When the phrase “machine quilting” comes up, most people think of a long arm quilting machine or doing free-motion quilting on a regular sewing machine.  However, many quilters are combining their love of embroidery and quilting, by doing their quilting in the hoop!

Get creative!  Combining embroidery on select blocks of quilt top only, in-the-hoop quilting, free-motion quilting, or any combination thereof, can really make your quilt stand out.  I do suggest, however, that your first project is smaller than a queen size quilt to boost your confidence!  It’s only a small leap from small projects to an entire quilt “in the hoop”!

Preparation:

For smaller projects, a table works great to make sure the layers are smooth and straight.  The floor, a bed, or setting folding tables together works better for larger projects.  A friend of mine and her husband are both quilting enthusiasts and he built a big folding table with folding legs that fits over the top of the bed in their guest bedroom! 

I have used two different methods for holding the layers together prior to any hooping.  One is to use basting spray and the other is to use quilters’ safety pins.  We sell both the 505® Spray and Fix and Sullivan’s® Quilt Basting Spray, both of which work really well. 

If using safety pins, I recommend using the curved safety pins and pinning the layers together about 3-4 inches apart.  This will keep the backing smooth so you don’t end up with puckers or pleats, whether doing embroidery or free-motion quilting.  If combining basting spray with pinning, pins could be further apart. 

Hoops:

Use your regular hoops or check with your dealer for other hoops that may work better for you.  Pfaff® and Husqvarna Viking® also have a “Quilter’s Hoop”.  This consists of two different sized inner hoops:  one is smaller allowing you to easily hoop fatter quilts.  Also, Pfaff® and Husqvarna Viking® currently have magnetic hoops in three different sizes:  100 x 100 mm, 180 x 130 mm, and 240 x 150 mm.  Regardless of hoop choice, it is not necessary to use stabilizer as quilts are reasonably stable and you don’t want to be picking stabilizer out of the back of your quilt!

Stitch-Out:

Remember, the embroidery unit is not strong enough to drag and push an entire quilt around while it is embroidering.  Placing thick books, boxes, or acrylic tables behind and to the side of the embroidery unit will help support the weight of the quilt (make sure you give enough room for the hoop and the arm to move).  Fluff up the quilt around the hoop into “mountains” and “valleys”.  It is easier for the unit to pull the quilt from a “mountain” than from a “valley”.  Hold the rest of the quilt in your lap and lift areas of the quilt with your arms as necessary.

The photos are of my friend quilting on her Pfaff Creative Performance sewing/embroidery machine.  The quilt was pieced by her husband on his Pfaff Creative 2.0.  What a team!