This vibrant southwest quilt showcases 5 machine embroidered appliqués designed digitized by Lindee Goodall. The quilt was designed, pieced and embroidered by Lindee and quilted by Barbara Angerhoffer. The central piecing is framed with a turquoise 1” border surrounded by a dark 3” border of mini Kokopelli black on brown print and finally set off with a solid black binding. Finished size is approximately 36 x 36”
Skill Level
- Basic embroidery and computer skills
- Basic quilting skills (rotary cutting, piecing, applying borders, binding)
What You’ll Learn
- How to create professional looking appliqué using precut pieces and your embroidery machine
- How to quickly make perfect half-square triangles in the hoop
What’s Included
- Designs for appliqués and two sizes of half square triangles in the hoop
- Templates for hand or machine cutting appliqués
- Instructions for machine embroidered appliqué
- Project instructions (this document). Cutting and quilt assembly diagrams are at the end.
About the Pattern
The five machine embroidered appliqué designs were originally created to fulfill a request by my friend James Raymer at Dalco Home Sew. After researching many southwest designs, I drew the artwork to represent common elements in native artwork then digitized them. I was so pleased with them (I have a southwest decor theme in my home) that I decided I’d make a wall hanging to showcase them. I designed the quilt in Adobe Illustrator and with the help of my quilter friend, Jeanette Smith, we picked fabrics. Once I started printing out the pieces at actual size, I realized just how tiny some of those little triangles were! So to maintain accuracy, I digitized a grid for sewing half-square triangles with the embroidery machine. These designs are included with this pattern.
I didn’t start out with the idea that I would publish the pattern but after numerous requests, I dug out my Illustrator files, and here we are! The yardages are approximate but on the generous side; I mostly worked from my stash and pieces contributed by Jeanette.
Now that the license agreement with Dalco has expired, the appliqués are united with the quilt pattern and half-square in-the-hoop triangles as one project.
Foolish Assumptions
This pattern provides quantities and dimensions for the individual pieces and a visual guide for assembling.
Borders
These instructions assume basic quilting and embroidery knowledge. You should know how to rotary cut, piece, apply borders, and bind a quilt. No details are provided for quilting. Details are provided for machine embroidered appliqué in a separate document.
Seam Allowance
Scant quarter inch throughout.
Seam lines marked on pattern pieces are 1/4 inch, seam lines marked on grids are scant quarter inch.
Supplies
- Fabrics for quilt and appliqué (I used all cottons)
- Embroidery threads
- Stabilizer
- Wash-away fiber stabilizer or tear away
- Temporary embroidery spray adhesive (TESA)
- Heavy duty spray starch
- Construction thread
- Batting
- Supplies for appliqué (fusible web, tacking iron)
Appliqué Embroidery
Machine embroider blocks before piecing quilt. If you haven’t done machine embroidered appliqué before or haven’t done it using precut appliqué pieces, please refer to the separate instructions PDF, Appliqué Basics.
I recommend prewashing all fabrics used for the quilt and appliqués. I also like to prep them with starch to improve stability for both embroidering and piecing. Spray the fabric but don’t saturate, turn the fabric over and press until dry with a hot dry iron. Repeat with at least two sprays on each side always pressing from the side opposite of the one you sprayed. This will force the starch into the fabric fibers making them more stable.
I prefer hooping fabric so that it is secured between the rings of the hoop with the stabilizer. If you are cutting squares of fabric and basting them to the stabilizer for embroidery, be sure to cut them at least 1” larger. Embroidery tends to distort the fabric even when properly stabilized. Hoop the stabilizer, baste in the hoop directly onto the stabilizer, then smooth down your block securing with TESA and a second basting stitch. Hoop carefully so that embroidery is centered in the block. After embroidering, remove excess stabilizer and trim block to size, keeping design centered in block.
Half Square Triangles
There are many ways to piece half square triangles. If you have a favorite method, then use that one. This wall hanging has 24 very small ones (finished size 1 1/8”) and 32 small ones (2 5/8” finished size). Handling tiny pieces can be cumbersome so you may wish to try one of the grid methods explained below.
