Stress-Free Quilt Piecing with Machine Embroidery
Do you love quilting and not love quilting at the same time? Quilting for non-quilters, that’s what this Sewing With Nancy program is all about. Let my guest Denise Abel and I show you how to turn your computerized embroidery machine into a quilting machine. Denise is the embroidery and quilting expert on the Sewing With Nancy team.
Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn on TV!
The piecing of the Simple Shadow Block was stitched on a stabilizer, assuring precise piecing without precise cutting of strips. You can piece a quilt without being a quilter! Denise and I developed a book with 30 embroideries, some of the embroideries are for piecing, the others for quilting! The embroideries are found on the companion CD that is included with the Stress-Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery book. Here are the specifics—it’s quite a deal!
- Four piecing quilt block designs: Simple Shadow blocks, Quilt Charm blocks, Fancy Squares blocks, and Crazy Quilting blocks.
- Six quilting designs: Leaves block, Leaves border, Flower block, Flower half, Modern Star block, and Modern Star half.
- Includes 10 designs in three sizes each for a total of 30 designs:
- 30 designs: 10 (5″ x 7″), 10 (6″ x 10″), 10 (8″ x 8″).
- Includes:
- Thread color sequence charts for each design.
- 10 embroidery formats: ART, BLF, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, SHV, VIP, VP3
- Amazing Designs Edit Xpress software to re-size, re-color, preview and print Amazing Designs collections.
How to piece a quilt block in an embroidery hoop
Listed below is an overview of the technique. There’s more detail shown on the TV show and in the book. Each quilt block design is available in three sizes. Obviously, the larger the block, the larger the embroidery hoop size is needed:
- 8″ block requires an 8″ x 8″ or larger hoop
- 6″ block requires a 6″ x 10″ or larger hoop
- 5″ block requires a 5″ x 7″ hoop or larger
- Hoop a Fusible Mesh Cut-Away Stabilizer, fusible side up. (The photos feature a 5″ block.)
- Select three fabrics: a light, medium, and dark. Cut 6-1/2″ squares of the light (white) color; then cut them in half, point to point, to create 1/2-square triangles.
- Set up the sewing machine with the embroidery unit and appropriate foot.
- Import and select the embroidery design for the Simple Shadow Blocks. (There are four other blocks to choose from!)
- Select all-purpose poly or poly/cotton thread; wind the bobbin with the same thread as used in the needle. A slightly contrasting color works best. (Now this is different! Rayon thread is usually used for embroidery but we’re piecing quilt blocks!)
- Stitch the first thread color directly on the stabilizer, the outline of the quilt block plus the numbers 1–3.
- Place the ½-square triangle of color #1 over the section marked #1—right side up. The fabric must extend beyond the stitching lines.
- Stitch the second thread color, which bastes down fabric #1.
- Align fabric strip #2 along the diagonally stitched line, right sides together. Make certain that the fabric is extending ½″ beyond the outline on the stabilizer at the upper left corner.
- Stitch the third thread color.
- Trim away the excess fabric along the previously stitched line.
- Fold up Color #2.
- Press from the folded edge and work to the opposite corner so there are no wrinkles. (Watch how we press while the hoop is still attached to the machine. Learn how to make a portable pressing surface. (Click here to view.)
- Align fabric strip #3 along the previously stitched diagonal line, right sides together. Make certain that the fabric is extending ½″ beyond the outline on the stabilizer at the upper left corner.
- Stitch the next thread color, which attaches the fabric to the stabilizer
- Trim away the excess fabric along the previously stitched line.
- Fold up fabric #3. Press from the folded edge, and work to the opposite corner.
- Then stitch the next thread color, which attaches the fabric to the stabilizer along the outer edges.
- Stitch the final thread color. This stitching gives a cutting guideline.
- Trim the block. It’s the perfect size!
There are more design options to piece with your embroidery unit. The best part is that each block is perfect in size!
Watch Stress Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery Part One on Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Leave us a comment sharing the most stressful step in the quilting process to be entered to win a copy of Stress-Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on May 14.
Bye for now,
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Mary England
I don’t have an iPad or iPhone will need to watch online, my phone doesn’t like the application. I watch the Saturday PBS program regularly.
Donna Kay
I would say the step I seem to put off is the quilting of the quilt step. I love piecing but when it get’s to the quilting part it’s a challenge. I tried doing some machine embroidery on my last quilt and it looked beautiful and I probably could have added more if I had more experience or ideas.
Diana G
Quilting the top has been my downfall, but I always try. Thanks for the give away
Christine
The most stressful step for me is the quilting part. Now that I know I can use my embroidery machine to do this part, I am interested in starting a quilt.
