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Ever wish you could press a button on your sewing machine and it would sew in a zipper for you? Or better yet, how about insert a zipper, line a small accessory bag in just one hooping, and stitch the whole thing together? Well, you can!

You will have to do a little finishing work but it can be an entirely no-sew finish!

About These Designs

These in-the-hoop zip bags are very basic and can be easily modified to work with many designs by eliminating color 4 and replacing it with another design. To see how to do that, check out this YouTube video that shows how to edit a redwork design into a new border and insert it into a plain version of this bag. How to Extract & Edit a Design in Embrilliance Enthusiast.

In that video, which goes along with the Echidna P.I.E. series of lessons, a similar but plain version of this bag was customized.

These bags are fully lined with no exposed seams. The front pieces are self-lined while the back panel and lining fabrics can be different. The front is lightly padded with a low loft batting for some slight dimension with the quilting design; the back is plain. If you’re working with quilt weight cottons or lighter, I recommend interfacing the back panel for a more sturdier, professional finish, especially on the larger ones.

There are many methods for inserting a zipper and lining a bag for an in-the-hoop design. This method happens to be one of the easiest to follow because it has fewer steps and the bag can be completed in just one hooping. The drawback is that the stabilizer will be exposed on the inside front of the bag so don’t use a cutaway. And, with the quilting motif I used on the front, it can make picking out a tearaway tedious. Since no pressing in the hoop is required, a washaway fiber stabilizer is a good choice. However, pressing is required for finishing and these stabilizers can shrink with heat, wrinkling your project if not removed first.

For that reason, I prefer to use wash-away tearaway. This product tears relatively easily but it doesn’t tear cleanly, leaving fibers behind. Most of this will wash out with the first laundering. A regular tearaway could also be used but it will be difficult to pick out of a quilting design.

Another consideration with this construction technique is that the back of the embroidery will be exposed on the inside front panel. The back inside panel is more visible when opening and using the bag so you might not even notice if there’s stitching on the inside front. Using a quilting design on the front is not as objectionable as if you replaced that step with a more stitch intensive design, especially if you use a matching bobbin thread.

If you don’t want the back of the embroidery to be exposed on the inside of the bag, then consider embroidering the fabric first, and then sewing the basic bag design. You could even embroider the back piece before attaching it.

This is an easy project and as long as you follow the steps, you’ll have no problems. And it’s great fun to say, “my embroidery machine made this, even putting in the zipper!” I broken out every step and provided optional enhancements here and there, but really, once you’ve made one, you’ll find them really quite easy.

I made my own straps for the bags that feature them. If you don’t want to do this extra sewing, you can purchase a premade strap or use ribbon or strapping to add one. The small 4x4” bag only has one placement option for a loop, whereas the larger bags offer multiple placements for either a wristlet style handle or a shoulder strap.

Multiple Sizes

There are 3 sizes of these in-the-hoop zippered bags in this series and the process is the same for each size. The only difference is that the larger ones have more placement options for straps and handles. These directions apply to all sizes in this set.

Design Choices

This set includes 5 different styles with each in 3 sizes. Make your choices based on size and the quilting pattern. Some patterns are bolder than others and may compete with your fabric choices. The stippled version is only a single run instead of the usual triple or bean stitch and while the stitching is denser, it’s less prominent. You can add a loop with or without hardware. Your loop can be ribbon, self fabric, rickrack or even a leftover bit of zipper tape

Zippers can coordinate or contrast. You can even swap out the zipper tabs or have your zipper composed of two different colors.

These zip bags use 4 pieces of fabric, which can be all different, all the same, or otherwise coordinated.

You can fussy cut the fabrics to showcase a print. I’ve fussy cut the orange dot print to center one of the circles on the front and back.

The quilting motif can be skipped or even replaced with another design, such as a monogram selected from your machine’s built in designs or any other suitable design from your stash. Do keep in mind that with the simple construction of this bag, the back of the design will be exposed on the inside front panel of the bag. Also, if you plan to omit the decorative stitching, you’ll want to make sure the batting extends into the seam allowance.

Another choice you can make is thread color. The design uses the same color to attach both the bottom front of the bag and the top front of bag, which top stitches along the zipper edge. These two areas are separated by a jump stitch so you could stop the machine and switch in a different color for the upper part.

Color Sequences

The design file itself is a multi-color design that can be sewn in all one color, as I did with this sample. The color changes are primarily designed to stop the machine to perform the various steps. Colors 3 and 4 are the most visible, so choose threads that coordinate with your fabrics.

Any stitches that are for construction are either double or triple stitched, so polyester embroidery thread is just fine.

Skill Level

• Basic embroidery skills
•  

What You’ll Learn

• How to create a lined zippered bag entirely in one hooping
• Some simple customizing options

What’s Included in This Set

• 15 multi-format embroidery designs: 5 styles in 3 sizes each
• Printable patterns for each size
• These instructions to complete

Note About Links

In some cases, links to external web sites are included for more information on a technique or product. All the links were active at the time of writing but web sites can vanish and pages can change. If a link is no longer working, please let me know and then just use a search tool to see if the information can be found elsewhere.

Please read through all instructions before starting your project! <./p>

Resizing can change the placement of the zipper stitches and is therefore not recommended.

Supplies

• Small bits of fabric or pick up some fat quarters. Actual amounts depend on which bag you are making and how many. Use the included patterns as a guide for fabric requirements.
• Thin cotton batting like Warm and Natural (only the front pieces are padded)
• Fusible interfacing for the back piece (I used Pellon 950F ShirTailor)
• Polyester or nylon zipper that coordinates with your fabric and is at least 2” longer than the bag’s longer dimension. DO NOT USE A METAL ZIPPER!
• Tearaway or Wash-Away stabilizer; do not use cutaway. I used washaway tearaway; Hemingworth Wash-Away water soluble or Sulky Fabri Solvy also works. DO NOT USE CUTAWAY. STABILIZER IS EXPOSED ON THE INSIDE AND NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.
• Coordinating embroidery thread. Polyester embroidery thread is recommended over rayon for any seam stitching during the bag construction.
  Optional: You may wish to wind a matching bobbin for the designs but the back won’t be that prominent unless you turn the bag inside out.
• Decorative thread of your choice for the quilting area and the front fabric tackdown, which includes the zipper top stitching.
• Cellophane tape or other tape that won’t gum up the needle when sewn through (I used painter’s tape for the photos)
• Wonder Tape (sew through, double stick washaway tape, optional)

Equipment

• Embroidery machine with a minimum sewing field large enough for the design you’ve selected
• Steam iron

Optional

• Narrow ribbon or constructed self-fabric strip for loop, handle, or strap
• Hardware for the optional loop: D-ring, swivel hook or other. I made my finished loop handle 3/4” wide to use as a wristlet. Choose hardware size based on your strap width or adjust your strap to fit the hardware. Thinner less bulky hardware is best.
• Small strip of fusible web for appliqué for closing the opening (or hand stitch with needle and thread)
• TESA (temporary embroidery spray adhesive)
• Decorative pull or tie for the zipper tab

Instructions

Normally the best hoop size is one just larger than the design. If you have a larger hoop, you’ll have more free space around the design to tape various elements to the stabilizer where the tape is outside the stitching area.

You may want to raise your presser foot height slightly to avoid “tripping” over various pieces and causing them to shift.

Getting Started

1. Print the corresponding pattern.

Full size patterns are included with the full collection. When printing, make sure to print at actual size. Guides are included on the pattern to permit pattern matching and fussy cutting,

2. Optional: Make a template for fussy cutting.

I traced key landmarks onto a piece of quilter’s template to make it easy to plan patterns for my project. I used this for both the front body area and the back panel to get the circular pattern on the fabric centered in those areas.

3. Select and cut all your fabric and batting pieces

Using the full size pattern piece with the added seam allowances, cut one for the back and one for the lining. Cut one piece out of fusible interfacing and apply it to the wrong side of the back piece.

Interfacing is not really needed on sturdy fabrics on small bags. The larger the bag, the more the interfacing can improve the appearance.

To minimize bulk in the seam allowances and make the turned edges crisper, cut the batting just inside the stitching line and fold line.

The fabrics for the front are folded in half with the folded edge placed next to the zipper. Fold the fabrics, wrong sides together along the zipper edge and press. Insert the batting and snug it up to the folded edge. Press again

Pay attention if your fabric has any directional prints.

Optionally, you can add a seam allowance on the zipper side of the front panels and piece on the lining. This can make better use of small bits of fabric and allow you to match the lining.

You can mix and match your fabrics as desired. I didn’t have a zipper that blended with my bag fabrics, so I chose a contrasting zipper and added in some fabrics to match the zipper.

4. Press all fabrics and starch if desired.

Starching isn’t necessary but if you aren’t interfacing your fabrics, it can give them a little more structure for stitching. Fold each of the front pieces in half horizontally; press. Insert the corresponding batting pieces, snugging them up to the fold.

5. Apply interfacing to the back panel.

Interfacing adds some nice body to your bag and can give it a more polished look. Since only the front has batting, the back can seem rather insubstantial in comparison. Optionally, you can interface the back lining as well for a sturdier bag. Don’t go too heavy or your bag will be more difficult to turn.

Be sure to fuse the interfacing securely so that it won’t separate when turning the bag right side out.

6. Optional: Loop Handle.

Make a self-fabric loop or cut a length of ribbon or strapping for a short handle loop/strap or hanging loop with hardware. To determine the length, decide how long the loop should be, for example 2”, double that and add ½” for the seam allowance.

For a self fabric handle on the sample shown here, I cut a strip 2 1/2″ wide and interfaced it. If your fabric is pretty sturdy, you can skip the interfacing because the handle will be 4 layers thick when done.

If you’re using hardware, determine the width by measuring the opening. Your fabric width needs to be slightly less than four times that measurement to fill out the space

Press the strip in half lengthwise. Then open the strip and press each long edge matching the raw edge to the center fold. Refold the piece and press well. Once again, starch is your friend!

Top stitch 1/8” from the edges starting on the side with the two folded edges.

If you’re adding hardware, slide it on now, making sure the prettiest side of your top stitching will be on the outside when folded in half. Top stitch across the loop near the hardware to hold it in place.

