Quilted in the Hoop: the Feather Fancy quilt

So your free motion quilting isn’t as great as you’d like it to be and you’re planning on making the Feather Fancy quilt. What are you going to do about it? Use the Transformation Quilting Collection to quilt it in the hoop of course!

My quilts were quilted free motion, by me. Let’s take a look at 4 different options for using designs from the Transformation Quilting Collection. For all images, click on the image to see a larger (and clearer!) version. For a tutorial on how to create each layout, be sure to read all the way to the end.

To complete your quilted in the hoop quilt you will follow 3 basic steps:

1. Piece the quilt top – with NO APPLIQUE.
2. Quilt the quilt top.
3. Add the embroidered applique to the quilted background.

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Quilted in the Hoop: Option 1

Option 1 uses the design Triangle5-6ix4. This is a 6″ square design consisting of 4 triangles, each with the long side measuring 6″. The design is stitched 25 times – 5 across and 5 down, centered on the quilt top.

Quilted in the Hoop: Option 2

Option 2 uses the design Square2-8i. This is an 8″ square design. The design is stitched 16 times – 4 across and 4 down.

Quilted in the Hoop: Option 3:

Option 3 also uses the design Square2-8i. The design is also stitched 16 times – 4 across and 4 down. But, the center 4 designs are oriented differently.

Quilted in the Hoop: Option 4:

Option 4 uses two designs, Triangle4-8ix2 and Triangle4-8i. Triangle4-8i is a triangle design, with the two short sides measuring 8″. Triangle4-8ix2 consists of 2 triangles to create a square measuring 8″ x 8″. The quilt top is oriented on-point for quilting. The square design is stitched 13 times and the triangle is stitched 8 times, twice on each side to fill in the gaps between the squares.

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How to create your Quilted in the Hoop background

Step 1: Mark the background

See the details below for the specific lines to be drawn for each option.

1. Draw the specified lines on your quilt top. Be sure to use a marking pen or pencil that is guaranteed to remove from the background fabric.
2. Center the marked background onto a piece of batting that is cut to 36″ x 36″.
3. Stitch along all marked lines using a 5mm long stitch length. This serves two purposes: first to baste the background fabric to the batting, second to make the marking lines more secure.

For best results when quilting in the hoop, the thinner the batting the better the results seem to be. My favorite batting for quilting in the hoop is Quilters Dream Orient, a gorgeous blend of bamboo, silk, Tencel and cotton.

Step 2: Stitch the quilting design

Stitch the design as many times as necessary for your chosen option.

For each hooping:

1. Load a piece of medium weight tearaway stabilizer into your hoop. My favorite is OESD Ultra Clean and Tear.
2. Load the design into your machine.
3. Loosen the top tension on your embroidery machine by about 0.5. To minimize any tension problems, use the same thread in the bobbin as you use on the top. My favorite is AURIfil Cotton Mako 50 weight.
4. Stitch color #1 directly onto the stabilizer.
5. Align the background fabric with the markings now stitched onto the stabilizer in the hoop. The 4 corners of the space you are going to quilt should align perfectly with the 4 corners of the placement line stitched onto the stabilizer.
6. Hold the background fabric in place on the stabilizer using pins.
7. Restitch color #1 to hold the background fabric firmly in place.
8. Stitch color #2 – the actual quilting.
9. Remove everything from the hoop and tear away the excess stabilizer from around the outside of the basting line stitched in step 7.

When you’re done with all of the hoopings, remove all basting lines.

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Marking the background: Option 1

Draw a vertical line down the center of the quilt top (shown in pink in the diagram above).

Draw a vertical line 3″ to the right of the center line and another vertical line 3″ to the left of the center line.

Draw 2 more vertical lines, 6″ to the right and left of the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 9″ from the center line.

Draw 2 more vertical lines, 6″ to the right and left of the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 15″ from the center line.

Draw a horizontal line across the center of the quilt top (also shown in pink in the diagram above).

Draw a horizontal line 3″ above the center line and another horizontal line 3″ below the center line.

Draw 2 more horizontal lines, 6″ above and below the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 9″ from the center line.

Draw 2 more horizontal lines, 6″ above and below the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 15″ from the center line.

Start by stitching the center “block”. Then stitch the 9 “blocks” around the center. Finally, stitch the 16 “blocks” around the outside.

While I used the design Triangle5-6ix4, you could use any of the designs that stitch out at 6″ x 6″.

Marking the background: Options 2 and 3

Options 2 and 3 are almost the same. The difference is the orientation of the 4 “blocks” in the center. For both options:

Draw a vertical line down the center of the quilt top.

Draw a vertical line 8″ to the right of the center line and another vertical line 8″ to the left of the center line.

Draw 2 more vertical lines, 8″ to the right and left of the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 16″ from the center line.

Draw a horizontal line across the center of the quilt top.

Draw a horizontal line 8″ above the center line and another horizontal line 8″ below the center line.

Draw 2 more horizontal lines, 8″ above and below the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 16″ from the center line.

For both options, start out by stitching the 4 “blocks” in the center, then follow with the 12 “blocks” around the center.  Pay attention to the orientation of the block as you are stitching it – rotate the design by 90 degrees in the hoop as necessary.

Marking the background: Option 4

This option is stitched with the background on-point.

With the background fabric on-point:

Draw a vertical line down the center of the quilt top – corner to corner (shown in pink in the diagram above).

Draw a vertical line 4″ to the right of the center line and another vertical line 4″ to the left of the center line.

Draw 2 more vertical lines, 8″ to the right and left of the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 12″ from the center line.

Draw 2 more vertical lines, 8″ to the right and left of the lines just drawn. These lines will both be 20″ from the center line.

Rotate the background fabric by 90 degrees – it will still be on-point. Repeat the markings above for the other diagonal.

Start by stitching the square “block” in the center. Then stitch the 4 square “blocks” around the center – shown in grey in the diagram above. Click on the image to see a larger (and clearer) version. Then stitch the 8 square “blocks” around the outside. Finally, stitch the 8 triangle “blocks” that fill in the gaps around the outside.

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Which is your favorite option? Leave me a comment below to let me know! There are dozens of different options possible using the designs from the Transformation Quilting Collection.