Quilting and Embroidery

Combining quilting and embroidery is actually combining the best of both worlds. By adding embroidery to a quilt, a wall hanging or a quilted project, you take it from ”ho hum” to the “oh my, isn’t that wonderful” type of project where everyone wants to know how you ever created such a wonderful project. However, to successfully combine quilting and embroidery there are some basic rules to follow. You don’t have to follow them slavishly, but be aware of some of the things that may happen when you embroider on fabric for quilts or quilt squares.

1. When you embroider on fabric, you may start out with a six-inch or four-inch quilting square, but when you have completed the embroidery, because of the push/pull of the fabric, your finished size may be 5.75 inches by 5.75 inches or even less. To prevent this from happening, always cut your quilting square larger than the size of the square, embroider your design or designs on the square; press and straighten the square and then cut the square out to the correct size, centering the design in the square.

2. Embroidery must be stabilized, especially if you are embroidering on cotton. Use either a good quality tear-away stabilizer for the design, removing all of the tear-away from the back of the design or use a cut-away such as polymesh. Do not use iron-on polymesh, but rather baste the stabilizer to the fabric. Cut the stabilizer to the same size as the fabric and do not cut away any of the stabilizer, simply leave it as part of the completed design. (Do not use a heavy cutaway if you use this technique as it will add too much weight – one layer of polymesh is sufficient).

3. For a quilted effect around the design, cut out your square of fabric, cut out a piece of lightweight quilt batting the size of the square, and use a layer of polymesh backing (see #2) on the bottom of this “sandwich”. Once the design is embroidered, the quilt backing will “puff out” around the design.

4. Combine a quilted embroidery outline design with an embroidered design. There are several designs available for background quilting or stippling (Elsa has a free stippling design that can be used). Embroider the background quilting designs or stippling on the fabric, following up with the embroidery design – again another unique look. You could also use the same background quilting design on the border or sashing of your quilt to match that used in the design.

Tips & Hints:

If you are using a background design larger than the size of your hoop, create a custom hoop in Embird the size of your embroidery square, bring in the quilting design or designs you will be using, duplicating and moving these designs until you have a suitable background design. Using a three-position hoop or multi-hooping by adding alignment lines, save the design sections for your hoop size. Print a template of the complete design, lay it on your fabric and use this template for placement of the first design, using alignment lines to line up any remaining design sections that need to be multi-hooped.

These are just a few of many, many ways you can combine quilting and embroidery – and remember quilting isn’t just quilts! There are table mats, table runners, wall hangings, quilted tote bags, coasters – and the list could go on and on – use your imagination and combine something gorgeous using quilting and embroidery!