Embroidery

This project is made in just one hooping! Although the designs are relatively low stitch count, don’t underestimate the time it takes to complete them. You’ll need to remove the hoop and place pieces multiple times. Take your time and place pieces carefully for a successful results.

1. Hoop stabilizer securely between the rings of your hoop.

Smaller hoops are generally more secure than larger ones with long straight sides. If your stabilizer slips during stitching, you’ll experience problems. Take any necessary measures to prevent slippage.

One way is with duct tape. Tear strips in half lengthwise, apply to the back of the stabilizer along the hoop edges and wrap up and around the sides of the hoop. (I do this a lot! It’s better to be safe than sorry.

2. Stitch color 1 for placement lines.

I’ve stitched color 1 in black for visibility for the photos. Normally I would use the same color that I’ll use for color 3, which top stitches the zipper and stitches the front panels to the stabilizer. Although there are many color stops in this design, you can usually get by with just 1 or 2 colors.

Color 1 sews directly onto the stabilizer only. Small indents mark the horizontal and vertical centers for assisting with precise placement of patterned fabrics. The two registration marks at the top and bottom indicate the overall bag center and the center of the main body area. These can help you if you choose to edit in another design.

Once you place your fabrics, this guides will no longer be visible so if you plan to use them, simply extend them onto the stabilizer with a pen. This stabilizer will be removed later so any marker will work.

3. Tape the zipper in place.

Align the closed zipper, right side up, with the zipper tab at the top of the design making sure the metal ends are well outside the stitch line. The zipper will perfectly fit within the blank area of the stitching guides.

I prefer to keep the long extension off the top instead of centering the zipper over the space. That way I can use the leftover bits for other decorative purposes.

On very long zippers, I like to unzip it so that I can see the zipper tab as a visual reminder to move it into the bag area when it’s time!

I like to apply strips of water soluble fusible Wonder Tape within the zipper placement guides to secure the zipper for stitching. Wonder Tape will hold the zipper more securely and reduce shifting.

Alternatively, you can use tape to hold the zipper in place. I’m using painter’s tape to make it more visible but regular invisible tape works well too. Neither one will gum up the needle; the invisible tape is easier to remove without tearing stitches.

If your zipper isn’t smooth, press it before taping.

4. Stitch the zipper to the stabilizer.

Return the hoop to the machine and sew color 2, which will baste the zipper to the stabilizer. Remove the hoop from the machine and remove the tape. Trim any jump stitches if your machine didn’t trim them for you.

If you can remove the tape without disrupting the stabilizer, I recommend removing any tape that’s no longer needed as you go.

IMPORTANT! If your machine doesn’t have auto-trimmers, be sure to clip jump threads not only on the top, but on the bottom. You’ll need to remove the hoop to trim the bottom threads.

5. Place the front fabric panels.

Place the front fabric panels with the folded edges aligned near the zipper teeth. Make sure the batting is within the placement lines and up against the fold line.

You can hold the pieces in place with more Wonder Tape, regular tape, or pins. If you use pins, either remove them as you stitch to avoid sewing over them or make sure they are out of the range of the presser foot and needle.

Position the fabrics near the zipper, making sure the folded edge covers the zipper tack down stitching. The top stitching will sew between the tackdown stitching and the zipper teeth so there is a bit of leeway.

The fabric should not cover the teeth. Tape the fabric into place, taking care that it’s straight and the spacing is even on both sides of the zipper.

You can check your placement by advancing 1 stitch at the machine to see where the top stitching will begin.

6. Sew color 3 to top stitch the fabric to the zipper and baste the fabric to the stabilizer.

Before stitching, move the needle to the first stitch in this color to check the placement of the stitching to make sure it’s not too close to the folded edge.

If you want a different color for the top stitching on each panel, load the thread for the body panel (to the right of the zipper) first. When the needle gets back around to the top of the design, stop the machine and swap in the color for the top front panel (to the left of the zipper).

Trim any jump stitches if your machine didn’t trim them for you.

Choose an appropriate color for this step since the zipper top stitching will be visible. I usually coordinate with the fabric but you may prefer one that matches the zipper.

7. Sew color 4 to quilt the front lower panel.

If you cut your batting so as not to extend into the seams, you’ll want to keep this stitching. If you prefer to skip the decorative stitching, cut the batting large enough to extend into the seam allowances or omit the batting, especially on the large sizes.

8. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Move the zipper tab to within the design.

The zipper pull is currently at the top of the zipper and therefore beyond the outside seam. If you continue without moving the zipper pull within the bag, you won’t be able to open your bag. Pull the zipper tab to somewhere in the middle of the design.

Note 1: Some ITH projects are turned right side out through the zipper opening; this one isn’t so anywhere in the middle is just fine.

Note 2: If you forgot to clip the jump stitch as noted previously, you’ll have have trouble pulling the zipper to the center.

9. Add optional loop and hardware.

Depending on the size you are stitching, there are up to 3 placements for straps, loops, or handles. These placements, which are set as a different color stop, are short segments of stay stitching. Skip past any segments you don’t need.

If you aren’t adding a loop, advance to the next color and skip to the next step 11.

With the wrong sides together, fold over the loop, matching the raw edges. If you’re adding hardware, slip it on when folding the loop.

Position the loop or handle at the top of the design centered over the zipper or at one of the alternate placements. The matching raw edges of the zipper should match or extend beyond the edge of the fabric. Tape in place.

I’ve stacked my handle in the previous photo and even with the tape, the presser foot may not be able to glide over the extra thickness. To avoid pushing the strap, advance the needle stitch by stitch until the needle is over the strap before pressing start.

Alternatively, you can position the strap ends side by side instead of stacked.

The larger bags have additional placement options for a shoulder strap. Refer to the color sequences to see what’s included.

10. Return hoop to the machine and sew the next color to stay stitch loop.

After stay stitching the loop, remove the hoop and remove the tape at the seam line. If you used hardware, tape it so it won’t slip into the needle’s path. Take care, too, that the hardware is not taped near the center of the hoop. The needle will return to home (center of the hoop) and hardware may trip the foot or cause a machine problem in the hoop can’t move.

If your loop is long, just tape it out of range of the left side seam.

11. Optional: Add some pockets.

The larger bags have enough space to add a pocket to the inside lining, or even an additional pocket on the back. The biggest concern is adding too much bulk that can’t fit through the turn opening, which I’ve made larger on the larger bags for that very reason.

12. Attach the lining and back fabrics.

Turn the hoop face down and place the lining fabric face down on the bottom of the hoop. If your fabric has a directional print, make sure you place the top towards the zipper side.

You may want to lightly TESA the fabric before smoothing it into place. Tape the corners to keep the fabric from lifting out of place during stitching.

Turn the hoop over (right side up) and place the back fabric face down over the front of the design, making sure it is oriented properly and match any points as needed. Secure with tape or pins.

Pay careful attention to where the fabrics go and make sure they are face down!

13. Sew the final (outer) seam.

Return the hoop to the machine and stitch the final color to attach all the pieces together. This seam is a double pass, which should be secure enough with polyester embroidery thread.

Here’s a good place to switch to construction thread in the needle and bobbin, especially if your fabrics are thick or heavy. Even though the seam is double stitched, it can tend to pull apart and “ladder,” which is likely due to the thread tensions in embroidery mode.

Finishing the Bag

1. Unhoop the design and trim off excess.

If you used a tearaway, carefully tear away excess stabilizer along seam allowance before trimming off seam allowances and excess zipper tape.

If your batting extends into the seam allowances, trim back the batting as close as possible to the seam to minimize bulk before trimming the seam allowances

Note the open area at the bottom of the bag left for turning. You’ll want to leave an extended seam allowance at the turn area to make it easier to finish.

Trim around the rest of the bag leaving about a 1/4” seam allowance. Using pinking shears around the corners can help reduce bulk and make them easier to turn.

If your fabrics are thick, grading the seams can improve the appearance.

2. Turn the bag right side out through the opening. Before turning, press up the seam allowance extensions.

Reach inside the opening between the back lining and the rest of the bag with your thumb and pinch one of the far corners between your thumb and finger and turn it right side out through the bottom opening. This is a preliminary turn and you’ll be turning it wrong side out through the zipper opening in just a moment to remove the stabilizer.

Although the seams are double stitched and quite sturdy, be gentle so as not to rip any stitches. It will come through easily if you grasp the single layer back piece of lining fabric.

Remove any remaining tape.

Once you have it turned, use your favorite tool to push out the four corners. I found the blunt end (the non-working end) of my tweezers worked well.

3. Free the zipper.

Tear away the stabilizer behind the zipper and then turn inside out. Carefully remove the stabilizer inside the bag. Some designs are easier than others to get out the stabilizer.

I picked out the bulk of the stabilizer and if this bag is ever washed, the remaining will wash out.

If you used a washaway water soluble product instead of a tearaway, a small paint brush dipped in hot water and applied along the stitching lines will free it up so it can be pulled out. Make sure this stabilizer is removed before pressing or you can experience severe puckering due to the stabilize shrinking.

This exposed stabilizer is the reason not to use cutaway. In some ITH bag techniques, the stabilizer will be enclosed within the project and will never be seen.

4. Turn the project right side out and press.

Turn right side out, taking time to push out the corners smoothly. I found the blunt end (the non-working end) of my tweezers worked well.

Tuck the seam extension into place. Press well using steam.

Fold the back panel seam in by itself. Then group the lined front panel and the back lining together and press under as a unit. This will place the seam allowances between the back panel and the lining.

Pressing is vital to achieving a professional looking project. A good press can make the difference between “home made” and “hand made.”

While this bag has no exposed seams on the inside, you’ll notice that the lining doesn’t lie perfectly smoothly and evenly. This has to do with the interior of the bag being smaller than the exterior after turning right side out. It’s just something that happens when lining is made to the same dimensions as the exterior.

5. Finish the open seam of the turn area.

Carefully trim away any batting in the seam extension to reduce bulk. Tuck the extensions in neatly and press well. Tuck the seam allowance of the front panel and back lining into the space between the back lining and the back panel.

You can fuse the seam allowances together with a strip of heat fusible web or hand stitch.

6. Optional: Add a zipper pull.

Add a ribbon, tie or decorative pull to the zipper tab.

