Quilt In The Hoop

For a quilt in the hoop project with a finished block being 10 1/2 inches, I suggest the following.

1.       Cut the fabric to be embroidered close to 5 ½ inches as the finished block will be 5 inches. Cut your batting to 5 inches square and the back fabric to 6 inches

2.       Hoop a medium weight stabilizer (this will end up inside of the block sandwich).

3.       “Float” your top fabric and run the basting stitch around

4.       Embroider the block but stop before the final color which is the stippling

5.       Carefully remove the hoop from the machine leaving the embroidery in the hoop

6.       Turn the hoop over and lightly spray the back of the embroidery with adhesive and center the batting. Spray the batting lightly and center the back fabric

7.       Reattach the hoop to your machine

8.       Finish the final color

9.       Remove the sandwich block from the hoop and repeat the above steps with the remaining three blocks.

10.   Measure the top portion of the block and trim to 5 ½ inches if necessary being careful to not trim the back portion of the block.

11.   Sew the Top Left Block and Top Right block together, lining up corners,  using ¼ inch seam, being careful not to catch the batting or back of the block

12.   Flip the block over and carefully fold the raw fabric under ½ inch so that the raw edge is on the inside and the back is 5 inches. Using an invisible stich, whip stitch the two blocks together.

13.   Repeat the steps above with the bottom right and left blocks.

14.   Attach the top two blocks together in the same manner as above

15.   You should have a 10 ½ in  square block.

If you do not choose to make this as a quilt in the hoop design, embroider the blocks only through step four. Sew blocks together using a ¼ inch seam and quilt as desired.