Blog posts tagged with 'in the hoop'

This little treat keeper is perfect for a quick Easter gift. Stuff it with candy or jewelry or other small items. This project is fast to sew, works in a 100mm square (“4x4”) hoop, can be completed in just one hooping, and requires only minimal finishing after removing from the hoop. (All designs in this set are made the same way. Refer to the worksheet for fabric requirements and use the appropriate backing patterns.

Watch the Video There is a full video on how to make this on YouTube: ITH Easter Treat Keeper. (https://youtu.be/1pROyNEJGDU

Skill Level

Simple. Just follow the steps!

Please read through all instructions before starting your project! This project has multiple steps that must be done in a certain order

Resizing is not recommended

Getting Started

Print the worksheet. It has full instructions that will make more sense after you make just one.

Print the templates for the back panels for hand cutting or use them with your digital cutter.

What You’ll Need

• Suitable fabrics: I’ve sewn this in all felt with a clear vinyl window. Heavier felts will hold
up better than the thin “craft square” varity.
• Stabilizer: I used Sulky Tear-Easy
• Scissors used:
• Thread snips
• Heavy scissors for final trim
• Suitable embroidery threads
• Tape
• Optional: Snap for back flap (I used these)

Cutting Requirements

This project is designed for felt. Some of the filled areas may be too dense for a vinyl front. Refer to the individual worksheets for cutting requirements. Use the templates for cutting the back pieces.

Stitching:

Only the last color is visible on the back if you want a matching bobbin color. Please use colors that you like. Notice in my samples, I’ve chosen colors to work with the felt I chose. See next page for extra steps for the duck

Placement Tips:

The top guide is the top of the bottom piece, which is placed first.

The lower guide is the bottom of the top piece, which is placed second.

If you cut your pieces according to the cutting instructions and placed your front piece accurately, the perimeter of the back pieces should match the front.

Secure with tape and sew the last color

Variation For Duck

The duck uses felt appliques for the feet, which are placed after the front sews but before attaching the back:

Follow the previous steps up through #6, then insert the steps below before continuing with steps 7 and 8 as before.

• 6b. Place front duck fabric, centering in hoop. Sew rest of design up through color 8, feet placement line. Place squares over feet areas.
• 6c. Sew color 9 to attach feet. Trim around feet leaving a small margin of exposed fabric around the edge leaving the tho

Finishing

• 1. Remove from hoop and tear off stabilizer carefully right up to the design outline.
• 2. Carefully trim away the felt in the egg area to reveal the vinyl.
• 3. Trim around the outside of the design.
• 4. Optional: Add a snap to the back flaps to secured the goodies in the keeper. A tip here is to add a small piece of cutaway behind the snap to make the fabric more sturdy

Related Projects:

• In-the-Hoop Heart Candy Keeper
• Easy ITH Stuffie Bunnies
• In-the-Hoop Cuddle Bunnie

Make a quick bag to hold some cash, credit cards, your phone, or other small items. Add a vinyl pocket for your name badge securely for a convention, trade show, or travel.

Video here: How to Embroider a Basic In-the-Hoop Zippered Bag.

You can easily customize this bag to suit your needs in many simple ways:

• Make it into a convention ID holder by adding on a clear vinyl badge holder pocket on the front, as shown above on the far left.
• Add an additional pocket on the back, front, or both.

There are multiple sizes in this collection. All bags are constructed exactly the same, only the fabric dimensions vary.

Add a plain loop or one with a swivel hook for keys either on the inside or out.

Small patch pockets and loops can be sewn to the back panel before layering in the hoop during the embroidery process.

• Add an elastic loop to hold a pen (not shown).
• Configure the strap to attach wide (as shown) or centered.
• Use cording, purchased strapping, grosgrain ribbon, or make your own strap as I did for this sample
• Add a slider to the cord to make it adjustable.
• Replace the strap with a short loop with a swivel hook to attach to a belt or belt loop.

Finish the bag in the hoop and allow your machine to do all the work or finish it more traditionally by stacking the pieces and then binding the edges as you would a quilt. (The vinyl pocket made turning difficult!)

Want to add a design or personalize the front of your bag? Insert that design between colors 5 & 6.

Avoid getting too carried away and accumulating too much bulk in the hoop. The machine may have difficulties with additional lumps and bulk and makes turning right side out more difficult, especially on smaller bags.

Another construction option is how to place the front fabric and lining pieces. I cut separate linings and attached them on the back side of the hoop; this will encase the zipper and give a more professional finish.

However, you could just cut longer pieces of the same fabric (cut the front panels on the fold) and align the folded edge along the zipper tape on the front—a good time-saving tip if you’re making these in quantity.

As with most ITH projects, you’ll notice many color changes but each of these bags was stitched in just one color. Choose your colors as desired but don’t recolor as a single color in software because those color stops are necessary to stop the machine to perform various steps.

This bag has no decorative stitching or quilting and I didn’t use any batting, only fusible interfacing. If you’re after an in-the-hoop only project, then skip the pockets and use purchase strapping materials—or skip it altogether—and you’ll still have a handy zippered pouch with no other sewing required.

