Machine Embroidery Terms: Q is for Quilting

 

With an embroidery machine, you no longer need a longarm to quilt and these tips will help! Quilting is just one more reason to love your embroidery machine. Now, instead of having to quilt your project by hand or taking it to a longarm quilter, you can quilt right in the hoop.

Choose the Right Batting

Batting is typically categorized as low loft and high loft. High loft gives a puffy appearance to quilting while lower lofts mimic aged and well-loved quilts. You can also stitch on battilizer, batting that can be used without a stabilizer. Find out more about battilizer here. Another consideration is that there is a front and back side to batting and you can read more about that here.

Magnetic Hoops Help

Bonnie demonstrating a magnetic hoop for machine embroidery.


Hooping a quilt sandwich in the traditional fashion can be a challenge. Magnetic hoops make the process much easier, especially when quilting over a large area and re-hooping multiple times. Bonnie has a great blog with a video link on everything from creating and using templates to the technique of quilting with magnetic hoops here.

Baste, Just in Case

Basting in the hoop for machine embroidery on Bonnie's Blog
 

Keeping quilting layers in the hoop can be a challenge. Adding a basting box helps to keep the stabilizer, quilt front, quilt back, and batting in place. They also show that your quilting motifs are lined up correctly.

Basting boxes are especially helpful if your layers happen to pop out of the hoop while stitching. You can see how using basting boxes can save your embroidery project when that happens in this blog.

Extend Batting and Backing

Picture of magnetic hoop being used to quilt a baby quilt on Bonnie's Blog at Sew Inspired by Bonnie

Make sure to leave extra batting and backing material all around the quilt edge. You must hoop and stitch past the quilt top edge so that the quilting stitches cover the entire top. Then, you can trim the quilt top, batting, and backing to size and add binding.

What tips do you have for quilting in the hoop?

Debbie Henry
Sew Inspired by Bonnie

 

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