Vicky Smith
This is the perfect book I have been looking for and would love to have this. I really want to start utilizing my machine and sometimes afraid of where to start. This book would definitely help me to overcome my fear because of the detailed instructions. Love your show and thanks for all you do in your teaching.
Lori
I bought an embroidery machine precisely so I could quilt with it. Don’t do much embroidery. I spent so much on it that any Apple product is out of my budget for now. I will never free motion quilt as I have essential tremor and can’t maintain the hand control needed. Thanks for this book. I would love to win it but will probably buy it if I don’t. Long time fan here!!!
Kimberly Hubbard
I am new to quilting and I love all the tips! You make things simple!
Ilana
For me the most stressful parts of the process are sandwiching the layers together and the actual quilting.
Judith Marsh
The most stressful part of quilting is the precise cutting of all the little pieces. With this there is less cutting, which will be easier on the arthritis in my fingers and wrists.
Kathy Marlow
l would love to have this book and cd.
Sheila
Free motion quilting is the most stressful part of the quilt making process for me. Using the embroidery hoop sounds like a neat technique.
Deborah Richmond
Interesting concept. I haven’t done machine embroidery yet, but it’s looking more and more tempting!
Lucy
I love this idea to use the embroidery to piece a quilt. Can’t get much better than this!
Mary B
Always looking for ways to do machine quilting, any new ideas are always welcome.
Linda H
Gorgeous! What a great way for those of us who work full time to do beautiful quilting. I can get my quilt fix and make beautiful gifts without the stress of squeezing it in to limited free time!
Gayla Hill
I love the idea of being able to use my embroidery machine for piecing my quilts and doing the actual quilting. For me the hardest part of quilting is the pressing. I have the quilting in the ditch down. I would love to learn how to use my embroidery machine for quilting!
Joyce
I enjoy piecing a quilt but dread the sandwiching and quilting. This book would make all the steps in the quilting process easier.
Simone
Just made my first quilt as a gift for my daughter last Christmas–the most stressful part was making sure the piecing was accurate so it would all fit together! I’m new to machine embroidery, and I recently purchased a used machine that has machine embroidery capabilities–sounds like your suggestions of quilting in the hoop is the answer!
Debi
Just purchased a embroidery machine, this book would be so helpful……
Susan Sorrells
I love creating the quilt tops, but the actual quilting scares me to pieces! If it is a tiny quilt I am ok, but for lap sizes and on up, it takes me several days of taking deep breaths before I finally begin.
Linnie Middleton
Definitely the most stressful part of “quilting” is quilting it all together. I have tried free motion but can’t seem to get the hang of it. When I bought my embroidery machine I had no thoughts of using it for quilting my pieced tops, but the more I looked at the embroidery designs I thought how pretty some of them would be. But once again I am having trouble and this book sounds like it is just what I need, so I really would like to win it.
Dawn
I am so stressed by the time I have done the free motion quilting, that I have to put the quilt away for a while before I can finish it. I just bought an embroidery machine and this looks like something that I could really get in to.
Donna Fecteau
The most stressful part for me is anything with triangles I’m always worried that they will stretch or just not match up. This is a great idea,
Mary
I have not used my embroidery machine very much and this looks like something I could do.
Carol Lawrence
I have a couple other books such as this and enjoy them. This is a great idea for the “rug mug”. In-the-hoop quilting is so much easier and you get precise piecing. I love watching your show….keep up the good work Nancy!
BevM
I love the idea this technique. The two most stressful parts of quilting for me are selecting colors and cutting out the pieces.
Sharon Sanchez
keeping perfect points
Nancy Glisson
Points are the most difficult part for me.
Marilyn
My most stressful time is that my seams are even and that my blocks will all measure the same size and then quilting so that your fabric stays smooth. It’s a struggle to get a quilt done!
Diane C
The part of quilting that causes the most stress — the actual quilting. Love the sewing part — have about 35 tops that need to be quilted — hate the quilting part.
Michelle K
Points are most difficult for me.
Helen G.
The hardest part is the quilting. I am really not able to manipulate a large piece so I have mine sent out for that part. The rest of it, a piece of cke! I even love the cutting part! Thanks for all you do for the “sewing community.” Love your show too! Helen G.
M. D.
Choosing colors will raise my anxiety level. Making sewing mistakes and I say ‘oops’, misaligned pieces and I say ‘okay just redo it’, but looking at all the fabric choices to select just the right colors takes me hours to decide. I shop at stores where the sales women don’t mind helping me. Also as a veteran quilter, I still need your book. Thanks for this offer.
Shirley Clark
The most stressful part is figuring out the backing and how much to buy, or if I’ll have to piece it for a bigger quilt.
This looks so easy!