Make Another One!

Once you’ve made your first bag, you’ll have the process down and you can start experimenting. Try swapping in other designs for the quilting used. Use different fabrics. Choose a water proof lining for a makeup bag. Try adding pockets.

Give It a Go!

In-the-hoop projects are popular and can range from very simple to highly complex. These little bags are great for organizing small supplies, perfect for traveling, and make excellent gifts. You can make multiples using coordinating fabrics and hook them together when you need more organization or space.

Now that you’ve learned the basics, check out other, more advanced projects. Would you believe that this owl mini-reader bag can be made in the same size hoop we used for this project?
Yes, it requires more hoopings, more steps, and more hand finishing, but your embroidery machine does most of the work!

Piecing in the hoop replicates the process of foundation piecing, also known as paper piecing. If you’ve done foundation piecing with the sewing machine, you will immediately grasp the concept. While a little more intensive than regular embroidery, this technique really only requires attention to detail.

Use the patterns to pre-cut all your pieces. You can spray templates with TESA or print on fusible paper and apply to the front of your fabric pieces for cutting. Be sure to keep the pattern piece attached until ready to place the fabric in the hoop to avoid using the wrong piece.

Skill Level

Basic embroidery and rotary cutting skills

These designs are sized for a finished block size of 5” (design size is 5.5” to allow for seam allowances). Designs should be easily scalable for larger or smaller hoops using appropriate software. If you are shrinking the block, select blocks with fewer small pieces for best results. Keep in mind that the pattern pieces will no longer be accurate and adjust accordingly.

What You’ll Need

• Suitable fabrics for blocks, pre-washed and pressed (Tip: If fabrics are especially soft, starching can reduce distortion when stitching.)
• Printed block pattern and templates
• Rotary cutter, quilting ruler and mat
• TESA (Temporary embroidery spray adhesive) or water soluble fabric glue stick
• Stabilizer (heat fusible tearaway works well)
• Appliqué tacking iron
• Regular sewing thread in needle and bobbin in a color that coordinates or blends with your fabrics
• Double curve appliqué scissors
• An embroidery machine with a minimum sewing field of 5.75” x 5.75” for the blocks

What’s Included with the Collection

• Twenty designs digitized for piecing in the hoop (18 blocks and 2 borders)
• Full size patterns and templates for each block
• Color sequence PDF with images of sample blocks
• This instructional PDF

Preliminary Notes

If you’ve done foundation or paper piecing, you’ll notice there are a few variations:

1. In paper piecing, fabric is applied to the back side of the printed pattern and the sewing is done on the printed side. When embroidering pieced blocks, all sewing is done from the fabric side.
2. In paper piecing, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go by folding back the pattern and rotary cutting. When embroidering pieced blocks, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go with double-curved appliqué scissors.

Preparation

1. Open the corresponding design PDF in Acrobat and print the full size pattern and corresponding pattern templates. Make sure Acrobat does not scale the pattern. For your convenience, a 1” square is printed on the first page of each block’s templates for easy verification.

2. Use the pattern to plan your design layout. You may want to cut your fabric pieces slightly larger than the actual pattern pieces. The numbered pattern will show you the order the pieces will be sewn. The stitching line is the line between the two pieces being sewn.

3. Hoop the stabilizer, fusible side up. Using a fusible stabilizer with an appliqué tacking iron will let you avoid using spray adhesives. If you need a more permanent stabilizer, I recommend a no-show mesh cutaway. Using a cutaway will stabilize the block in the event you are using fabrics cut off grain or that are otherwise less stable or sturdy. A no show mesh is thin enough not to add excess bulk to the overall block’s seam allowances. If you choose to use a water soluble, use a fiber based stabilizer and not a film. These designs have shorter stitches intended to make removing tearaway easier and a film will fall apart during the sewing process.

4. These designs are generally set up as 3 color designs. Color 1 sews the outer cutting line, the finished block seam line, and the outline of the first piece. Color 2 sews the outline of the rest of the blocks. This was set as a separate color change to allow more design flexibility in case you want to skip this color. The third color is the rest of the design with a stop placed after each piece placement. These stops will appear as color changes in non-native (stitch) file formats. The entire design can be sewn in one color; choose one that you would use for the seams if you were piecing the designs traditionally. Because you’re sewing seams, you should choose construction thread instead of embroidery thread.

At the Machine

If you sized the block design, use the finished block seam allowance stitch line as a reference to cut a quarter inch seam allowance instead of the outer cutting line.

As with standard foundation piecing, stitch length was shortened to increase perforations to permit easier removal of the stabilizer.

Summary

Piecing in the hoop produces a highly consistent and accurate result provided you follow the steps precisely!

Remember those soft plastic oval coin purses with the slit down the front that you squeeze to open? I saw one recently and had a flash back to one I had as a kid that was a ladybug. That memory inspired me to create this in-the-hoop zippered version that will work in a small 100 x 100mm (4” x 4”) sewing field. Also included are a soccer ball, a plainly quilted round mini zip and a square one. Add a small design pr monogram to these more basic ones or sew in a sumptuous fabric and embellish with beads or other trim.

Each project is fully quilted and uses an appliqué technique for finished seams on the inside. Precision templates are including for a professional result. Instructions are basically the same for all three; the ladybug version just has an extra appliqué step on the front piece that is skipped for the others.

In-the-hoop projects are popular because they require no additional sewing. A zipper can be inserted perfectly (and painlessly!). In-the-hoop projects, while not difficult, do take attention to detail. These little mini-zips have some rather unconventional steps when compared to standard embroidery. Take your time to read and follow each step. Once you’ve made one, you can breeze through the next one. If you cut and place your pieces accurately and you’ll have a professional looking result!

Featured Techniques

• In-the-Hoop Zipper
• Machine embroidered appliqué
• Programmed quilting

Please read all instructions before beginning!

Abbreviations

• TESA - Temporary Embroidery Spray Adhesive
• ITH - In-the-Hoop
• WSS - Water soluble stabilizer

Supplies

General

• 6” (or longer) zipper to coordinate with fabrics
• Small bits of fabric from your stash or purchase fat quarters
• Low loft batting, fleece, or just flannel for dimension (I used Warm & Natural)
• 3/8” wide ribbon for loop, 3” long or make a fabric tube for a matching loop
• Embroidery thread to coordinate with fabric
• Coordinating bobbin thread
• Tape (cellophane, double stick embroidery tape, and sew-through wash-away)
• TESA
• Appliqué tacking iron
• Soft, lightweight (non-stiffening) fusible web (I used Steam-A-Seam II Lite)

Stabilizers

• Hoopings 1 - 3: No show fusible mesh cutaway
• Fourth hooping: Either a cleanly tearing crisp tearaway or water soluble fiber based washaway
• Fusible tearaway for printing templates
• Scraps of water soluble to hold batting in place for front pieces

Using fusible fusible products and tapes reduces the need for TESAs. If you don’t have a fusible product, use TESA sparingly. Your machine will thank you!

Optional

• Narrow ribbon to embellish zipper pull, 3-4” long
• Beads or small buttons for eyes

About the Designs

The two round mini zips are exactly the same size and their templates are the same. The ladybug has identical front pieces; they are just mirrored. For the other mini zips, all the fabric front template pairs are identical, the stitching is not; be sure to use the correct embroidery design for each side.

These designs have multiple color stops to facilitate the various processes and offer design flexibility to choose colors that better coordinate with your fabric selections. Individual pieces are quilted (both sides visible on back section) via the embroidery machine and you may wish to choose your bobbin threads accordingly. Even if you sew the entire design in the same thread, do not set your machine to sew single color or it won’t stop when needed.

Select a thread color that coordinates with your project—in most cases you can use the same color for all the color stops of both the zipper and the lining. If you are sewing on a multi-needle machine, please be aware and program your color changes accordingly.

Because these designs use precision templates, resizing the designs is not recommended.

Ladybug Mini-Zip

• lgp00501 - Back
• lgp00502 - Right Side
• lgp00503 - Left Side (mirrored version of lgp00502)
• lgp00504 - Zipper

Soccer Ball Mini-Zip

• lgp00505 - Back
• lgp00506 - Right Side
• lgp00506 - Left Side
• lgp00508 - Zipper

Quilted Round Mini-Zip

• lgp00509 - Back
• lgp00510 - Right Side
• lgp00511 - Left Side
• Uses same zipper design as the soccer ball

Quilted Square Mini-Zip

• lgp00512 - Back
• lgp00513 - Right Side
• lgp00514 - Left Side
• lgp00515 - Zippe

Preliminaries

1. Print templates making sure they are printed at actual size. This project is digitized for precut appliqué pieces.

2. Press all fabrics and starch if desired. Press zipper tape if it is not smooth and flat.

3. Cut out fabrics and batting using provided templates. Each piece is labeled. “Lining” means the fabric will end up on the inside; “outside” means the fabric will end up on the outside. All mini-zips in this collection use the same rectangular pieces, which are repeated on each template page. The larger square piece is the outside of the back piece while the narrow rectangles are the lining pieces for the front sections.

You’ll notice that some pieces are shaped to the design and others are rectangles. The shaped pieces are to be cut precisely. The rectangles offer a more generous shape for the steps involving trimming. Batting pieces are cut smaller to minimize seam bulk. These designs were digitized and tested with a low loft batting intended.

All right and left front templates are identical and are provided for ease in cutting. Print the desired template page twice to have all the patterns required for all the necessary fabric and batting pieces.

How to Appliqué with Templates

Here’s my favorite method for working with precision templates:

1. Cut a piece of fusible tearaway to standard printer paper size and lightly fuse top and bottom edges only to paper.

2. Print templates at actual size onto tearwaway side using an ink jet printer. (Or photocopy if you have a suitable copier that prints at true size.)

3. Peel off tearaway from carrier sheet. Cut template pieces apart to separate. Fuse to front of fabrics.

4. Recommended: For red wing area of ladybug, apply a soft lightweight fusible web to the back before cutting. Choose one that does not add any stiffness.

5. Cut fabric templates just barely to the outside edge if the printed guides. Cut batting templates just to the inside edge. Accuracy is important!