About These Designs

It’s relatively easy to insert other designs into this bag design. In a design with multiple color stops like these, you’ll simply add it between the appropriate color changes. In this case, that’s between colors 5 and 6. Also note the slight change in the following step-by-step embroidery instructions to avoid stitching the design through the lining.

Check out this YouTube video that shows how to edit a redwork design into a new border and insert it into a plain version of this bag. How to Extract & Edit a Design in Embrilliance Enthusiast.

In that video, which goes along with the Echidna P.I.E. series of lessons, a basic plain ITH zippered bag was customized.

Skill Level

• Basic embroidery skills with the ability to follow directions!
• Basic sewing skills if you choose to make a strap or pocket

What You’ll Learn

• How to create a lined zippered bag with no exposed seams in the lining in just one hooping
• Some simple customizing options

Requirements

This project requires a minimum 130x180mm (5x7”) sewing field. It is not intended for split hoops.

Note About Links

In some cases, links to external web sites are included for more information on a technique or product. All the links were active at the time of writing but web sites can vanish and pages can change. If a link is no longer working, please let me know and then just use a search tool to see if the information can be found elsewhere. You may also find more info on this page: LindeeGEmbroidery.com/resource-list/

Please read through all instructions before starting your project! This project, while complex, is not really difficult because the embroidery takes care of all the construction. Cut and place carefully and you’ll have a successful result!

Resizing is not recommended!

Supplies

• I worked from my stash and mostly used remnants and fat quarters of various fabrics. Actual amounts depend how many different fabrics you’re using and what options you’re adding. Use the list of fabric dimensions to determine your requirements.
• Fusible interfacing (I used Pellon 950F ShirTailor)
• 1 polyester or nylon zipper that coordinates with your fabric and is at least 7” long (2” longer than the bag’s width). DO NOT USE A METAL ZIPPER!
• Stabilizer. Sulky Soft n Sheer, washaway tearaway; Hemingworth Wash-Away water soluble or Sulky Fabri Solvy, regular tearaway. See “A Note About Stabilizers” for more details.
• Coordinating embroidery thread. Polyester embroidery thread is recommended over rayon for any seam stitching during the bag construction.

Optional: You may wish to wind a matching bobbin for the designs but the only place you’ll see bobbin thread inside the finished bag is the zipper top stitching. I used black thread in the needle and bobbin on the two black bags and orange thread in the needle and white thread in the bobbin on the bag with the orange trim. Both bobbins were prewounds.

Adhesive options:

• Cellophane tape or other tape that won’t gum up the needle when sewn through (I used painter’s tape for the photos for visibility)
• Wonder Tape (sew through, double stick washaway tape, optional)
• Elmer’s School Glue sticks are also good (works better on tearaway than wash-away)
• Small strip of fusible web to close the lining or hand stitch to close

Other/Optional

• Narrow ribbon or constructed self-fabric strip for loop
• Strap (cording, grosgrain ribbon, purchased webbing, prepared strap, or self-fabric) of desired length
• Small piece of clear, sewable vinyl for name badge pocket
• Small piece of fabric to bind top edge of vinyl
• TESA (temporary embroidery spray adhesive)
• Decorative pull or tie for the zipper tab
• Wide elastic for a pen loop
• Hardware for the optional loop: D-ring, swivel hook or other. Choose hardware size based on your strap width or adjust your strap to fit the hardware. Thinner less bulky hardware is best.

Equipment

• Embroidery machine with a minimum sewing field large enough for the design you’ve selected
• Steam iron
• Rotary cutter, ruler, mat
• Mini-iron
•  

A Note About Stabilizers

The stabilizer may or may not be hidden between the layers in this project, depending on how you place your front lining fabrics. If you use the two-piece lining method and place the lining on the back side of the hoop, the only exposed stabilizer is behind the zipper, which will be cut away.

If you choose the quicker one piece method from the front only, then the stabilizer will be exposed on the inside. Choose your stabilizer accordingly.

Wash-away tear-away: The advantages are that it’s less expensive than wash-away water soluble fiber products, it’s easier to tear out, it doesn’t shrink when you apply heat (you will need to do some pressing), and it takes better to glue stick. The disadvantages are that you can’t easily remove tape without tearing off layers of stabilizer, it’s less resistant to pins, and the product doesn’t tear cleanly.

Wash-away fiber. The advantages are that you can easily tape and remove it without damage. Also, since it’s not a tear-away, it stands up to pinning much better. You can get a tighter hold with pins than tape and pins won’t ravel out your fabric edges like tape can. The disadvantages of this stabilizer are higher cost, it must be removed by cutting or soaking, and it shrinks with pressing, which means you’ll need to remove it before pressing.

Soft n Sheer (No show mesh): This cutaway product is soft and won’t affect the feel or hand of your project. If you use the encased zipper method (linings are attached to the back of the hoop), then the only exposed stabilizer is right behind the zipper and can be easily cutaway. If you opt for the easier method, then the stabilizer will be exposed on the inside. If that will bother you, choose a different option

Tearaways: If you aren’t adding any extra designs to embellish the front, then removing the remaining stabilizer is relatively easy.

Sticky Stabilizers: There’s no good reason to use an adhesive product for this project. Sticky tearaways can make your project feel thick and stiff. Some adhesives gum the needle, which causes thread breaks. Adhesive stabilizers are more expensive.

