One of the great things about foundation paper piecing is that it is relatively easy to increase and decrease the size of patterns using a home printer or a photocopier.

When enlarging or reducing the size of a block using a printer, open your pattern in a pdf reader. If possible I suggest doing this in Adobe reader on a computer. If you are going to enlarge the pattern greatly then I suggest choosing poster settings as this will allow the enlarged page to be split over several pages.

Go to the print preferences menu and click on the custom scale option. You will need to know the resizing percentage. The same percentage can be used on a photocopier.

If you want to work out the resizing percentage, just put the numers into the following formula:

If you are enlarging the pattern, the resizing percentage will be higher than 100.

If you are reducing the size of the pattern, the resizing percentage will be lower than 100.

If the sight of a maths formula has some of you panicking, don't worry. I am all in favour of keeping things as simple as possible.

I have created the remarkable rainbow resizer. This is a reference table that you can quickly and easily use to discover the resize percentage that you need for a project.

Click on the button, enter your email and I'll send the Remarkable Rainbow Resizer direct to your inbox. You'll also receive my newsletter with free patterns, tutorials and other goodies!

Remember that this formula only applies to the block itself, you will have to manually adjust the seam allowances so that they are 1/4 inch.

If you are enlarging a block, it can help to use the poster function if your printer offers this option.

And a final word of warning, just because you CAN resize a block, doesn't mean that you SHOULD. Sometimes resizing a block can lead to impossibly small pieces or large pieces that are difficult to manipulate. Use your judgement and do what works.