6. When ready to place during embroidery, remove printed template, and position. Fusible pieces are fused before stitching. Pieces that did not have fusible web are held in place with a light misting of TESA. Oversized rectangles may need no TESA and often stay placed as is.

If you cut your pieces accurately, they will match stitching placement lines.

First Hooping: Back

This piece is quilted all the way through and both sides of the fabric will be visible when the project is unzipped. You may wish to use a matching or contrasting embroidery thread in the bobbin. If so, wind a bobbin for this hooping. Pay attention to the fabric placements. I like this approach because there’s no exposed stabilizer within the design to remove.

1. Hoop fusible mesh cutaway fusible side down and sew placement guide. (Color stop 1.) Two guide lines will be stitched. The outer guide is for aligning fabrics, the inner guide is for placing batting

2. Remove hoop and fuse wrong side of lining to bottom side of stabilizer (underneath hoop, right side down) using the outer stitching line as the placement guide. To fuse, use an appliqué tacking iron from the front side of the hoop to avoid disturbing the tension.

3. Position precut batting shape within the inner stitching guide on top of the hoop. Using a piece that fits this placement guide will reduce bulk in the seams

4. Layer top fabric rectangle over outer most placement guide, return to machine, stitch down. (Color stop 2.)

5. Remove hoop and trim off excess fabric to stitching line.

6. Stitch zigzag overcasting around outside. (Color stop 3.)

7. Stitch next color (quilting or soccer ball pattern). (Color stop 4.)

If you wish to customize your project, merge in your own design here.

8. Remove from hoop, trim stabilizer as close as possible to stitching.

Second Hooping: Front (Right Side)

See separate instructions for ladybug. Color stop numbers in brackets are for ladybug.

1. Hoop fusible mesh cutaway fusible side up and sew placement guide. (Color stop 1.) Two guide lines will be stitched. The outer guide is for aligning fabrics, the inner guide is for placing batting.

2. Place outer fabric over guides and fuse in place with tacking iron. Align batting under the hoop and positioning the batting within the designated guidelines. Hold the batting in place with a layer of stabilizer taped or pinned to the hooped stabilizer out of range of the stitching (beyond the rectangular placement stitches.) I use scraps of water soluble stabilizer for this. The stabilizer will keep the batting from going down the throat plate. Return hoop to machine. Sew color stop 2 to tack down appliqué pieces to stabilizer.

3. Sew decorative stitching. (Color stop 3 [5].)

4. Place the lining fabric rectangle face down over the hooped design and stitch the seam. (Color stop 4 [6].

5. With an appliqué tacking iron, press lining open and towards seam allowance.

6. Return hoop to machine and sew stay stitching. (Color stop 5 [7].)

7. Remove from hoop and trim off excess stabilizer as close as possible to the stitching. Trim or tear away water soluble in open areas over batting.

8. Turn lining to back and press along seam edge. To hold lining in place for last hooping, you can use some short pieces of strategically placed sew through wash-away tape or fusible web (make sure it won’t add noticeable stiffness). I used small bits of Steam-ASeam II Lite.

9. Trim seam allowances off excess lining fabric to match the top. Set aside.

Ladybug

1. Follow steps 1 & 2 for front side.

2. Stitch placement guide for wing. (Color stop 2.) Place wing section taking care to align piece precisely along the curved edge on the inside of the body fabric.

3. Return to machine. Sew color stop 3 to tack down appliqué pieces to stabilizer.

4. Color 4 is the satin cover on the wing. You may wish to use a different color for this step.

5. Align batting under the hoop and positioning the batting within the designated guidelines. Hold the batting in place with a layer of stabilizer taped or pinned to the hooped stabilizer out of range of the stitching (beyond the rectangular placement stitches.) I use scraps of water soluble stabilizer for this. The stabilizer will keep the batting from going down the throat plate.

6. Continue with step 3 for front side to finish.

Third Hooping: Front (Left Side)

Ladybug: If your machine has a mirror function, simply mirror this design for the other half, otherwise load the mirrored version of the design. Repeat steps for first half for this side.

Others: Load the left side design and sew, repeating the same steps for first half for this side.

If you have a larger hoop, both front sides can be combined and sewn in one hooping.

After this hooping, your front and back pieces are completed and are ready for final assembly.

Fourth Hooping: Zipper and Final Assembly

Although the inside is only partially visible, you may wish to use a matching bobbin thread. The last color change is a seam finish, which will be partially visible when opening the case.

1. Hoop stabilizer. Use either a crisp tearaway that can be torn away cleanly or use 2 layers of water soluble fiber.

2. Sew placement guide for zipper and front pieces. (Color stop 1.)

3. Position zipper and hold in place with tape. Place each front half, matching edges with the stitched guide on the stabilizer. The folded edge should be near the teeth. The top stitching will be placed along the guide on the zipper tape so make sure your front piece is between that guide and the zipper teeth. Hold in place with TESA or tape.

4. Tack section to stabilizer and top stitch each side. (Color stop 2.)

5. Test zipper to make sure it opens and closes and then open it to about 3/4 open with the zipper tab flipped upward along zipper teeth.

If you fail to open the zipper before stitching the ribbon and attaching the back, you will not be able to turn your project right side out or open the pouch!

6. Position ribbon or self-fabric tube for loop if using. Fold ribbon in half, wrong sides together, raw edges together. Align ribbon over zipper opening with raw edges to seam allowance and folded edge inside. Tape in place at for desired loop size. Stitch to secure. (Color stop 3.)

7. Position quilted back piece right sides together (right side down) matching the pieces and stitch guides. Hold in place with tape. (I removed tape as I got close to it.) Stitch seam and satin stitch the outer edge. (Color stop 4.)

8. Remove from hoop. Remove stabilizer taking care to not tear any stitches. A seam ripper can be used to skim along next to the stitching. If you used a water-soluble product, a small paint brush dipped in hot water can dissolve any exposed remnants.

9. Turn right side out.

10. If desired, add a small piece of ribbon to the zipper tab for a decorative pull. Add breads or buttons for eyes on ladybug.

This beautiful quilt showcases the twelve U.S. birth month flowers of the year. I’ve used a white background fabric and chosen softer colored batiks for the flowers for a romantic, vintage look. Each block has been sashed with 1” (2.5cm) wide white strips set off with coral cornerstones. A narrow border of small squares set on point frames the sashed blocks. The outer mitered corner

border is scalloped and adorned in opposing corners with a trailing vine composed of single elements from various blocks, most of which were edited slightly.

This quilt was designed, embroidered, and pieced by Lindee Goodall and quilted by awardwinning Tucson quilter, Nubin Jensen.

Throughout the last twelve months via the Echidna P.I.E. program, we’ve used designs from the Australian Birth Month Flowers of the Year series, five of which are also included in the U.S. group, to learn embroidery skills and create a project. Now we’ll use the appliqués from the U.S. flowers to make a quilt.

I’ve created two versions of the Baltimore Birth Month Flowers of the Year quilt. The Australian one uses vivid batiks on a black background with straight borders for a clean, contemporary quilt. Instead of an appliquéd border, I appliquéd the cornerstones. If you’d like something simpler than a mitered corner scalloped border with multiple design placements, you might prefer that one; instructions are available separately.

Echidna PIE was a series of monthly embroidery lessons based on the designs used in this quilt and was active from July 2014 through July 2015. Lessons and associated content are still available at EchidnaClub.com.au. If you’re brand new to embroidery, you may find them helpful for completing this quilt or expanding your knowledge and skill; they are not required.

These instructions are to complete the quilt and assume some basic embroidery skills. If you need more help, you can also visit LindeeGEmbroidery.com or my YouTube channel for a growing body of free content.

Skill Level

These instructions assume that you know how to do the following tasks:

• How to piece a quilt
• How to attach a mitered border
• How to bind a quilt
• How to stitch machine embroidered appliqué using precut fabric (See Echidna PIE Lesson 1, July 2014) or refer to the included Appliqué Basics PDF.
• How to combine embroidery designs in software (See Echidna PIE Lesson 5, Creating an Endless Border, November 2014)
• How to rehoop for precise design placement (See Echidna PIE Lesson 2, Perfect Placement Pointers, August 2014)

What’s Included

• Modified appliqué designs to recreate the border
• Appliqué templates for border designs (the actual appliqués have not changed but some have been mirrored)
• Pattern for scalloped border
• Instructions to complete the quilt as shown
• Applique Basics PDF file

A Word About Measurements

I measure stitches in metric (millimeters for density and stitch length or width) and most other measurements in imperial (inches, feet, and yards). Many of you work entirely in metric. For this project, I’ll put the measurements I actually used first and then the converted metric versions in parentheses.

For example, all my quilting rulers measure in inches so that’s what I use and my machine and embroidery software measures stitch lengths in millimeters. So, the instructions might read:

Cut strips to 2” (5.1cm) wide and stitch using a ¼” (6mm) seam with a 2.0mm stitch length.

Since meters are longer than yards by slightly more than 3” (8.6cm), I’ll simply round them off as even and the measurement will read “½ yd/m.”

Note About Links

In some cases, links to external web sites are included for more information on a technique or product. All the links were active at the time of writing but web sites can vanish and pages can change. If a link is no longer working, please let me know and then just use a search tool to see if the information can be found elsewhere.

Please read through all instructions before starting your project!

Baltimore Birth Month Flowers Quilt

Finished quilt size: approximately 45 x 54” (114 x 137cm)

Finished block size: 8 x 8” (20 x 20cm)

Feel free to adapt this pattern to your own tastes and quilting styles. If you want a larger quilt, consider setting the blocks on point or adding more or wider borders. The redwork versions of the design can quickly create additional blocks that can expand the size of your quilt with minimal effort.

Fabric

Yardage is based on 42” (107cm) wide fabric unless otherwise stated.

WOF=width of fabric

• Blocks: You’ll need to do some calculations.

Although each embroidered block is trimmed to a 9” (22.8cm) square, you will need extra fabric to allow for hooping. How much extra depends on the size of your hoop and your hooping method; you may need to allow as much as 18” (45.7cm) for each block. Do not precut your blocks smaller than 10” (25.4cm) before embroidering. This extra fabric may be needed if your design is sewn off center or crooked. Also, embroidery itself tends to shrink and distort the fabric; you will still need to true up your block no matter how carefully you embroider. By trimming your blocks when you are ready to piece your quilt, you can preserve a crisp edge on your fabrics. To make the quilt as shown, you’ll need enough fabric for 12 blocks plus any practice or replacement blocks.