Whatever you choose, make sure it will support the stitching, can be hooped securely without slipping, and can be removed without damaging the fabric. For example, if you’re using a dry clean only fabric, don’t use a water-soluble stabilizer.

Instruction

Find cutting chart for all sizes at the end of this PDF. The sizes listed here are for the original bag only. Assembly is identical for all bags in this set.

Cut Fabrics

It’s smart to prewash and preshrink your fabrics beforehand. Also, to get rid of any washaway stabilizer, you’ll likely have to soak or launder and dry your bag so consider that when choosing fabrics.

Cut 1 each of outer fabric, lining fabric, & interfacing:

• Front top: 6” x 2”
• Front bottom: 6” x 6.75”
•  

Any of the above can be cut from one fabric on the fold (place the fold on the 6” crosswise dimension).

Cut 1 each of outer fabric and interfacing:

• Back: 6” x 8”

Cut 1 each of lining for the back:

• Upper lining: 6” x 10” - fold wrong sides together to 6” x 5”
• Lower lining: 6” x 8” - fold wrong sides together to 6” x 4”

If you’re using thicker fabrics or are short on fabric, cut the back pieces long enough to allow one hemmed edge with total 9” tall between the two.

Optional pockets:

• Back Pocket (optional): 6” x 6.75” (or desired height + .5”) outer fabric; add another .5” in height for lining if using the lining to create a contrasting edge
• Back Pocket (option 2), folded edge pocket: Cut 1 piece 6” wide by twice the height of the desired pocket plus 1/2”
• Front Pocket: Determine the height and of your desired pocket+ .5” for outer fabric; add another .5” in height for lining if using the lining to create a contrasting edge. Width is 6”. Or, use the folded over method:Cut 1 piece 6” wide by twice the height of the desired pocket plus 1/2”.

Optional: name badge pocket:

• Vinyl pocket: 6” x 4”
• Double fold binding 6” long

It’s better to cut your pockets longer and then fine tune the placement when adding them in the hoop. Any excess can hang over the bottom edge and be trimmed off when finishing.

Strap, as seen (if constructing):

• 2” x desired length + 1/2”. If you’d like a wider strap, determine the desired finished width and multiply by 4.<?li>

Preliminaries

1. Press all fabrics and starch if desired.

Starching isn’t necessary but if you aren’t interfacing your fabrics, it can give them a little more structure for stitching. Adding body to the your fabrics will help them lay smoother in the hoop. ITH projects involve floating and layering multiple fabrics in the hoop and extra steps are needed to prevent shifting or slipping.

2. Apply interfacing to the bag front and back panels (outer fabrics).

Interfacing can give your bag more structure and more durability. It also adds some nice body to your bag and can give it a more polished look; it can also help control raveling. Don’t go too heavy nor stiff with your interfacing or your bag will be more difficult to turn.

Be sure to fuse the interfacing securely so that it won’t separate when turning the bag right side out.

3. Make the strap.

My sample bag has a simple, narrow strap attached directly to the bag with no additional hardware. A nice option here is to have something to make the strap adjustable for wearing around the neck (ID holder) or across the body. The badge holder would also work well with a cord but if you plan to also carry your phone in it, something wider is more comfortable.

Press the strip in half lengthwise. Then open the strip and press each long edge matching the raw edge to the center fold. Refold the piece and press well. Once again, starch is your friend!

Depending on your fabric and your use, you may want to add a strip of interfacing. For the orange trimmed bag, I cut a strip of stabilizer a scant quarter width of the cut fabric and butted it up to the first fold and pressed in place.

When inserting the strap directly into the bag seam, there’s no need to finish the ends.

Top stitch 1/8” from the edges starting on the side with the two folded edges.

On smaller bags, avoid stitching a bulky strap directly to the bag. Instead, add smaller attachment loops to which your longer strap can be secured.

On these bags, I kept my project simpler (and less expensive) by attaching the strap directly to the bag instead of attaching it to hardware attached to loops. However, on a longer, thicker, or bulkier strap, this may be too much to accommodate in the hoop. In this case you’ll be better off with short loops with D-rings or something similar.

4. OPTIONAL: Prepare fabric pockets.

Basic pockets are easy additions. You can make a simple folded over version or make a slightly fancier one like mine. After stitching the lining to the back pocket, I folded the lining up and over the seam allowance to have a short band of color along the top. Optionally, you could stitch in the ditch for more stability.

If you want the length of the lining to match that of the pocket front, you’ll need to cut your lining 1/2” longer for a quarter inch seam.

I didn’t apply interfacing to this back pocket.

I made my pocket taller than I really needed so I could fine tune the placement at the hoop. Any excess will just hang off the bottom and be cut off.

5. OPTIONAL: Prepare the vinyl pocket.

Stitch a piece of double fold seam binding across the top edgy of the vinyl pocket. You can make your own or use purchased premade binding. For this short straight edge, you can use either bias or straight of grain binding.

Embroidery

This bag is constructed in just one hooping! Don’t underestimate the time it takes to complete it and don’t rely on what your machine says for sewing time. You’ll need to remove the hoop and place pieces multiple times. Take your time and place pieces carefully for a successful result.