Connie W
The actual quilting leads me to places I do not enjoy. Why can’t these big corporate sewing machine companies design machines that are reasonably priced that get this part done and enjoyable to quilters. The space and pricing of long arms is just prohibitive in my lifetime. I know there are a few sit down quilting machines out there, but they, too, are a bit pricey. I know these companies can design affordable quilting machines. We devout quilters have to make some noise about this and maybe they will hear us!
Lynn P
The quilting over the entire top. Also it is difficult on large quilts under my sewing machine, tight fit! There are times I would like to do the quilting without my credit card!
Pandora
The most stressful part is the actual quilting of the 3 layers together. Regardless of the method I use on a home machine, the bigger the quilt, the more likely the pleat on the back side.
Joanne
I am a beginner quilter/embroiderer w/ a new (for me) Baby Lock and just finished a t-shirt quilt for my grandson. Can’t wait to start embroidering!!
Judie
The most stressful part, for me, is making sure the backing is flat after shifting the quilt sandwich over and over again. Using the embroidery machine means one works in a smaller area that will be hooped so the odds of little pleats or puckers on the back is lessened.
Pat
What a wonderful idea for piecing! Even better for quilting the sandwich. I just can’t seem to get the hang of free motion. Thanks for the chance to win.
Caroline S
Very nice,, will have to try it
Judy H
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video and seeing how easy it is to sew “accurate” seam allowances. My most difficult part of quilting is “accurate” seam allowance to allow each section to line up.
Love this technique of quilting in the hoop.
Thank you Nancy,
Lori Chvojka
just the idea of starting! I have all the stuff for free motion quilting but I am afraid to even try it! Will I break my machine? Will I mess something up? Am I ready for this? Just can’t seem to get going!!!
Kim Harrington
I love the technique! Perfection in the hoop…
Jackie
Anxious to try this method.
Bea
With this method I might actually be able to complete a beautiful quilt.
Liz Griessel
I really enjoyed the machine quilting program. will try
Edna Marks
sewing diagonal seams without stretching it. always use patterns with straight seams,
Maggi Reiter
This is THE solution for sewists like me who want to make the quilted item totally by themselves and not have to rely on paying for outside quilting. One can afford to buy the best materials and make more with this system. Kudos to you!
KayZee
For me, the most stressful part of quilting is deciding HOW to quilt the project. It stresses me when the directions say “quilt as desired”!
Cecilia Huether
Love this kind of quilting and trying to get my curage to machine quilt.
Mary Esser
This is the best way in the world to quilt. Every block is perfect.
Diane S.
This technique sounds amazing. I would like to try it.
Kathy
Thank you for the information to simplify the quilting process yet one of the most difficult aspects of this much beloved craft is the accurate piecing and especially that of corners & points
Patti P
The most stressful part of quilting to me as a beginner is just getting a plan and getting started.
Peggy Kelley
Would love to try quilting with my embroidery machine. I’m new to quilting and when I get my quilt put together, how do I finish it. Retired and limited income so this just sounds great.
Nancy Zieman
Peggy, once the quilt is quilted, you’ll trim away excess batting and backing fabric. Next, prepare and apply a binding to the quilt’s edge. I talk about finishing the quilt in this blog post: http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/quilting-2/how-to-sew-quilt-binding-2/ I hope that helps.
nancy g
Just bought myself the Ellisimo Gold and want to learn how to quilt with embroidery on it
Anne Schafroth
Quilting with embroidery? Count me in! Looks like a great process with phenomenal results!
Lorij
This book might change my thinking about machine quilting.
Carol K.
This sounds like a great technique. But the most stressful part of quilting, for me, is still mitering those corners!
Karen
I would like to try these patterns as free motion quilting as I do not have an embroidery module. Would this book work, or do you suggest another book?
Gail Beam
Using my embroidery machine to quilt would be the best way to learn to quilt.
Lynn
To me , the hardest part is selecting the different fabric colors/patterns. I love precut so from charm squares to fat quarters.
Julie Daugherty
The hardest part for me is the mitered corners. I really enjoy in the hoop projects and love the idea of doing a quilt this way.
Lori Morton
Most stressful part, is getting started! Such a FMQ chicken! lol Have done easy projects..smallll for sure…to practice practice practice! lol Am slowly learning! this book looks like I could do some really pretty quilting w?my embroidery machine! Excited to try! 🙂
christine esposito
The hardest part of quilting is getting each square squared up so this program looks like one that can solve this for me I sure hope I win!!!! thankyou Nancy!!!!!
LaDonna Alexander
The most difficult part is getting columns straight when using sashing between rows and square blocks; also free motion quilting.
Donna G.
Choosing the theme, fabric and threads!
Diana Kovacic
I love the HO HO HO table runner. Wonderful way to finsh a project quickly and accuratetly – Love It!!!!
