Today’s Topic: Three Simple Ways to Quilt Embroidered Blocks
Welcome to Week Twenty Six (Bonus Material) of The Better Machine Quilt-a-long based on my book 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.
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Good Morning, Quilters!
Today we have a little bonus material that was not included in 25 Days to Better Machine Quilting.
Sadly, due to editorial constraints, these samples and this material was not included in the book. But that’s one of the joys of writing a blog….there’s always room for more!
Embroidered Blocks
Embroidery has been popular for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. So whether you have a few vintage blocks from your grandmother, or you are creating one of the fabulous designs programmed into your dedicated embroidery machine, don’t be afraid to use embroidered blocks in your quilts!
The blocks shown here were stitched by hand by my daughter, Olivia. She used patterns from the book Lunch Hour Embroidery.
The book is full of adorable designs and includes an excellent reference chapter with diagrams on how to create a variety of stitches.
Quilt Embroidered Blocks
Just like applique blocks, it’s important that the embroidery gets top billing and is The Star of the Show.
The machine quilting can try out for Best Supporting Actor/Actress.
Add a Simple Frame
One of the simplest ways to quilt embroidered blocks is to add a frame around the embroidery with machine quilting.
The frame can be any shape. A circle, square, or diamond often works well. But also consider a shape that tells something about the embroidery–perhaps a lemonade pitcher would have worked for the embroidery above.
Whatever shape you choose–it can then be created by stitching a simple line or more embellished. For example the square above was created using the pearl motif.
Quilted Details
If the embroidery is a large design, it may be helpful to quilt within the embroidery design. Simple outlining works well, or add a few details to enhance the design.
Density Frame/Pop
Another way to add interest to the embroidery is to frame the pattern and then quilt densely around the frame. This draws your eye into the embroidery. Add a few more quilted details if it suits the design.
Thread
In all of these samples, I used lightweight thread to match the background fabric. This helps keep the embroidery in focus, and the quilting in the background.
Background
As much as I love machine quilting, it is important to remember that sometimes its most important job is to play a supporting role.
(Thank you, Olivia for playing Best Supporting Embroiderer!)
As they say, it’s teamwork that makes the dreamwork!
Happy Stitching–embroidery or quilting, star or support!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thank you!
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