A separate color sequence PDF is included and lists the steps in these designs. Do not try to recolor ITH designs to match what you might actually be stitching. All those color stops are vital to having the machine stop when it’s time to do something. You really only need to change thread colors if you want to match a different area of your bag.

Normally the best hoop size is one just larger than the design. If you have a larger hoop, you’ll have more free space around the design to tape various elements to the stabilizer where the tape is outside the stitching area.

You may want to raise your presser foot height slightly to avoid “tripping” over various pieces and causing them to shift.

1. Hoop stabilizer securely between the rings of your hoop.

Smaller hoops are generally more secure than larger ones with long straight sides. If your stabilizer slips during stitching, you’ll experience problems. Take any necessary measures to prevent slippage.

One way is with duct tape. Tear strips in half lengthwise, apply to the back of the stabilizer along the hoop edges and wrap up and around the sides of the hoop. (I do this a lot! It’s better to be safe than sorry.)

2. Stitch color 1 for placement lines.

Color 1 sews directly onto the stabilizer only. Small indents mark the horizontal and vertical centers for assisting with precise placement of patterned fabrics. The two registration marks at the top and bottom indicate the overall bag center and the center of the main body area. These can help you if you choose to edit in another design or align fabrics.

Once you place your fabrics, these guides will no longer be visible so if you plan to use them, simply extend them onto the stabilizer with a pen. This stabilizer will be removed later so any marker will work.

3. Place the zipper.

Align the closed zipper, right side up, with the zipper tab at the right of the design making sure the metal ends are well outside the stitch line. The zipper will perfectly fit within the blank area of the stitching guides.

I prefer to keep the long extension off the top end of the zipper instead of centering the zipper over the space. That way I can use the leftover bits for other decorative purposes.

On very long zippers, I like to unzip it so that I can see the zipper tab as a visual reminder to move it into the bag area when it’s time!

I often like to apply strips of water soluble fusible Wonder Tape within the zipper placement guides to secure the zipper for stitching. Wonder Tape will hold the zipper more securely and reduce shifting.

A glue stick is another option and is more economical if a little messier. It works best when applied to the zipper tape. I also found it sticks better on the wash-away tear-away than the water soluble wash-away fiber.

If you use a glue stick, take care not to use heat, which can cause the stabilizer to fuse too securely to the zipper. While it will wash out, you’ll need to be able to open the zipper before you finish stitching and fusing too well can prevent that.

Alternatively, you can use painter’s tape or invisible tape to hold the zipper in place. Neither one will gum up the needle; the invisible tape is easier to remove without tearing stitches. Tape is hard to peel off wash-away tear-away without damaging the stabilizer but works fine on wash-away fiber or cutaway.

Notice here the tape is outside the placement lines so I can leave it there throughout the embroidery process to keep the zipper ends from interfering with the needle.

If your zipper isn’t smooth, press it before taping.

4. Stitch the zipper to the stabilizer.

Return the hoop to the machine and sew color 2, which will stitch the zipper to the stabilizer. Remove the hoop from the machine and remove the tape that could get sewn in. Trim any jump stitches if your machine didn’t trim them for you.

If you can remove the tape without disrupting the stabilizer, I recommend removing any tape that’s no longer needed as you go to keep it from becoming embedded in the project.

IMPORTANT! If your machine doesn’t have auto-trimmers, be sure to clip jump threads not only on the top, but on the bottom. You’ll need to remove the hoop to trim the bottom threads.

5. Place the front top fabric panel.

There are two ways to attach the fabric to the zippers. The method illustrated here will encase the zipper.

If you’d like a faster method, apply both the outer fabric and the lining to the front. Place the outer fabric face down and the lining face up on top of the outer fabric. If you’ve simply cut longer pieces of the same fabric, fold the fabric wrong sides together and align the folded edge along the zipper tape.

Place the top front fabric panel right side down with the raw edges aligned along the zipper tape edge on the top edge of the zipper.

You can hold the fabric in place with more Wonder Tape, regular tape, glue stick, or pins. If you use pins, either remove them as you stitch to avoid sewing over them or make sure they are out of the range of the presser foot and needle.

The next color will zigzag the raw edges of the fabric to the edge of the zipper tape and then sew the straight seam to attach the panel. This seam will be used as a fold line and the later top stitching will provide additional security.

Once this stitching is complete, remove the hoop from the machine, flip the fabric up and finger press along the seam line. I also used a mini-iron to press the seam flat. Secure the piece for stitching and stitch color 3 to top stitch the top panel next to the zipper and then tack the piece to the stabilizer.

The tack-down stitches will also provide a placement guide. The final stitching will sew just inside this stitching.

The tack-down stitches have squared corners in case you choose to complete the assembly with bound edges instead of finishing in the hoop

6. OPTIONAL: Add extra embellishments to front.

Before applying the lower front panel, you can add optional loops, decorative trims or bands.

For a hidden seam, lined finish, pay close attention to fabric placement and orientation. All outer fabrics are place on the top or front side of the hoop (needle side). All lining pieces are placed on the bottom or back of the hoop (bobbin side).

7. Repeat the process to attach the bottom panels.

Similarly to the top stop panels, place the lower panels, aligning their top edges face down, matching the fabric’s top raw edge with the bottom edge of the zipper tape. The outer piece is placed on the front of the hoop and lining is placed on bottom of the hoop.