• Appliqués: Fat quarters or scraps in your choice of colors
• Sashing Strips: ⅜ -½ yd/m (white)
• Sashing cornerstones: 1 fat quarter (coral/peach)
• Pieced border:
• ¼ yd/m for diamonds (green)
• ½ yd/m for background (white)
• Scalloped border: 2¼ yd/m (white)
• Binding: 1 yd/m (green)
• Backing: 4 yd/m (green, same as binding)

Cutting

• Sashing Strips: 8 strips 1½” (3.8cm) x WOF cut into 31 strips 1½” x 9” (3.8 x 22.8cm) (white).
• Sashing Squares: 1 strip 1½” (3.8cm) x WOF cut into 20 squares 1½ x 1½” (3.8 x 3.8cm) (coral/peach).
• Pieced border: .
• 5 strips, 1¼” (3.2cm) x WOF for the colored diamonds (green).
• 10 strips, 1¼” (3.2cm) x WOF for the alternate color (white).
• Pieced border corner stones: 4 squares 1½ x 1½” (3.8 x 3.8cm) (green).
• Scalloped border: 4 strips 11” (28cm) wide by length of the side + 24” (61cm) (extra fabric is required for hooping and embroidering the mitered corners, this length will be quite generous). I cut my borders on the length of the fabric instead of crosswise to avoid seams and for stability. Unless you’re embroidering each flower element individually in a small hoop, you’ll need to float the border strips for embroidering. I recommend starching the end you’ll be embroidering.
• Binding: Bias strips 2½” (6.35cm) x length of the perimeter plus 12” (30.5cm) (green)

Supplies.

• Designs: U.S. Birth Month Flowers of the Year appliqué designs

All the Birth Month Flowers of the Year blocks are interchangeable for size. Some flowers are designated for both the U.S. and Australia (March, April, June, November, December). Also, some of the flowers designated for Australia are alternates for the U.S. When I originally designed this quilt, it was for the U.S. and I chose flowers that would work well as appliqués and not look too much the same, such as Aster and Daisy.

• Threads and appliqué fabrics as desired
• Fusible web for appliqué
• Wash-Away stabilizer (I used wash-away tear-away)
• Basic quilting and embroidery supplies
• Liquid starch
• Optional: Temporary embroidery spray adhesive

Nice to Have

• Lightbox for precise placement
• PAL laser light

Fabric Preparation

All fabrics were washed and dried before cutting or stitching to preshrink.

Tips For Stitching Blocks

To conserve fabric—I would have needed to cut a 16” (40.6cm) square for each block for normal between-the-rings hooping—I cut my blocks to 10” (25.4cm) and heavily starched each block by dipping the cut blocks into full strength liquid starch and then smoothing each block out squarely and wrinkle-free on my cutting table to dry.

When “floating” projects rather than hooping, the fabric and stabilizer must be made as stable as possible. For stabilizer, I chose a wash-away product, which can either be something like Wash-Away or Sulky FabriSolvy (two layers) or a wash-away tear-away (one layer). Large straight sides on hoops allow for more slippage to occur. If your hoop does not securely hold the stabilizer when hooped by itself, an extra measure of security can be added with duct tape.

Simply tear some lengths of duct tape in half lengthwise and press onto the stabilizer on the back near the hoop edge then wrap up over the bottom and side of the hoop. As long as your hoop is clean, no sticky residue will remain.

For the fabric, starching stiffly is one measure I take, the second is basting. To get an accurate placement, I do a double-basting box process. The first baste is stitched directly onto the stabilizer as a placement guide. The second attaches the block to the stabilizer. I didn’t use any spray adhesives.

If your machine has a baste-in-the-hoop feature, now’s a great time to use it. If it doesn’t, then basting boxes can be added in a program like Embrilliance Essentials—just make each one a different color or program in a stop at your machine so that you can place the fabric after the first one sews.

I prefer adding basting boxes in software because I often make the box a different size when using it as a placement reference. When basting at the machine, it optimizes the baste to the bounding box perimeter of the design.

If you don’t have a large enough hoop to stitch the full-size block design, you’ll need to use one of the split versions to create the block. You’ll definitely need to rehoop for the border vines. When doing multiple hoopings, I try to use a piece of stabilizer that will accommodate all of the hoopings rather than to use multiple pieces of stabilizer. Pressing after each hooping to smooth out any creases is a good idea.

Design Preparation

There’s really no preparation for the blocks themselves. The borders will require some work to arrange the pieces properly.

There are 5 flower elements that comprise the border, which are included with these instructions. When looking at the upper right corner, designs on the short side are mirrored plus the first one on the short side is slightly rotated (#5). In the key following, you can see how these designs are numbered for the upper right corner. The lower left corner is a mirror image of the upper right.

When designing these border designs, I played with numerous individual elements pulled from the flowers and included with the monthly flower designs. After getting an arrangement I liked, I did some minor editing, which mostly consisted of lengthening the stems a bit and some other minor tweaks. This is much easier to do by the digitizer because the design elements can be manipulated as objects rather than stitches.

If you’d like to design your own border, use the “single” versions of the designs and add your own z-stitches as we did in the Echidna PIE Lesson 5, Creating an Endless Border, November 2014 or watch the YouTube video: Creating A Continuous Border with Embrilliance.

To stitch my borders, I combined as many as would fit in my hoop, matching the z-stitches and making sure the designs were ordered from the outer most point and progressing to the corner. It’s a good idea not to entirely max out your sewing field or you won’t be able to fine-tune the placement at the machine. For my machine, this meant I could sew the shorter side in one hooping, the longer side in two hoopings and finally the corner connecting element after the mitered seam was sewn.

Once you’ve combined your elements, you can delete extra z-stitches leaving only the first and last pair as needed.

I definitely recommend printing placement templates for the borders. I planned my placement so that the first flowers (outer most ones) are about 1¼” (3.2cm) from the pieced border. You’ll need to trial where to place everything so that the corner flower matches up with the two side borders and there is enough left over at each end to make the mitered corners.

Another tip is that rather than trying to remember to mirror the various placements, that you create mirrored versions and label them for the appropriate corner. After I created the elements for one corner, I duplicated, mirrored, and renamed them accordingly.

Assembly Instructions

Scant ¼” (6mm) seams used throughout for construction.

1. Embroider the blocks.

Embroider all the blocks and trim to size (9”/22.8cm square) making sure the design is centered.

2. Embroider the borders.

Preparing the designs as previously described will make stitching the borders easier. You’ll want to take extra care to make sure the designs are stitched in the correct direction and orientation because you’re working with a significant length of fabric and a mistake could cost you another trip to the fabric store for a couple more yards.

Perfect Placement Pointers was the subject of lesson 2 in the 2014 Echidna PIE series. I’ll recap a few things here but if you’re new to rehooping to build a larger continuous design, you might want to check that for more comprehensive instructions.

• Mark each border strip with a long center line for aligning each element and for checking straightness in the hoop. Please note that if you’re placing each design individually, this may not match actual guides on your template. I’ve used basting boxes sized to the border area to keep the centers aligned. A small hoop may not permit this.

When floating, I sometimes even mark an additional guide on my hooped stabilizer so that I can match my fabric accurately. If your hoop doesn’t have accurate guides, try this: Hoop your stabilizer and insert the hoop in the machine. Move the hoop using the controls so that the needle is at the top of the hoop (you may not be able to move the needle much if a large design is loaded for stitching) and sink the needle to make a mark in the stabilizer. Now move to the bottom of the hoop and repeat. Use these needle marks to draw a long placement line with a ruler and a fine line pencil.

• For proper visual layering, you’ll be working from the end-most flower to the corner. You’ll need to make sure you have adequate space at the end to create the mitered corner. I pressed over a diagonal at the end. You might want to fold a bit further away than the absolute end to give yourself a little leeway for placement and to allow for a bit of stitching distortion.

• Stitch the border designs, aligning the various elements carefully.

• When both sides of the corner are embroidered, recheck your placement of the connecting flower and, if necessary, make any adjustments for the mitered corner seam.
• Stitch the mitered corner seam to within ¼” (6mm) of the inside corner. Trim seam allowances to ¼” (6mm) and press open.
• Embroider the final design, matching the z-stitches. When the corner is completed, remove the z-stitches.

3. Piece the blocks and sashing.

• Alternating the cornerstones with the sashing strips, assemble and stitch five horizontal sashing rows.

• Join appliqué blocks into four rows of three blocks alternating each block with the remaining sashing strips.

4. Make the pieced diamond border.

Before you piece multiple strips, try a test with some 8” long (20.3cm) pieces. Stitch them for the first strip set and cut as described below and then piece together. Measure the vertical height of an interior diamond to make sure it measures 1” (2.5cm). If not, adjust your seam allowances to achieve this size.

• Using the 1¼” (3cm) strips, sew one white to each side of one green for a strip set. Press seam allowances toward the green. Cut strips into 1¼” (3cm) pieces.

• Rotate each cut piece 45° and stitch together as shown below, taking care to match seams and keeping seam allowances even. Press seams to one side.

• Measure the horizontal center of the quilt to get the length for the top and bottom pieced border. Measure the vertical center of the quilt to get the measurement for the two side borders.
• Piece a long enough strip for each side of the center of the quilt plus two more sections, which will be trimmed off when squaring off the ends. The number you need may vary from mine because if your seam allowances are off even one needle width from mine, this can translate into a significant difference over the length of the border due to the many seams. Do make sure that you match the number of diamonds on opposite sides. You may find that you can’t get an exact length match and that some easing is required.
• Trim off excess leaving ¼” (6mm) seam allowance above the points on the green diamonds.

• Add a cornerstone to each end of the top and bottom pieced border

• Attach pieced side borders to quilt. Then add top and bottom borders.

5. Attach the mitered corner outer borders to the quilt.

If you’ve followed along with the project instructions, you should have two opposing appliquéd corner border pieces, each with a mitered seam. You’ll now need to measure to determine the length for the extensions.

