Marine designs are very popular in home decorating right now and as a former sailor stranded in the desert, I’m particularly attracted to them. I found these bold, stylized images appealing because they can be interpreted in a number of ways by the digitizer and look great in just about any color.
Also, since I’ve introduced the “It’s a Girl” quilt in 2011, I’ve had many requests for a similar quilt for boys. This “Ocean Dreams” quilt would make a great quilt for a boy of any age. Just stitch more blocks for a larger quilt. As with the It’s a Girl Quilt and the Fuzzy Wuzzy Ducky Quilt, I’ve used a quilt-as-you-go technique. It’s a Girl! quilt is all “redwork” style designs while Fuzzy Wuzzy Ducky quilt is applique combined with quilting blocks.
I used the same technique on each of these quilts that I learned in a class quite a long time ago and just adapted to machine embroidery. There are other ways to do quilt-as-you-go and after just finishing writing all these instructions, I found a new class on Craftsy, Piece by Piece: QuiltAs-You-Go Techniques with Marti Michell, that has lots of great tips and techniques that I plan to try on my next QAYG project.
You can watch a YouTube video on It’s A Girl! to get a good overview of the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWKVNQTG-74 or see all my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/LindeeGVideos.
I’ve added two motifs to the original collection and modified one of the originals to fit a 4 x 4” (100 x 100mm) sewing field, then digitized each motif in two styles: satin and bean. Finally I created a geometric quilted border to echo each of the 4 x 4” (100 x 100mm) motifs. A nautical rope frames the design. I’ve kept the quilting borders as separate designs for maximum flexibility; it’s much easier to combine designs than take them apart. Also, by keeping all the pieces separate, the designs can be easily modified for the widest range of hoop sizes and variety of uses
To make the quilt as shown, you’ll need at least a 150 x 150mm sewing field. I used the 200 x 200mm hoop with my Baby Lock Ellisimo and added the included basting box, which is 7¼” (18.4cm) square. I like to use basting boxes for placement as well as securing fabric to the stabilizer.
I’ve chosen a natural colored cotton for the light blocks, a lightweight denim for the contrast blocks, and red ticking for the sashing strips on the front. I wanted cornerstones with a single star. Since I was creating this quilt when patriotic fabrics were prominent, I thought I’d find something easily. When I didn’t, I digitized a star. It’s also included with the collection in three versions: one as just the star and a two with differently sized basting boxes for placement.
Because of the QAYG technique used, the cornerstones are not constructed in the standard manner. If you choose to have embroidered cornerstones, you can combine multiple copies of this design in your hoop leaving a few millimeters between each placement and feel confident you have enough fabric.
I found a blue and white cotton fabric that matched the denim color and looked rather like waves for the back. A busy backing fabric helps to camouflage the less-than-beautiful embroidery stitching.
These instructions are for larger hoop machines. If you have a smaller sewing field, adjust accordingly.
Please read through all the instructions before beginning this project because construction techniques vary from standard piecing techniques.
Skill Level
Basic sewing and quilting skills are required; it’s not my intention to teach you how to sew! If you’ve never pieced a quilt, and you need more instructions, please refer to a basic quilting reference or search YouTube for video how-tos.
These instructions assume that you know how to do the following tasks:
- How to piece a quilt
- How to bind a quilt
- How to combine embroidery designs in software
Just after I finished writing these instructions, I discovered Piece by Piece: Quilt-As-You-Go Techniques with Marti Michell on Craftsy. Marti, (unlike me), is a professional quilter and she shares all kinds of great tips for making these types of quilts. I highly recommend this class! I would have done a few things differently had I had this information before I started.
What You’ll Learn
- How to embroider a design without stitching through the batting
- How to quilt in the hoop
- How to assemble pre-quilted blocks using a quilt-as-you-go technique
What You’ll Need
- An embroidery machine with a minimum 200 x 200mm sewing field. This size hoop will let you sew the included basting box and make trimming to size easier. The designs can be sewn in a 150 x 150mm sewing hoop without the included basting box; just use your machine’s baste-in-hoop function to secure the layers.