The next color will zigzag the raw edges of the fabric to the edge of the zipper tape and then sew the straight seam to attach the panel.

8. OPTIONAL: If you’ve added your own design, do this next.

Fold down and press the front panel only and secure it in place. Stitch any custom design you’ve added.

9. Top stitch and tack bottom panels.

Flip the fabric panels down on both sides and finger press along the seam line. A miniiron is helpful here to press the seam flat. Secure the front and back pieces for stitching and stitch the next color to top stitch the lower panel next to the zipper and then tack the piece to the stabilizer.

10. Optional: Attach the top strap and loops above the zipper and staystitch.

Note: If you’re not adding any straps or loops, you can advance to the next color. If you forget, no worries—these stitches will be hidden in the final project.

The top strap can be placed anywhere along the top edge between the two outer placement marks. A double pass staystitch will run across the outline of the top panel to provide extra security for any strap or hanging loop.

Place the strap face down with the raw edges extending at least 1/4 “ beyond the tack down stitching. Secure with tape and stitch the next color.

Run the tape over the stitching line to form a “ramp” to allow the presser foot to glide more easily over the strap without “tripping” on any raised areas.

11. IMPORTANT! Open the zipper.

Unzip the zipper and move the tab to about 1” from the left tack down stitching. If you fail to do this, you won’t be able turn your bag!

12. Position and tape the front pocket, if you have one.

Place the prepared pocket, right side up making sure the bottom extends at least 1/4” below the tack down stitching. Make sure it’s straight.

13. Secure the strap.

If you’ve attached a long strap, secure it with tape to make it flat and keep it out the final seam. Avoid any extra bulk in the center of the hoop; the foot will return to the center when the design completes and can catch on high points.

Keeping any added elements as flat as possible will allow the bag back to lie as smoothly as possible.

Standard Finish

14. Layer on the outer pieces on the top (front) of the hoop.

Any back pieces (outer fabric) are placed on the front and the lining is placed on the back.

If you’re adding a back pocket, place it right down making sure the sides and bottom extend over the tack down stitch at least 1/4”.

Place the back panel right side down. If you have a directional print, make sure the intended top is placed toward the zipper.

15. Layer on the lining pieces on the bottom (back) of the hoop.

This project collection includes several in-the-hoop sewing organizer variations. Choose from a full in-the-hoop version with open quilting and tie closure for a full no-sew project or a mostly in-the-hoop with self-fabric button loop and bound edges or a combination in between!

The sample with the bound edges skips the last 2 colors of the last hooping (ITH lining) and is finished with a bias binding sewn in a more “traditional” manner. Personally, I prefer the look of bound ones rather than a turned edge, especially when bulky techniques like quilting are involved. This version also has a few other enhancements, some of which require just a few minutes of straight stitching. The double zipper pouch was made by making two of the zipper designs and varying how the pieces are assembled. Instructions are included.

The full in-the-hoop project is not at all difficult as all the intricate stitching is done by your embroidery machine. It’s a great project to use up scraps from your stash. If you need to purchase fabrics, fat quarters can get you going without a large investment in yardage.

If this is your first in-the-hoop project, I recommend starting with the easiest versions first. Once you see how I adapted the inside of the bound edge version, you can go crazy customizing your own. You can also use the plain quilted cover design to make quick organizers for other uses, not just sewing, perhaps with custom monograms for a special gift.

Featured Techniques

• In-the-Hoop Zipper
• Trapunto
• Programmed stippling and quilting

Please read all instructions before beginning!

Overview

The designs are set up so you can complete the project in the hoop by choosing to attach the front and back together in the hoop, if desired. If you plan to do that, choose a softer batting and stabilizer for the cover. Also, it is recommended that you use one of the covers with the lighter quilting rather than the stippled version.

In-the-hoop projects are great for those who don’t know how—or don’t like—to sew. Feel free to just embroider the outer section and customize the inside to suit your own needs!

Note that color changes are included on some design files simply to create a stop; please use a thread color that coordinates with your project—in most cases you can use the same color for all the color stops of both the zipper and the lining. If you are sewing on a multi-needle machine, please be aware and program your color changes accordingly.

For added durability, you may wish to sew the construction steps with a sturdier thread than Rayon embroidery thread. I didn’t do this as these areas are double stitched and often top-stitched as well so they are plenty sturdy.

If your fabrics are particularly soft and don’t have a lot of body, starching them can help make assembly easier. You may wish to lightly mist TESA onto pocket pieces to keep them in position during tack down stitching or just use a few pins or cellophane tape outside the sew lines. Do what you feel is necessary to achieve a good result.

This project requires an embroidery machine with a minimum 200 x 300mm sewing field. It is not split for smaller hoops and it is not recommended that you shrink the designs to fit a smaller hoop.