• Measure the horizontal center of the quilt to get the inside measurement for the top and bottom borders. You’ll need to subtract ¼” (6mm) to account for the seam allowance in the border corner that has been stitched. Mark this length on the corresponding border within the seam allowance.
• Measure the vertical center of the quilt to get the inside measurement for the two side borders. Repeat the process of marking the border.
• Mark a diagonal line ¼” (6mm) in from the marks for a seamline.

• Stitch mitered corners, leaving ¼” (6mm) open on the inside border side.
• Stitch the border to the quilt top.

6. Mark scalloped border for quilting but don’t cut!

Actual size templates in PDF format are included if you choose to use them. The template has been tiled onto multiple pages. Just print them, tape together, and trace onto your quilt top for a guide for quilting.

If your quilt is a different size from mine and you need help marking a scallop, watch this video: How to Make a Scalloped Edge on a Quilt.

Don’t cut the scalloped edge at this point; it’s easier to quilt with straight edges.

7. Quilt as desired.

I confess to being a chicken when it comes to the actual quilting and when I want a professional look, I send it to a professional. Fortunately we have quite a few good long arm quilters locally. To keep the two versions of the quilt as different as possible, I sent each one to a different quilter. I splurged on this one and sent it Nubin Jensen, who is well known for her intricate scrolls and feathers. The quilting she did on this project is simply stunning and if you get a chance to see this quilt at an event, be sure to check it out!

8. Create a label.</span<

My favorite font for creating quilt labels is Adine Script, which is available as a BX font for convenient use. You are creating an heirloom so let those who come in the future know who created it and when!

9. Add a hanging sleeve if desired.

10. Bind.

Applying binding to a scalloped border requires a little more effort than the standard rectangular border. If you’ve never done a scalloped border, here’s a good video: How to Make a Scalloped Edge on a Quilt.

I prefer to stitch my binding to the front of my quilt, fold to the back and then hand stitch.

I find this relaxing but feel free to use your own favorite technique. You will definitely need to cut your binding on the bias to accommodate the curved edges.

Summary

Quilts don’t have to be massive. Smaller wall-hanging sizes like this one are more easily completed before the boredom or overwhelm sets in. Obviously this is not a one day or even a weekend project. Set aside planning time to choose fabrics that you love and will work well together. Don’t rush, enjoy the process!

The pieced border will take quite some time as does the appliquéd scalloped border and while these add a special touch to this quilt, don’t feel like you have to do them because I did. Feel free to design your own variation.

It’s a Wrap!

One thing I love about this hobby is that there’s always something new to learn, some new technique, some new gadget. Discovering those things is what keeps the hobby new, fresh, and interesting. Plus, embroidery is just more fun when you know the tricks to getting good results!

Recycle a plastic container with screw on lid for button storage that doubles as a pin cushion. This easy project requires only minimal sewing to attach the binding and the buttons; your embroidery machine does the rest!

Using embroidery designs to quilt makes it easy for anyone to create intricate designs quickly and easily. An important difference with embroidery designs is how the machine is tensioned. In normal sewing and quilting, the needle and bobbin threads are evenly balanced. This is not the case with embroidery. Here the top thread is pulled to the back and the back is likely to look rather messy—especially if your machine has automatic trimmers that pull all the thread tails to the back. To minimize this, match your bobbin thread to the top thread and choose a busy fabric for the back that blends well with your thread color. You may also wish to adjust your tensions for a more even balance. The back of this project is not prominent but neatness is always a good thing!

Most quilting motifs are continuous and will only have one pair of tie-offs.
Redwork designs with many distinct elements will have more tie-offs.

The Bluework Sewing designs collection from Lindee G Embroidery includes 10 decorative, redwork style designs with a sewing theme. Each design is available in 2 sizes: one for smaller hoops) and one for 5 x 7” hoops. Due to the amount of detail in these designs, I don’t recommend shrinking the smaller size, which all have shorter stitch lengths.

Additionally, I’ve included the design used in the jar wrap for your convenience. This design is a resized version of an existing design in the collection and it has had two additional basting runs added for placement. I’ve added custom digitized lettering and provided “Buttons” as a stand-alone design for other use.

These instructions are for machines with a 5 x 7” sewing field. If you have a smaller sewing field, adjust accordingly.

Skill Level

Basic sewing skills are required to piece binding strips, apply the binding (standard method used in quilting), and sew on buttons. Instructions are included for mitering corners on binding.

Designs Used

• Bluework Sewing lgs01205 Buttons
• Bluework Sewing lgs01221 Button Jar Bonus design

Fabric Requirements

I used scraps and bits from my stash. While this project doesn’t need much, depending on the circumference of your container, fat quarters may not be wide enough. I used two colors: solid white and a blue print.

Supplies

• Batting—Choose one that is not too lofty; I used a fusible one for quilts.
• Wash-Away stabilizer
• No-Show Mesh stabilizer
• Small amount of thin or round elastic for button loops
• 3 buttons
• TESA (KK2000 or similar temporary embroidery spray adhesive)
• Construction thread
• Embroidery thread
• Matching bobbin thread for embroidery, if desired
• Rotary cutter, ruler, and mat
• Plastic container with screw on lid (pick one with straight sides). This one is an Isagenix container.
• Tape measure
• Rotary cutter, ruler, mat
• Hot glue gun
• Heavy cardboard (I used a scrap of matte board)
• Basic sewing supplies
• 5 x 7” hoop
• 4 x 4” hoop

Preparation

1. I used matching thread in the bobbin. The back won’t show on the lid and the back will only show on the wrap if you remove it. This is your call. You won’t even need to wind a full bobbin if you choose to match your thread.

2. Measure your container to determine the fabric requirements for the wrap. My wrap just meets at the back and is slightly taller than the straight part of the container. (15-1/2” by 4-1/4”).

For the wrap, you’ll need:

• 1 front
• 1 back
• 1 batting

Layer these into a “quilt sandwich” with your back fabric face down, your top fabric face up, and the batting as the filling in between. If you are using a fusible batting, fuse according to package instructions.

3. Measure the circumference and height of the lid rim. This one is 1” tall. I cut a 3” wide strip on the bias. You’ll be folding this in half. The folded edge will be at the bottom of the lid rim and the top raw edges will be hot glued to the lid. Make sure you have enough excess fabric to wrap over the edge of the lid.

The checked fabric I used was printed, not woven. By cutting it on the bias, I avoided any off grain stripes, matched the bias binding on the wrap, and had stretchy piece with a little give to it for a snug fit. Sew the ends together with 1/4” seams, press open and fold the strip in half.

4. Cut a circle from heavy cardboard to loosely fit inside the center of the lid.

5. Cut a generous square of fabric for the pincushion cover. You can trim this down later after you decide how full you want the puffing on the lid. Cut a piece of batting to be hooped with the fabric for embroidery.

6. The binding strips for the wrap are 2” wide bias cut strips pieced to the required length and folded and pressed lengthwise.

Embroidering

For the pincushion top, you’ll be using the 4” x 4” hoop. Sandwich your batting between the top fabric and a piece of no-show mesh stabilizer and hoop together.

1. Load design lgs01205 and embroider.

For the wrap, you’ll be using the 5 x 7” hoop. The Baby Lock Ellisimo I’m using doesn’t come with this size hoop and I recommend getting one if one is available for your machine and you don’t have one. Many designs are sized for this hoop and best embroidery practices dictate using a hoop that most closely fits the design being sewn.

1. Hoop a piece of wash-away backing.

2. Load design lgs01221. The project design has been customized to sew a basting stitch as the first color stop. This is a shorter than normal basting stitch and it has four indents to help you with perfect placement.

3. When the machine stops, lightly mist the back of your quilt sandwich with TESA and smooth into place. In the following photo you can see I’ve used pins to mark the center. Line the pins up with the stitch markings, which should coincide with the center marking on your hoop. This technique will work on any machine. Be sure to remove the pins before sewing.

4. Sew the second round of basting to attach the fabric securely to the stabilizer. These basting lines mark a 4” wide area that can later be used as guides when trimming your fabric to size after embroidering.

5. Finish sewing the design.

6. Remove from hoop and trim way excess Wash-Away. Use a rotary cutter and ruler to trim the wrap to the desired size. You don’t need to add any extra for seams if you are binding the edges. Remove basting stitches.

Finish the Wrap

The wrap is held onto the container with buttons and elastic loops. The elastic loops allow for some give and require less precision (and work!) than normal button holes. Other options for fastening include ties. I used 3 mismatched buttons from the button jar.

1. Position the elastic loops at one short end of the wrap, matching raw edges. The top and bottom loops are 3/4” in from the closest edge and the middle one is centered. Stitch over your loops to secure. A shortened zigzag stitch works very well. Give a tug on the open ends of each loop to make sure they are secure.

2. Attach the binding, mitering the corners. If you don’t know how to miter corners, see separate steps below.

3. Press the binding open and fold over to back covering the raw edge. I prefer to hand stitch on the back; choose any method you prefer, such as top stitching or fusing, if desired.

4. Attach buttons, positioning them along the binding seam line to match the loops.

5. Soak out the Wash-Away stabilizer while you finish the rest of the project.

Be sure that all the TESA has dissipated before wetting your project. To force dissipate, press with a dry iron.

How to Miter a Corner when Binding

1. With raw edges matching and right sides together, sew binding to the edge of the wrap using a 1/4” seam. Start on a long edge at least 1” from the corner.

2. Sew to 1/4” from the next corner, back stitch and cut threads.

3. Rotate the fabric for the next seam and fold back the binding fabric so that it’s at right angles to the previously stitched binding.

4. Pin at the previous seam line.

5. Fold the binding strip straight down matching raw edges of the wrap. The fold line matches the raw edge of the previous seam.

Repin to mark the starting point 1/4” from the top edge and at the edge of the diagonal fold of the miter. Remove pin before sewing. Sew to within a quarter inch of the next corner and repeat.

Finish the Lid Rim

1. Stretch the rim cover you made in step 3 of Preparation over the lid. The folded edge is at the bottom of the rim and the raw edges should be sticking up beyond the top. Using the hot glue gun, squirt glue in between the fabric and rim and press in place.

I tried applying the glue before stretching the fabric on and this proved to be a mess. The glue just cooled too quickly and I couldn’t get the fabric positioned ideally.