- A sewing machine with a blanket stitch or blind hem stitch and multi-step zigzag stitch
- Software to combine the designs. This can be done at the machine if you don’t have software.
- Nice to have: ¼” (6mm) piecing foot; seam guide of some sort for ½” (12mm) wide seams
- Nice to have: even feed foot or walking foot for attaching sashing strips to reduce shifting between all the layers during sewing
The designs in this collection are not “split” for smaller sewing fields and the larger elements are not suitable for splitting if you have software that can do that. Instead, the designs are provided individually for you to combine as you desire. Although designs can be combined at your machine, I prefer to work in software and save the design on my computer for easy future use.
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 in yards.
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.
Fabric Requirements
Fabric for quilt and wallhanging:
I precut all my blocks to 8” (20.3cm) square and floated them in the hoop. The yardage requirements below are for that. Yardage is for both the quilt and the wall-hanging. WOF is assumed to be 40” (102cm). You can either work out what’s needed from the more exact list below or get what I purchased by guessing, which was adequate (assuming no boo-boos):
- Natural (off white) quilter’s cotton: 1 yd (light blocks)
- Medium blue denim: 2 yd (60”/152cm wide) (contrasting blocks, borders)
- Red ticking: 2½ yd (sashing & bias binding)
- Solid red: 1 yd
- Back (blue swirly fabric): 3½ yd
Quilt:
Note: I stitched all the blocks for the quilt and then decided how I wanted them arranged. I used the 4 leftover blocks for the wallhanging.
- Blocks: Precut to 8” x 8” (20.3cm x 20.3cm) and floated in larger hoops; can be hooped in smaller hoops.
- Light color: 12 blocks (¾ yd; 3 strips 8” (20.3cm) wide)
- Contrast color: 12 blocks (¾ yd; 3 strips 8” (20.3cm) wide)
- Back: 24 blocks (1⅛ yd; 5 strips 8” (20.3cm) wide)
- Sashing:
- Front (ticking): ¾ yd
- Inner: 6 strips 3” (7.6cm) wide cut into 28 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces
- Outer: 4 strips 2” (5.1cm) wide cut into 18 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces
- Back (wavy blue): ⅝ yd
- Inner: 6 strips 3” (7.6cm) wide
- 2 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces; rows are cut to size (piece as needed)
Outer sashing rows are omitted
- Cornerstones (red): ¼ yd** (front only)
- Inner: 1 strip 3” (7.6cm) wide cut into 12 2” (5.1cm) pieces
- Outer: 1 strip 2” (5.1cm) wide cut into 18 2” (5.1cm) pieces
**Above measurements assume no embroidery. If embroidering, you’ll need to add more fabric for hooping.
- Borders:
- Red borders: 4 strips 1¾” (4.4cm) wide (¼ yd)
- Blue borders: 4 strips 4” (10.6cm) wide (½ yd)
- Borders for back: 4 strips 5½” (14cm) wide (¾ yd)
- Binding (ticking):
- 2½” (6.35cm) wide bias strips pieced to circumference of the quilt plus 10” (25.4cm)
Wallhanging
- Blocks: (Precut to size and floated in larger hoops, hooped in smaller hoops)
- Light color: 2 blocks 8” x 8” (20.3cm x 20.3cm) blocks (¼ yd)
- Contrast color: 2 blocks 8” x 8” (20.3cm x 20.3cm) blocks (¼ yd)
- Back: 4 blocks (¼ yd; 1 strip 8” (20.3cm) wide
- Sashing:
- Front (ticking): ⅛ yd
- Inner: 1 strip 3” (7.6cm) wide cut into 4 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces
- Outer: 2 strips 2” (5.1cm) wide cut into 8 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces
- Back (wavy blue): ⅛ yd
- Inner: 1 strip 3” (7.6cm) wide
- 2 7¼” (18.4cm) pieces; row is cut to size
- Outer sashing rows are omitted
- Cornerstones (red): ⅛ yd** (front only)
- Inner: 1 2” x 3” (5.1cm x 7.6cm)
- Outer: 8 2” x 2” (5.1cm x 5.1cm)