Debra WIlson
Picking the fabric
Dot Read
As a “newbie quilter” I find so little information on the correct way to press blocks. Most magazine articles for quilting don’t tell you how to figure it out. I have also noticed that magazine patterns don’t tell you where to cut crosswise or lengthwise of the grain.,
Love quilting in the embroidery hoop. It doesn’t solve all m problems, but there seems to be less room for error.
Deborah
The most stressful part of quilting is deciding on the colors I want to use.
Bonnie
What a fascinating technique! The most stressful part of quilting for me is the actual quilting, especially free motion quilting.
Mary Wippold
I can piece pretty darn well but free motion quilting leaves me flummoxed. I’ve tried but just can’t seem to get into the groove.
Joanne B
I cannot seem to get the hang of free motion quilting. This seems to be the answer to my dilemma!
Tauna L
The hardest part is getting up the courage to start. This looks like it might be just the thing to help me take step one.
Karen Poole
I am a quilter and embroiderer and I absolutely LOVE the idea that my quilt squares are all going to be the proper size in spite of me!! Lol!! I come up with some wonky looking squares at times and wondered how in the world I got THAT using rulers! I love these embroidery quilts, sort of feels like cheating!
Christina Gonzalez
For me it is the binding of the quilt that is most stressful.
Kelly Sasman
I love this idea/way to quilt! I’ve been a quilter for a couple of decades but just got my first embroidery machine 6 months ago.
Marty
I haven’t attempted free-motion quilting by machine as I haven’t made time to practice! So, to get projects done, I just keep using my sewing machine to quilt with straight, outline or shadow lines (even graceful curves around and in some shapes) without going the free-motion route. I have an old disc-embroidery machine; after hearing of your technique with this book, I will try some of my discs for more decorative touches within my ‘straight’ line quilting.
Nancy Blanks
I love quilting and embroidery with my Bernina sewing machine, but to combine the two would be wonderful. I would truly enjoy each block coming out the correct size the first time. Thank you for the presentation.
Susan
For me, the hardest part is which design to use for a specific quilt top and then feeling confident enough to quilt that design. My “expertice” (LOL) is not up to my design choice. Would love to be able to win this to improve my quilts.
Judy G
I love In-the-Hoop sewing and embroidery and have quilted a couple of quilts entirely by machine embroidery, one with in-the-hoop embroidery designs; though I can’t say that I have ever pieced a quilt in-the-hoop. I like that Stress-Free Quilting with Machine Embroidery has options for the larger size hoops allowing larger pieced and embroidered blocks, which I have found to be hard to find. This is definitely an item that will go on my wish list.
Evelyn McGavin
Sandwiching all the layers together and getting everything flat stresses me.
Jean clark
Most stressful for me is getting started because I am guessing at how to do it. So I end up putting it off. I would love to have the knowledge so that I will sew what I dream about doing. My heart is sewing and I am pretty much a self taught sewer since the 6th grade.
Mary F
My dream is to learn to quilt! I am a sewer and have been sewing for over 35 years, so piecing fabric patterns comes easily to me, but putting the pieces all together correctly, is where I could use some help. Don’t have IPad or IPhone, so would love to receive the DVD.
Claudia DiNardo
I like this idea very much and have made a quilt this way. These designs are lovely and I’d love to try them on my embroidery machine.
Barbara Olinski
I loved watching you video it was very helpful, and looks easy, thanks for sharing these tips
Mary B.
The most stressful part of quilting for me is making sure I complete my quilt without a wavy border.
Barbara Palmatier
If you have good instructions and pictures to follow, quilting can be a lot of fun. The most stressful part of quilting with an embroidary machine is that I don’t have one. Sigh. Someday maybe.
Jeff Hernandez
The video was awesome. All the steps were explained nicely and clearly. I always face problem with quilting and get wavy borders. But now I think this will give me some relief.
Joy Gourm
It sometimes takes me longer to decide on quilting design than it does to piece the top! I love to use embroidery quilting designs to quilt but can never seem to find the one I am envisioning.
Bunny Hand
I love quilting with my embroidery machine once I force myself to start! Choosing designs and positioning my hoop are still the hardest parts.
melissa c
My hardest part of quilting is cutting rounded edges to be all the same measurement.
Karla Tschida
I have never done machine piecing in the hoop using an embroidery machine. You make it look so easy! I would like to try this technique, as I do love to quilt.
Susan
NANCY: May the Heavenly Force continue to be with you and aide in your full recovery. You are dealing with life on life’s terms with grace and courage. When you get discourage, and I’m sure you do at time, I hope all the positive blog responses and prayers keep you in your positive frame of mind that we are so use to seeing in your teaching us to sew and be creative. I’ve learned so much from you and your program and your staff. I remember your first programs.
Naveen S
Embroidering is perfect & much more attractive.