don't overthink strip width. Varying widths (from 1" to 3") within the same block adds visual interest. The randomness is part of the charm!
⭐ Press after every strip. Taking the time to press each strip open before adding the next one prevents tucks and ensures full coverage of the foundation.
⭐ Try different center strip colors. A consistent center strip across all blocks creates secondary patterns. White gives you diamonds; a bold color creates striking diagonal lines through the entire quilt.
The string quilt is the ultimate quilter's recycling project — and thanks to Jenny's foundation piecing method, it's also one of the easiest quilts you'll ever make. No measuring, no precision cutting, and every single block turns out perfectly square. So grab that scrap bag you've been hoarding, clear off the sewing table, and start turning those leftovers into something truly beautiful.