Abbreviations

• TESA - Temporary Embroidery Spray Adhesive
• ITH - In-the-Hoop

Supplies for Basic Version

• Cover with matching lining: 5/8 yd
• Inside pockets: small scraps or fat quarters

Outer cover

• 1 piece of neutral fabric for the cover (I chose a white on beige print) (10” x 14”)
• 1 piece of fusible batting, low loft batting, or fleece (8” x 12”)
• 1 9” nylon zipper to coordinate with fabric (can be longer; excess will be cut off)

Zippered pocket

From coordinating fabric cut:

• 1 piece 8.5” x 1.75” for top section
• 1 piece 8.5” x 4.5” for larger pocket section

Slotted open pockets

From coordinating fabrics cut:

• 1 piece 8.5” x 8” for front pocket section, folded in half to 8.5” x 4”
• 1 piece 8.5” x 9.5” for back pocket section, folded in half to 8.5” x 4.75”

These measurements are for pockets folded in half with the fold along the open end.

Lining fabric

For full ITH project

• 1 piece (8.5” x 6”) of coordinating fabric for upper lining piece, folded in half to 8.5” x 3”
• 1 piece (8.5” x 19.5”) of coordinating fabric for lower lining piece, folded in half to 8.5” x 9.75”

For bound edge project

• 1 piece (8.5” x 12.5”) of coordinating fabric for the cover (not folded) Stabilizer
• 1 hoop size piece cutaway • Use a heavy cutaway for outer cover for a sturdy product (may not be suitable if you plan to finish in the hoop)
• Use a no show mesh for a softer version or if planning to complete the entire project in the hoop
• Stabilizer for lining & zipper (no show mesh cutaway preferred) Other supplies
• Large button or ribbon for tied version of the project
• Short piece of gros grain ribbon, narrow fabric tube, or elastic for button loop closure
• Short piece of ribbon or cord for zipper pull, optional
• Optional: Fabric for bias binding if finishing with this method

Other Notions

• Embroidery thread
• Sewing thread
• Double stick embroidery tape
• Collins Washaway Wonder Tape
• Cellophane tape (shown in photos as gray duct tape for visibility purposes)
• Straight pins
• TESA
• Rotary cutter, ruler, cutting mat
• Basic sewing supplies Nice to Have
• Fast Turn tube turners, if making the self-fabric button loop

The Designs

This collection includes 5 design files, which are numbered in the approximate sewing order:

• lgp00401 - Fully stippled cover design with trapunto “Love to Sew” in relief on back
• lgp00402 - Simplified cover for faster sewing and easier turning
• lgp00403 - Quilted plain cover for your own customizing
• lgp00404 - ITH zipper design for zippered pockets
• lgp00405 - ITH interior to stitch all the pockets in place, button closure, and attach to outer cover

Worksheets are included for the various files in this project. Please note that the colors on the worksheets will likely not match what you see in your files. Use colors that work with your fabrics.

Instructions

Preliminaries

I’m a fan of prewashing/preshrinking fabrics before sewing. All fabrics were pre-washed and pressed before cutting for the samples shown here. I did not notice a significant difference working with starched versus unstarched pieces.

If you have multiple machines with sufficient sewing fields, you can sew the cover on one machine while working on the interior on another.

Process Overview

1. Choose finishing method (full ITH or partial) and based on that, select a suitable cover.

2. Prepare fabrics: cut and press. Press zipper smooth.

3. Embroider an outer cover.

4. Embroider ITH zipper.

5. Construct the button loop if using a self-fabric closure as shown in the samples.

6. Embroider ITH lining.

7. Attach outer cover to lining.

8. Hand sew button into place if using button closure

Step 1: Preparations

Start by choosing your finishing method. If you want a full ITH project, cover 1 with the intense stippling and trapunto’d “Love to Sew” lettering is not the best choice. Due to the heavy stitching, this cover is much harder to turn right side out. Covers 2 and 3 work best (and sew the fastest) for finishing ITH.

The second choice is to decide on a closure style. The tied sample shown here can be finished completely in the hoop with absolutely no hand sewing. The button loop shown could be replaced with a strip of elastic or ribbon.

Note when cutting fabrics that the full ITH version requires more fabric for the lining; this is due to the turning method used. Cutting, folding (as needed), and pressing all fabrics before hand will speed the sewing process. Feel free to use fabrics of your choice; quilt weight wovens work well.

Step 2/Hooping 1: Outer cover

1. If using a fusible fleece or batting, press fabric smooth and fuse batting to center of fabric using a teflon press cloth to protect your ironing surface.

Fusible batting will feel quite stiff until laundered. I used fusible on the bound edge version and polar fleece for the tied version.

2. Hoop the stabilizer and sew placement stitch directly on the stabilizer.

3. Remove hoop from machine and smooth double stick embroidery outside placement guides or pin fabric to stabilizer outside of stitching lines. Press fabric into place making sure batting extends slightly beyond the placement stitching on all sides.

4. Color 2 bastes the fabric into position; color 3 stitches the redwork, and color 4 quilting and zigzagging the outer edge. Colors 1 - 3 may be sewn with the same thread color

5. Remove from hoop and trim away excess stabilizer. Using the edge formed by the stipple stitching as a guide, trim allowing 1/2” seam allowance for ITH version or 1/4” for bound edge version. Set aside

Step 3/Hooping 2: Zipper Pocket
1. Hoop stabilizer and sew placement stitch directly on the stabilizer

2. Smooth down strips of Wonder Tape or other washaway sewable tape to hold zipper in 
place.

3. Align closed zipper right side up along sewn guidelines, extending excess zipper length 
at both ends. Zipper pull and metal end should be at least 1/2” away from any sew lines. I 
prefer to place the zipper so it opens from left to right.