**Above measurements assume no embroidery. If embroidering, you’ll need to add more fabric for hooping.
- Borders:
- Red borders: 2 strips 1¾” (4.4cm) wide (⅛ yd)
- Blue borders: 3 strips 4” (10.6cm) wide (⅜ yd)
- Borders for back: 3 strips 5½” (14cm) wide (⅝ yd)
- Binding (ticking):
- 2½” (6.35cm) wide bias strips pieced to circumference of the quilt plus 10” Supplies
- Batting—Choose one that is not too lofty; I used a fusible polyester bat for quilts (make sure the glue is water soluble; some craft battings are not).
Fusible batting is not required! I also often use Warm & Natural for quilt-asyou-go projects. I just happened to have a package of this I wanted to use up and it does reduce the chances of the back fabric accidentally folding under. One advantage of polyester batting is it will hold together with wider quilting so I didn’t need to quilt the final outer borders on my quilt.
- Wash-Away stabilizer or wash-away tear-away
- See-through mesh cutaway (Sulky Soft n Sheer)
- Optional: TESA (KK2000 or similar temporary embroidery spray adhesive)
- Tape: Cellophane or blue painter’s tape to attach backing blocks, duct tape (optional) to secure stabilizer and prevent slipping
- Basting glue (or Elmer’s School Glue will work if you have a fine tip applicator)
- Optional: narrow strips of fusible web (Steam-A-Seam II)
- Construction thread
- Embroidery thread
- White—quilting on light fabric, motif on blue
- Hemingworth China Blue (#1198) or a blue that matches the denim—quilting on denim and motif on light
- Hemingworth Pale Caramel (#1063) or a light golden color—rope border all designs
- Appropriate needles for embroidery and sewing
- Rotary cutter, ruler, mat
- Basic sewing, quilting, and embroidery supplies
I used 5 or 6 prewound white embroidery bobbins (size L) on this project. If you wish, you can wind a matching color using 60 wt. poly embroidery thread.
Fabric Preparation
I prewashed all my fabrics to shrink them before stitching. The label on the ticking said “dry clean” and I threw it in the washer and dryer anyway. Who’s going to dry clean a quilt? It came out just fine.
I starched the light colored blocks for the front quilt and the red fabric for the cornerstones. Stiffening the fabric reduces distortion when floating items in the hoop and can make lightweight fabrics more stable.
The backing blocks are fused to the batting and will be quite stiff. Don’t worry about the stiffness—it will wash out. Cut the batting into 8” x 8” (20.3cm x 20.3cm) squares and fuse to the wrong side of the backing fabric according to package instructions.If you’re not using fusible batting, starch the back squares well and use TESA to apply the batting. TESA dissipates over time so while you can prepare all your fabric squares and cut all your batting squares, don’t apply the adhesive until you’re ready to place the fabric and batting in place on the stabilizer.
Design Preparation
Because I was using a relatively large hoop (200 x 200mm), I floated my blocks to conserve fabric. I used the basting box to stitch a placement guide directly on the hooped stabilizer, then a second basting box to attach the top fabric. Next, the motif sews, after which the hoop is removed and the batting and fabric are taped into position on the back on the hoop, the basting box is sewn again, and finally the quilted border.
If your hoop is smaller than the recommended size, you’ll need to figure out what designs, if any, can be combined and how you will hoop—which factors in to how you will cut your fabric. If you have software, create square basting box just smaller than your sewing field. If your hoop is sewing field is smaller than 150mm x 150mm, you’ll only be able to sew the central motif.
To recreate the blocks for the quilt, you’ll need to combine the following designs in the following order:
1. Basting box 1 (placement guide)
2. Basting box 2, in a different color from basting box 1 (attaches front block). (Can be the same color as the motif.)
3. Center motif
4. Basting box in a different color from the center motif, but can be same color as the quilting (attaches batting and backing)
5. Quilted background (two colors)
Steps 1-3 above can be stitched in the same color thread; the color changes are just to force a stop. On a multi-needle machine, program in a stop at the appropriate times.