Grid Method, Automated: Half Square Triangles in the Hoop
If you have an embroidery machine with a larger hoop, this method is fast and accurate. Two embroidery designs are included for doing half square triangles in the hoop. The smaller half square triangles (lgp01006.*) can all be done in a 5 x 7 hoop at one time. The larger blocks (lgp01007.*) require a larger hoop (175 x 175mm). Each of these has 3 color stops:
- Placement guideline for positioning fabrics in the hoop
- Fabric tack down and cut lines for quilt pieces (this is a longer running stitch)
- Seams (use regular sewing thread instead of embroidery thread
Embroidery Instructions
For stronger seams, use sewing thread instead of embroidery thread for needle and bobbin. You may also wish to adjust the tensions for a more balanced sewing type stitch rather than embroidery, where the top thread is pulled to the back. Although the entire design can be sewn in one thread color, you may find it easier to cut the pieces apart if you use a different color for the cut lines. DO NOT SCALE THE EMBROIDERY DESIGN OR IT WON’T WORK FOR THIS QUILT!
Do not scale the embroidery design or it won’t work for this quilt!
- Hoop tear away or wash-away stabilizer.
- Sew color one, placement. This placement line is slightly outside the cutting line.
- Cut two pieces of fabric to the size of the cutting line. With right sides together, TESA the two pieces, TESA one side of the fabric sandwich and smooth into place within stitched guideline. It doesn’t matter if the fabric extends beyond the line but it must at least meet the line. Color 2 can stay the same as color 1. Color 2 will zigzag tack the fabric to the stabilizer outside the cutting line. Then the cutting lines will sew. The cutting line may not entirely trace the perimeter of the design but there will be enough of an edge to align your ruler for rotary cutting.
- Color change 3 sews the seam lines. Choose a color that you would use for piecing.
- Finish sewing the design.
- Remove from hoop and use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut along stitching lines of color number change 2 (make sure not to cut the seam lines…).
- Press seams open or to one side as desired for project. Trim off points.
Half Square Triangles, Grid Method 2
Using the provided templates as a pattern, mark a grid on the wrong side of one of the fabrics you’ll be using.
Print the template pages at actual size for an accurate pattern. Acrobat may set the default Page Scaling to Shrink to Fit. Make sure to change it to None in the print dialog box.
Print on light-weight fusible tear away lightly fused to a piece of printer paper in an ink jet. Fuse pattern to back of fabric, sew on stitching lines, tear off stabilizer.
For the smaller half square triangles, the pattern will make all 24 pieces at once. Place fabric A and fabric B right sides together, sew as indicated by the dotted sewing line and then rotary cut on the solid lines. Press open and trim off points.
Use a light mist of TESA to hold the two fabrics together without shifting.
For the larger half square triangles, the pattern will make 8 blocks. Make 3 sets of color C with color D for 24 blocks. Make 1 set of color B with color C for 8 blocks. Cut, press, and trim as with the smaller blocks.
Assembling
Refer to the layout on the following pages for a visual guide to assembling the quilt.
Borders
Cut strips for inner narrow border 1 1/2” wide. Cut strips for wider border 3 1/2” wide. Measure the vertical center of the pieced top and cut the inner side borders to that length. Attach side borders. Now measure the horizontal center of the pieced top and cut the top and bottom inner border to that length and attach to top. Repeat in a similar fashion for the outer borders.
Once borders are attached, your quilt top is now ready to be quilted. After quilting, add a hanging pocket if desired, and bind. Remember to add a label!
Usage of this Pattern
You may sell sewn versions of this quilt as you wish. The copyright applies to sharing, selling, or otherwise distributing printed or digital copies of this pattern or the embroidery designs—don’t do it! You may also teach this pattern as long as each student buys their own copy of the pattern. All attempts have been made to ensure these instructions are accurate. These are the pieces I used to make the quilt shown on the cover. Never the less, no guarantees are made.
Add Borders
Grid Pattern for Small Half Square Triangles
Instructions
Layer fabric A and fabric B right sides together. Trace template onto fabric. Sew on the dotted lines. Cut on solid lines, press open, trim off points. This pattern will make all 24 of the small half square triangles.
If you print this page at actual size, the template is accurate. Measure the small squares. They should exactly 1 5/8” (1.625”).