2. Apply hot glue to the lid and wrap the raw edge of the rim wrap over the lid edge and glue to lid. You’ll need to glue each layer of fabric individually.

Finish the Pin Cushion

1. Cut a stack of fleece circles to pad the lid. The amount is up to you as to how padded and pouffy you want the lid.

2. Cut your embroidered lid cover into a circle large enough to cover the padding and wrap under the cardboard. I used a soup bowl (6-1/2” diameter) to trace a circle. Trim back the stabilizer and batting as required for your lid to allow a smooth gathering.

3. Run a basting stitch 1/4” or so from the edge. You can do this by hand or machine.

4. Layer the batting pieces on top of the cardboard, cover with the embroidery (face up), and then tighten the gathering thread over the cardboard side, adjusting fullness evenly.

5. When the cushion is covered, secure the thread and hot glue the fabric to the cardboard.

6. Hot glue the pin cushion to the lid by applying glue to the lid and the firmly pressing the assembled pin cushion into place.

Fill Your Button Jar & Enjoy

These little container covers are easy to make and are perfect for gift giving. With simple modifications and a design change, you can cover boxes and jars for all sorts of storage containers!

Bobbin work allows you to embroider designs with beautiful textured threads and ribbon— threads that cannot be sewn through the needle. For best results, you not only need a specially digitized design but you need to modify your technique and make some machine adjustments.

Please note: Bobbin work requires some testing and adjusting of your machine tensions. Please refer to your machine manual or consult your sewing machine dealer for specific help with your machine.

Supplies

• Design specifically digitized for bobbin work
• Heavier threads such as Pearl Crown Rayon, 2mm silk ribbon, Madeira Decora 6, other decorative threads and fibers generally used for bobbin work. (Note: Heavier yarns are not recommended due to the short amount you will be able to wind on the bobbin.)
• Monofilament invisible (polyester or nylon) upper thread
• 70/10 or 75/11 embroidery needle
• Specialty or second bobbin case
• Screw driver for adjusting bobbin case tension
• Fabric, stabilizer

Preparation: Filling the Bobbin

Bobbins can be wound by hand or by machine. If winding by machine, wind slowly. Since you probably will not be able to run the thread through the normal thread guides, use your fingers to control the winding tension. Be careful not to wind too tightly or too loosely.

Be sure to check the amount of thread on the bobbin each time you start a new design. If the bobbin runs out during stitching:

• Remove the hoop
• Thread the “tail” to the back (top side of hoop_ using the tapestry or chenille needle
• Wind and insert a new bobbin
• Replace the hoop
• Reposition the needle to where the “tail” comes to the back
• Bring the bobbin thread to the wrong side by hand as when beginning a design
• Continue stitching the design

Avoid using heavier yarns as you will not be able to wind enough on the bobbin to complete a single design. I tried winding a textured knitting yarn and only got about 30” on the bobbin before it was full.

Preparation: Machine Tensions

Most home embroidery machines have automatic tensioning that cause the top (needle) thread to be pulled to the bottom side of the hooped fabric. This is perfect for traditional embroidery because under proper tensions, the bobbin thread will never be seen on the design side.

However, with bobbin work, the design will be sewn on the bobbin side using thread many times heavier than embroidery bobbin thread. Also, monofilament thread is quite thin and slips through the tensions easily. These three issues will require tension adjustments to accommodate the thread weights and to prevent the monofilament from pulling through to the design side.

Proper bobbin and needle thread tensions will take some trials. Use a small design and be sure to test with the same weight and type of thread you will be using in your project.

Using a separate bobbin case for bobbin work will make switching between specialty stitching and standard easier and more enjoyable. Be sure to label your bobbin cases if they do not look different. Be sure to read the manual for your machine; some threads may be so heavy that bypassing certain tensioners is the best route. I found that with Pearl Crown Rayon I had to loosen the tension screw on the bobbin case quite a bit (be careful not to unscrew it all the way!) and raise the needle thread tension for a good result.

How much should you loosen the tension? I suggest inserting embroidery bobbin thread in your regular case and feeling the tension of the thread as you pull it through the bobbin. This should give an idea for what the tension should feel like after adjusting for a heavier thread. If you have a front loading bobbin case, you might try the “bobbin drop test.” Hold the threaded bobbin in one hand by the thread tail with the other hand cupped a few inches below. Give a little jerk on the tail and see if the bobbin drops a bit. If the bobbin doesn’t drop, loosen some more; if it drops a lot, tighten a bit.

Allow plenty of time for testing since you can’t see the results until you remove the hoop from the machine because they are on the bottom. Chances are that you won’t be pulling these heavy threads to the back of the embroidery but you don’t want the needle thread pulled to the design side.

While you’re at your machine, turn off the automatic thread cutter if your machine has one and slow your machine down.

Preparation: Fabric

The only trick here is remembering that the right side of the fabric faces the bed of the machine and the stabilizer goes on top. In general, bobbin work designs are open and lower stitch count, which means a lower distortion type of design. Choose an appropriate stabilizer for the fabric. I prefer to use a light-weight, no-show cutaway when the stabilizer can stay in. Tearaways can be difficult to remove since these designs do not have a lot of needle penetrations to perforate this type of stabilizer. You may want to choose a water soluble product.

Embroidering the Design

Advance your machine to the first stitch in the design. Manually turn the hand wheel of the machine to pull the bobbin thread to the top. Many machines will sink the needle in the center of the design and then travel to the first stitch. If you pull the thread up here and the design doesn’t start in the center, you will probably end up embroidering over a long thread tail later in the design.

Hold both thread tails for the first couple of stitches; do not trim.

You may get better stitch formation if you slow your machine down.

When the design is finished, leave a bobbin thread tail several inches long. Pull the bobbin thread to the back or use a tapestry needle to inserted near the stitch to bring the tail to the wrong side. Tie off the starting and ending thread tail with a knot close to the fabric to secure if desired and trim threads to about one inch long.

Other Notes:

You will need to change the bobbin whenever you want to switch to a new color. Stop the machine, remove the hoop and follow the steps for running out of thread.

Piecing in the hoop replicates the process of foundation piecing, also known as paper piecing. If you’ve done foundation piecing with the sewing machine, you will immediately grasp the concept. While a little more intensive than regular embroidery, this technique really only requires attention to detail.

Use the patterns to pre-cut all your pieces. You can spray templates with TESA, swipe with a glue stick, or print on fusible paper and apply to the front of your fabric pieces for cutting. Be sure to keep the pattern piece attached until ready to place the fabric in the hoop to avoid using the wrong piece.

Skill Level

Basic embroidery and rotary cutting skills

All squares finish the same even though their dimensions may vary slightly due to some stitching lines extending beyond the finished seam line. Similarly, all small triangles finish to the same size and large triangles are the same size.

What You’ll Need

• Suitable fabrics for blocks, pre-washed and pressed (Tip: If fabrics are especially soft, starching can reduce distortion when stitching.)
• Printed block patterns and templates
• Rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and mat
• TESA (Temporary embroidery spray adhesive) or water-soluble fabric glue stick
• Stabilizer—I used Sulky Soft n Sheer. You’ll be using heat to press the pieces in place and water-soluble fiber stabilizers can shrink with heat.
• Appliqué tacking iron
• Double curve appliqué scissors
• An embroidery machine with a minimum sewing field of 5.75” x 5.75” for the blocks

What’s Included with the Collection

• Twenty-two designs digitized for piecing in the hoop
• Full size patterns and templates for each block
• Color sequence PDF with images of sample block
• This instructional PDF
• Quilt-As-You-Go Basics ebook
• PDF for making a journal cover
• Basic notes for

Watch How-Tos on YouTube

If you’ve never done piece-in-the hoop or paper piecing before, the process can seem overly complicated.

You can watch me stitch the heart from this set in the following YouTube video:

• How to Stitch Victorian Crazy Piecing In-the-Hoop
Also, please check the website for new projects using these designs as well as specials and informative blog posts. At the time of this writing, there are two blog posts on this set:
• How To Embroider Victorian Crazy Patch In-The-Hoop
• How To Make An Embroidered Journal Cover

Preliminary Notes

If you’ve done foundation or paper piecing, you’ll notice there are a few variations:

1. In paper piecing, fabric is applied to the back side of the printed pattern and the sewing is done on the printed side. When embroidering pieced blocks, all sewing is done from the fabric side.
2. In paper piecing, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go by folding back the pattern and rotary cutting. When embroidering pieced blocks, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go with double-curved appliqué scissors.

Understanding the Patterns

Each design in this set except the border has a PDF pattern sheet.

For the border, cut 22 pieces 8” x 1”; the pieces are applied from the top down.

All pattern pieces are numbered with an arrow pointing to the side that will be initially attached.

This number indicates what order the pieces will be applied.

The first piece has a reminder to place it face up; all other pieces will be placed face down (right sides together)

Exact cutting is not required but I recommend not getting too sloppy about it. The outer edges have a ½” seam allowance while all the inner seam lines are ¼”. This extra bit gives you some “fudge factor” around the outside.

There are no digital cutter files included with this set, only the PDF for hand cutting. Because of the variety of fabrics you’ll be using and the simple straight line shapes and the fact that these aren’t appliques that require precise cutting, I found it easier just to cut these pieces with a rotary cutter or scissors.

Understanding the Color Sequences

All the designs except the border sew in generally the same order:

1. A placement line is sewn that indicates the seam line for the finished blocks. This line will only be seen from the back of the project.
2. Color 2 sews a numbered guideline for the placement of all the pieces. The seam lines will be sewn directly over these lines.
3. Color 3 is an “edge guide” to help you with placing the fabrics. This line is set at a 1/4” offset from the seam lines. This is a handy reference particularly if you aren’t very precise with cutting or placing your pieces as it can tell you right away if you’re fabric isn’t going to get caught in the next seam.
4. Color 4 will tack down the first piece of fabric in the design. This piece is always placed face up.
5. Before color 5, place piece 2 face down along the indicated line. (Refer to the included pattern guide.) Color 5 sews the seam line.
6. Before color 6, flip the fabric over and finger press the fabric smooth and flat. You can hold the fabric in place with a bit of glue stick. Color 7 will sew a tack down that will get covered by subsequent pieces or be enclosed within the seam allowance.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the pieces are placed. Although I’ve set different colors in the design, I typically sew all of this first part in 1 color. The extra colors are to force the machine to stop.