4. Secure zipper in place with tape outside of sewing area over the zipper ends

5. Place the upper zipper pocket fabric right side down over the zipper aligning fabric raw 
edge just over finished zipper tape edge. (Fabric should cover zipper.)

6. Return hoop to machine and sew next color which sews seam and zigzags raw edge to 
zipper tape (next color).

7. Fold over fabric away from zipper teeth and finger press into place.

8. Sew the topstitching.

9. Repeat steps 3-6 for the opposite side of the zipper pocket.

10. Remove from hoop. Trim away stabilizer taking care not to cut any seams. Test the zipper to verify it opens and closes.

11. Close zipper and square up section so that there is 3 3/4” of fabric from folded edge of 
bottom section to bottom. Any excess on top will be trimmed off at the end.

12. Move zipper pull to center. Set aside.

Step 4: Button Loop

Choose a button and make a loop that can easily loop around the button plus 1” for 1/2” seam allowance on each end. Your loop can be made of elastic, ribbon, fabric tube, cording or whatever you desire.

To make the one shown on the sample, cut a 2” x 6.5” piece of fabric (loop will be cut to size later), fold in half lengthwise, right sides together and stitch along raw edge using a 1/4” seam allowance. Use a tube turner to quickly turn inside out. Press with seam allowance on one edge. Fold as shown (seam allowances on inside edge) and top stitch pointed end to hold in place.

Determine the vertical placement of your button loop by finding out how much of an opening you need for your button. It is better to err on the side of slightly too long than too snug!

If you prefer not to deal with a button closure, you can place a single piece of ribbon at each end or skip the closure altogether.

Step 5/Hooping 3: Caddy inside

1. Hoop stabilizer and sew placement stitch directly on the stabilizer (color 1)

2. For Full ITH version: The two notches near the top show the placement guides for the folded lining pieces.

Position the bottom section first, aligning the top folded edge with the top notches. Then place the upper section, aligning the bottom folded edge with the bottom notches. This opening will end up under the upper zipper pocket and is where you will turn your ITH project right side out.

Secure the pieces in place with pins placed well with basting guides or TESA to hold. On the right side where the top piece overlaps the bottom, take extra care to ensure that the fabric is smooth, flat and won’t trip the presser foot during tack down.

For bound version: Position 8’ x 12” lining fabric right side up and secure as needed.

3. Return the hoop to the machine and sew color 2.

Place & Stitch Open Pockets

4. Align folded edge of back pocket with notches A, aligning raw edges slightly beyond basted guide at bottom edge of the lining. (Refer to pattern guide if you have rotated the design for your machine.) You may wish to lightly TESA pockets in place.

5. Align folded edge of front pocket with notches B or as desired, aligning raw edges with basted guide at bottom edge of the lining. (Refer to pattern guide if you have rotated the design for your machine.)

Notch B is a suggested placement. As long as this pocket is shorter than the back pocket and the raw bottom edges extend to the bottom placement guide, you can adjust this pocket to suit your taste/need.

If your rear pocket raw edges do not reach to the basted guide line, either recut your fabric pockets or move the pocket down to meet the basted guide. If you choose the latter, your pocket divider stitching may extend off the top of the pocket but this is not a big deal.

6. Sew color 3 to attach pockets

Place & Stitch Zipper Pocket

Be sure zipper pull is at the 1/3 zipped point (2/3 open) point! This will make your project easier to turn and prevent the foot from getting caught on the zipper pull as it travels.

7.

Journal and book covers are quick and easy projects and are perfect for showing of your embroidery! They also make great gifts and can be customized for almost anyone of any age.

PROJECT NOTES

For these samples, I used designs from Victorian Crazy Patch in the Hoop. Related YouTube videos are available for stitching the designs and making the cover:

• How to Sew a Journal Cover
• How to Stitch Victorian Crazy Piecing In-the-Hoop

These links were correct at the time of this writing. If they don’t work, please visit my YouTube channel to locate them: https://www.youtube.com/ lindeegvideos

These covers were made for standard composition books but you can make them for just about any book by changing the measurements.

Mine are just basic covers with sleeves on the inside to secure the book covers. I’ve added a ribbon for a book mark, a narrow elastic to secure the book closed, and a wider elastic loop to hold a pen.

The inside sleeves ofer more real estate for extra pockets and personalizing. Plan for any extra embroidery because you may need to complete that before final cutting to size.

SUPPLIES

• Fabrics for project (you’ll need to determine what you need based on how many fabrics you use and how large your book is)
• Cove
• Lining
• Sleeves
• Pockets
• Interfacing. I just used Pellon ShirTailor for mine but you may want something stifer.
• ¾” wide elastic (or a fabric loop) for the pen holder (~2½” or circumference of your pen plus ⅝”)
• ¼” wide elastic to hold the journal closed (height of book + 1”)
• Ribbon for book mark (about 3” longer than height of book)
• Optional: charm for bottom of ribbon
• Basic sewing supplies

START BY MEASURING

You’ll need several measurements:

• Height of your book cover
• Width of book measured around the circumference of the closed book from front edge around the spine to the back edge (not a full circumference)

This book is 9¾” tall by 15½” wide. Add 1” to both the height and width for your cutting size. Cut one piece for the cover and a second one for the lining.