Embroidering
1. Securely hoop the stabilizer. If there is a chance of the backing slipping between the rings of the hoop, do something to prevent any distortion. I often use duct tape on the back, taping along the edge of the stabilizer and then wrapping it over the bottom edge of the hoop and up the sides. You can tear a strip in half lengthwise for narrower pieces. Tape strips can be used repeatedly as long as they stay sticky enough. I only had to replace the strips once for all 24 blocks.
2. Sew basting box 1.
3. Remove the hoop from the machine and center the top block over the basting lines. You may wish to hold it in place with TESA, although if it is well starched, I simply hold it in place with my fingers while the basting box sews again.
4. Return the hoop to the machine and stitch basting block 2 and the motif (color 3).
5. Remove the hoop from the machine and tape the batting and backing to the back of the hoop, batting side next to the stabilizer. You can stitch through blue painter’s tape or cellophane tape with no problems.
6. Return the hoop to the machine and stitch the rest of the design.
7. Repeat with the remaining blocks.
Make a Label
It’s always a good idea to attach a label to your quilt. Labels can be simple or fancy. Many quilters like to add a label printed on fabric sheets in an ink jet printer. That’s great for a lengthy dedication or story but for a simple label with the quilt name, my name, and the date, I like to embroider the label. This label is sewn into the binding and hand stitched along turned under edges. Sometimes I embroider the label right onto the backing of the quilt.
My favorite font for creating quilt labels is Adine Script, which is available as a BX font for convenient use in Embrilliance and Embroidery Works programs. You are creating an heirloom so let those who come in the future know who created it and when!
Trim Blocks
Using the basting line as a guide, trim and square up your blocks to 7¼” (18.4cm). Your blocks must all be the same size. Don’t cut right on the basting line. The corners of the basting boxes are likely still fairly accurate assuming minimal stitching distortion has occurred and the stabilizer has not slipped during sewing. You may notice that the sides of the basting box curve in slightly due to pull distortion. Use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to accurately cut your blocks to size.
When all your blocks are embroidered, arrange them in a pleasing way into five rows of 4 blocks.
Sashing
Sashing is applied to the right hand edge of the blocks in each row except the right-most block using a ½” (12mm) seam allowance. I chose to fold the strips in half for two reasons:
- It’s quicker because you won’t have to fold and press under the raw edge.
- It provides a slightly thicker cover over the butted seams of the batting.
Two disadvantages are that it uses slightly more fabric and with the ticking fabric I chose, it does make for rather bulky sashing strips. Grading the fabric seams would help reduce the bulk.
1. Fold each 3” x 7¼” (7.6cm x18.4cm) sashing strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press lightly. You’ll need one for the front and a second for the back.
2. Apply one sashing strip to the front and a second to the back aligning raw edges. Sew together using a ½” (12mm) seam. Press the sashing open on both sides.
Before doing all the blocks, test your seam allowance by butting up the next block and smoothing the sashing strip into place to make sure the distance from the rope border is the same on both sides of the sashing strip. If not, make any corrections now.
3. Apply sashing to the right edges of all blocks except the right-most one in each row.
Create Rows
To sew blocks together into rows, butt the raw edges together on adjacent blocks. Pin (or use basting glue) the sashing down and top stitch from the front using any stitch of your choice. I used a blanket stitch widened to 3.5 and lengthened to 3.5. Topstitch the other side of the sashing to match.
I used basting glue to tack down the sashing strips on the front and back before stitching. To make sure the back sashing strips are secured if the topstitching doesn’t catch, you can apply strips of fusible web instead of basting glue. You can cut strips from sheets or purchase it on rolls.
Attach Rows
Create the horizontal sashing strips for the inner rows by piecing the 3” (7.6cm) wide strips to the 3” (7.6cm) tall cornerstones. Press seam allowances towards the sashing to reduce bulk. The back sashing strips are not pieced (unless you need to); simply cut a piece to length. As with the blocks, attach one to the front and one to the back.