It’s totally possible to stop the design at this point; all the piecing is done and your block can be used as is (exception is the heart, which requires the next to last color to stitch the appliqué).

The remainder of the design is all the decorative stitching. I’ve used a variety of colors here for flexibility. Color stops not only make it easy for you to match threads to your fabrics, they also make it easy to skip or delete areas.

Refer to the included color sequence guide for additional color information.

All seams are double pass so there is no need to use construction thread for the piecing steps. You may want to use polyester embroidery thread instead of rayon for strength.

Preparation

1. Print the pattern pieces.

Open the corresponding design PDF in Acrobat and print the full size pattern and corresponding pattern templates. Make sure Acrobat does not scale the pattern. For your convenience, a 1” square is printed on the first page of each block’s templates for easy verification.

You might want to print 2 copies: 1 for cutting and 1 for placement reference while stitching.

2. Cut your fabrics.

Loosely cut out the patterns, swipe the back with a glue stick and press it to the front of your fabric. Cut out neatly.

While absolute precision is not required, avoid getting too careless with your cutting and making the pieces too large or too small.

3. Hoop the stabilizer.

Piecing in the hoop is a floated technique. Because of all the extra embellishments, a tearaway may break down during stitching in some areas. And, since the designs are relatively open and delicate, tearaways can be difficult to remove.

On similar projects I’ve used heat fusible to hold the pieces after stitching but I didn’t for these designs.

Hooping a thin stabilizer may not be secure in your hoop. If it isn’t use some method to make sure it won’t slip. I prefer duct tape for this.

4. Stitch the placement lines.

The first 3 colors are placement guides.

Color one outlines the seam line. Use this as a reference for cutting your finished pieces. Note that after stitching it may no longer be straight due to push and pull.

Color 2 defines the stitching lines along with sequence numbers and color 3 indicates a ¼” seam allowance.

Sew these in color that won’t bleed through your fabrics but can still be seen. The numbers are within seam allowances and will be covered by several layers of fabric. Indeed, they are likely to be covered by the time you have to place the corresponding piece to having a copy of the pattern by your side as you stitch is a handy reference.

Note that none of these colors are required and can be skipped, which is why they are all separate colors.

5. Place piece 1.

On all designs in this set, piece one is placed face up. On the border design only, piece 2 is also placed at this time, face down (noted on color sequence guide)

The next color will do a zigzag tack down to secure this piece in place

6. Place piece 2.

All subsequent pieces will be aligned, placed face down, and stitched along the seam.

After stitching, the piece will be flipped over, pressed into place and then secured by a tack-down stitch via the next color.

7. Continue with the remainder of the pieces.

All remaining pieces are applied in the exact same manner: check alignment, place face down, stitch, flip, press, and tack down.

8. Sew the decorative stitches.

Once again you’ll have many color changes. Choose colors that work well with your fabrics.

Extra color changes mean more flexibility. It’s easy to skip one at the machine delete them in software.

9. Trim to size.

When the design is complete, remove from hoop, place face down on a cutting mat and trim to size using the seam reference (color 1) as a guide.

Exceptions

The first and last design have a few differences.

The first design is a heart and is finished as an appliqué. The last two colors of the design are the finishing edge around the heart. Before those colors sew, remove the hoop from the machine and trim off any fabric beyond the tack down.

The last design in the set creates the striped border. All the pieces are identical and numbered placement guide is omitted. The guides for this design are the raw edge of the seam allowance.

Because this design is simpler, pieces one and two are placed together with piece on the bottom face up and piece two on the top face down. Only the seams are stitched and are double pass as in the other blocks.

Project Notes

Full instructions are included for the journal covers.

For the quilt, I stitched all 5 of the squares, the 4 large triangles and 4 small triangles. I stitched each one through the batting.

For the borders, I stitched two hoops of the border, stitched them together on the sewing machine to form one long strip and then rotary cut them in four 1¾” strips.

The blocks were pieced together using a quilt-as-you-go method with 1” strips of sashing (½” finished) using the twin sashing strip method after adding a backing fabric to each block. See the included Quilt-As-You-Go Basics ebook for more details.

(Some items included with the set art not available with individual design purchases.)

Summary

Piecing in the hoop produces a highly consistent and accurate result provided you follow the steps precisely!

Endless or continuous hoop designs are specially digitized for creating borders and other long connected designs seamlessly. Some collections may have corner connectors included to permit easier continuous borders around a corner.

Sewing these designs is quite easy, especially when using one of the specialty hoops that are available for most home embroidery machines with a minimum 5” x 7” sewing field. This How To covers tips for getting good results with specially digitized continuous designs and an appropriate hoop.

Many embroidery programs provide tools for building continuous designs. These instructions only cover working with pre-made designs intended for this use.

Supplies

• Design specifically digitized for continuous hooping by Lindee G Embroidery
• Appropriate hoop
• General embroidery supplies
• Fabric cut into strips and pieced if necessary
• Suitable stabilizer
• Starch (optional)

Design Notes

Continuous designs are easier to align when a registration stitch is included. I’ve found a line of basting stitches in the form of a “Z” is much more accurate than a single stitch point. The Z provides more stitches to verify placement, while a single point only provides a start point that is also a pivot point allowing the design to more easily get off track.

Each continuous design has a starting Z stitch and an ending Z stitch to make perfect connections easy. Some designs may have a pair of Z stitches at each end. These registration marks are longer, set as a separate color change, with one at the beginning of the design and a second at the end of the design. These stitches are meant to be temporary and removed after the embroidery is complete.

These stitches also make it easy to combine elements in software if you have a larger sewing field. The Z stitches are set in a different color for utility reasons. A color change will force the machine to stop and it makes it easy to skip these stitches or delete them in editing software, if desired.

I usually just sew the first registration stitches using the first color of the design (color #2) and the last set of registration stitches using the last color of the design.

While these designs are intended for a specialty border hoop, they can also be used with standard hoops. With standard hoops, you’ll need to pay a little more attention to hoop and aligning.

About the Hoop

Most specialty border hoops use a clamping mechanism to allow for easy rehooping. Simply release the clamp, slide the fabric to the next place, align the needle, and sew. Due to the clamp mechanics, it’s important to understand where you can place the embroidery—and that is within a few inches of the hoop side where the clamp hinges.

Fabric Preparation

When cutting your fabric, you’ll need to allow a few extra inches at each end to allow for hooping. Depending on your project, you may want to piece strips together either before or after embroidering.

For best results, plan your design to sew from one end to the other. If you try sewing from the center out, you’ll need to mirror one half for the pattern to match.

You also need to consider how you will stabilize the fabric. On washable fabrics, starching the fabric helps tremendously. For backing, I prefer to use a softer stabilizer like fusible mesh cutaway or wash-away fiber. Crisp tearaways will be creased by the hoop making it harder to rehoop without pressing. If a tear-away is needed, slide a smaller piece under the hooped and stabilized fabric.

When using a non-fusible stabilizer, I sometimes machine baste strips of stabilizer to the fabric (using a sewing machine, not a baste in the hoop feature), especially when working on extra long pieces or strips that will require a long period to embroider.

I also like to mark guide lines on the fabric using dressmaker’s chalk to keep the design from skewing over multiple repeats. I generally draw these guides to align with the Z stitches rather than the actual design center. Test any marking aid you use to make sure it can be completely removed.

If the strip is quite long, roll the fabric around a cardboard tube and use clips or pins to secure the tail around the tube. This keeps the fabric clean and reduces additional wrinkling. It will also reduce the possibility of the fabric tails becoming caught while sewing.

Sewing

Sew from the top of the strip to the bottom. When rehooping, the bottom of the previous design needs to be just within the upper edge of the sewing field so that the Z stitches can be aligned. This means the upper edge of the hoop will be over an embroidered area, which translates to uneven hoop tension all the way around. If you are using a standard hoop, make sure it is not too tight to avoid damaging the embroidery.

You can skip the first Z on the first pattern and the last Z on the last pattern unless you plan to connect the ends to each other. When the embroidery is complete, remove the Z stitches and stabilizer.

Other Notes:

If you want to mirror designs, be sure to test first to make sure they will connect properly. Also, you may need to edit the designs to add extra registration stitches.

Detailed instructions and patterns are not included with individual design fle downloads. Please refer to the color sequence information for a basic guideline for stitching. You can print the design using any embroidery software to make a template. For a fully illustrated step-by-step tutorial formatted for printing along with actual size printable patterns, please purchase the full collection. Free instructions can be found in the following blog posts:

• One Hoop Wonder: An In-the-Hoop Zippered Accessory Bag
• How to Make a Quick & Easy ITH Mini-Zip Bag
• How to Customize A Basic In-the-Hoop Project to Make Your Own Designer Bag

HOW TO DETERMINE FABRIC SIZES FOR ANY BAG IN THIS SERIES

1. Using your embroidery software, print the design at the actual size. You’ll use this as a pattern to cut all your pieces.

2. If you don’t have any software, then stitch out color 1 on the cutaway to use as a template and add the same seam allowances.

3. I added an extra quarter inch to the sides and top and an extra half inch along the bottom for seam allowances. Precision cutting is not required, just don’t make them too small

4. The outer line is the initial placement line, and the final seam allowance is a mere 2mm inside this line so cutting them larger than I did for the photo sequence makes the final steps easier. The measurements listed here and shown on the cut-out pattern pieces to the right are sufficient and will work for the other bags that use this construction technique.

5. Batting may be cut slightly smaller than the placement lines to reduce bulk in seam allowances. Batting is only cut for the front pieces and as a single layer (not on the fold)

Echidna PIE was a series of monthly embroidery lessons based on the designs used in this quilt and was active from July 2014 through July 2015. Lessons and associated content are still available at EchidnaClub.com.au. If you’re brand new to embroidery, you may find them helpful for completing this quilt; they are not required.

These instructions are to complete the quilt and assume some basic embroidery skills. If you need more help, you can also visit LindeeGEmbroidery.com or my YouTube channel for a growing body of free content.