Free Motion Embroidery Project

Since my last post I have had to put the silk quilt on hold due to birthday celebrations, guests and then the realisation that our Sunday Quilters meeting was imminent and we are going to do something with free motion machine embroidery.

So a project is in progress for that and here are the photos:

Supposing we are making a lap quilt or baby blanket from nine blocks and some are decorated with free machine embroidery while others are left with just a patterned fabric.

On the left are the materials needed.  Co-ordinating colours for the blocks, these are 12" square but the finished size will be about 9".  30" square of backing fabric and wadding.

A wooden 8" embroidery hoop to use with the free motion embroidery.

A basketful of offcuts for the applique which will be used with the embroidery.

Calico practice material not shown in this photo.



A worksheet is ready and describes how to set up the machine and gives some practice exercises.  The first exercise isn't shown here as it is just about getting used to stitching, how the tension can be adjusted and a general familiarisation exercise.

Exercise Two is shown here with examples of text, a wall, a flower and a grid.

The next exercise is about drawing with the needle and thread and colouring in.

This image also shows some more text.

Moving on to using applique shapes two methods for transferring the image to the fabric are used.

 Here a light box shines through the fabric and highlights the image underneath so that it can be drawn directly on to the fabric.

Another method is to use freezer paper.  Put the image under the freezer paper and copy it on to the dull side.  Iron the waxy side of the freezer paper to the back of the fabric and then cut around the shape before pulling off the freezer paper.

Once the appliques are cut out using either of these methods they can be auditioned on the fabric and placed where they will be stitched.

Can you see in the photo the small pieces of Steam-a-Seam attached to the back of the appliques.  It is just like Bondaweb and comes in a strip backed with paper,  Really useful for attaching small pieces or labels.

These were iron tacked on to the fabric put in the hoop and then free machine stitched as shown.

Once the blocks are embroidered using different images and shapes, according to how the lap quilt or baby blanket will be used, they will be joined together, backed with wadding and lining and finished off in the usual way.

The post for the making up stage will follow in due course.