Using the same technique you used to apply sashing to the individual blocks, sew the rows together to form the center of your quilt.
Although the previous photo shows only the two blocks used in the wallhanging, creating the quilt is just a matter of creating longer rows and more of them.
Add the Borders
1. Measure the vertical center of the quilt and cut two strips of batting to that length by 6” (15.2cm) wide.
2. Butt the raw edges of the batting border to the raw edges of the batting on the quilt sides. Using a multi-step zig-zag set to the widest width (7-9mm depending on your machine), attach the two strips together.
There are products on the market piece batting strips together, which are rolls of fusible interfacing. These work great on regular batting but are difficult to apply to a fusible batting. If you’re concerned about just stitching the batting together, you can cut strips of lightweight no-show mesh cutaway and glue it in place with temporary basting glue. Allow the glue to dry before stitching. Once you press your seam allowances, your batting sections are well fused together.
3. Repeat with the top and bottom batting strips, measuring the horizontal center of the quilt and cut two strips of batting to that length by 6” (15.2cm) wide. Attach pieces to the top and bottom as before.
4. Measure the vertical center of the quilt and cut two side borders for the back to that length by 5½” (14cm) wide.
5. With the pieced sashing strips (unfolded) on top and the wide backing border underneath, sew onto each side of the quilt, using ½” (12mm) seam allowance in the same manner as the other sashing strips. Press open over the batting. You may hear this technique called “stitch and flip.”
6. Measure the horizontal center of the quilt and cut two borders for the back to that length by 5½” (14cm) wide. Cut two strips of batting to the same length and width.
7. Attach the top and bottom front and back borders to the quilt in the same manner as before and press open over the batting.
8. Continue adding borders to the front, stitching through all layers. I used a ½” (12mm) seam allowance when attaching the narrow red border to the final sashing border and ¼” (6mm) seam allowance when attaching the denim border to the red border.
9. Optional: Add any quilting to the borders. For the batting I chose, I can leave this much area unquilted. Refer to your batting to see if closer quilting is required.
10. Square up the quilt and trim off excess batting, trimming outer (denim) borders to 3” (7.6cm) wide.
11. Trim your label to size. Fold in the raw edges ¼” (6mm) on the top and left sides and press. Position it in the lower right corner on the back of the quilt. Use basting glue to hold it in place while the binding is applied. I hand stitched the folded edges when I hand stitched the binding on the back side of the quilt.
12. Apply binding. I cut my binding to 2½” (6.35cm) because the ticking fabric is thicker than standard quilting fabrics. Normally I cut bias binding to 2¼” (5.7cm) wide. I stitch it to the front and fold over to the back for hand stitching.
If you’re using a quilt weight cotton, you may want to top stitch the binding to match the sashing or stitch in the ditch to attach the binding on the back. The ticking fabric makes for a very bulky binding and it will be hard to finish in this manner.
Finishing
Your quilt is finished but it probably feels rather stiff and flat and that’s from the adhesive in the fusible batting. To make it feel more like a quilt, wash and dry it.
Be sure that all the TESA has dissipated before wetting your quilt. To force dissipate, press with a dry iron.
Summary
Making QAYG quilts does involve some slightly different construction techniques and there are other ways of assembling the blocks than the method I’ve chosen here. “Real quilters” might argue that letting an embroidery machine do the quilting is “cheating” or that using a fusible polyester batting is “wrong.” I think if an 18th century quilter could see how quickly a quilt can be made this way, she’d be blown away!
What I like best about QAYG quilts is that once it’s pieced, your almost done! No extra quilting may be necessary and you’re ready to add the borders and binding. You could make the quilt project in a weekend and that suits me just fine!
Because of the way I’ve created the designs, you can easily use them for other coordinating accessories. Embellish some pillows, curtains, or pajamas. Or maybe embroider some towels. And, due to their stylized nature, you can easily suit your own color scheme.