Although we’ll only be using ¼” seams, we’ll need a little extra room for ease. When cutting the front cover fabric, I added a 2” extension to the right side for hooping and an extra ½” on the other sides for squaring up after stitching.

• Inside sleeve depth, which will depend somewhat on how wide your book can open and how thick your book is. The wider your sleeves, the more difcult it will be to get the cover on your book. Also, you need at least a 3” space between the sleeves along the spine to turn the project right side out. (More if your fabrics are thick or heavily interfaced.)

I cut my sleeves to 14” wide by 10¾” tall. Fold each sleeve in half, wrong sides together for a 7” x 10¾ size, then edge stitch along the folded edge.

INTERFACING

While not strictly required, interfacing will make your project look more professional by adding structure and will help it wear longer.

Fusible interfacings are easy to use. Be sure to follow the pressing directions included with your project.

I interfaced the outer cover with Pellon ShirTailor, which is a medium light interfacing, before embroidering. I also interfaced the lining piece and one side of each sleeve. I didn’t interface any of my pockets.

The striped pocket was cut 10” wide and folded just like the sleeve and top stitched along the edge. The top pocket is narrower and was stitched to the striped pocket to form several smaller pockets. (Pockets weren’t interfaced.)

On other journal covers, I’ve just placed one small pocket for business cards. Consider making a larger, clear vinyl pocket for an ID pocket if you’re making a cover for a student.

PREPARING TO SEW

Cut all your pieces to size, interfacing as desired. As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to complete any embroidery before cutting to make sure you have enough fabric for proper hooping. Also, embroidery can distort your fabric so having extra fabric to square up is a good idea.

Sleeves and long pockets are folded in half right sides together and edge stitched along fold. Attach any pockets to the sleeve panels.

Patch pockets are edge stitched in place. Pockets that extend into the seam allowances can be stay-stitched into place.

If you want curved corners, use your book to trace the corners in place. Remember to trace them on the seam line and not just around the book itself.

ASSEMBLING

When I took these step-by-step photos, I was working from the front cover. However, in the video, you’ll see me working from the lining side.

Working from the lining side seems a little easier because you are layering all the elements face up with only the outer cover face down. Plus, you can do all the stay stitching in just one pass. It really makes no diference to the fnal project which way you work.

STAY STITCHING

Stay stitching is another thing the pros do to reinforce various areas that are likely to get more abuse, such as the bookmark ribbon, elastics and pockets.

Stay stitching is done within the seam allowance. On the ribbon and elastics, I stitched forward, back and then forward again for extra security. On the pockets I just stitched them down once Stay stitching in this manner has the added beneft of holding everything in place when you have so many layers to stitch through.

Place your ribbon pretty side face down if applying to the front, face up if working from the lining side.

I only inserted one piece of elastic to hold the book closed. However, you could add a second to the back and then use the elastics to hold the book open to a specifc page.

Finally, layer on the lining, face down and then stitch around the outside edge using a ¼” seam allowance, leaving an opening on the bottom edge between the sleeves for turning.

Trim the corner seam allowances to reduce bulk. Turn right side out through the opening, taking care to push out the corners smoothly. Press well, tucking in the seam allowances at the opening; edge stitch closed.

WHOOPS!

Did your sleeves or pockets end up on the outside instead of the inside? Don’t panic! This can happen during turning. Simply flip them over to the inside.

OPTIONAL

Add a small charm or bead or just tie a knot at the end of the ribbon.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

Now all we need to do is dress our book. Fold back the covers and slide them into the sleeves, then pull on the cover.

NOW THAT YOU’VE MADE ONE, MAKE ANOTHER!

Once you’ve got your measurements worked out, making multiples for books of the same size is pretty speedy.

Having an embroidery machine along with some basic sewing skills makes it easy to make a gift stash so that you always have some little something on hand. Finger tip towels, kitchen towels, and journal covers are perfect for stocking that stash because they’re small, quick and easy to make, and can appeal to a wide range of people without having to deal with sizes!

Piecing in the hoop replicates the process of foundation piecing, also known as paper piecing. If you’ve done foundation piecing with the sewing machine, you will immediately grasp the concept. While a little more intensive than regular embroidery, this technique really only requires attention to detail.

Use the patterns to pre-cut all your pieces. You can spray templates with TESA, swipe with a glue stick, or print on fusible paper and apply to the front of your fabric pieces for cutting. Be sure to keep the pattern piece attached until ready to place the fabric in the hoop to avoid using the wrong piece.

Skill Level

Basic embroidery and rotary cutting skills

All squares finish the same even though their dimensions may vary slightly due to some stitching lines extending beyond the finished seam line. Similarly, all small triangles finish to the same size and large triangles are the same size.

What You’ll Need

• Suitable fabrics for blocks, pre-washed and pressed (Tip: If fabrics are especially soft, starching can reduce distortion when stitching.)
• Printed block patterns and templates
• Rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and mat
• TESA (Temporary embroidery spray adhesive) or water-soluble fabric glue stick
• Stabilizer—I used Sulky Soft n Sheer. You’ll be using heat to press the pieces in place and water-soluble fiber stabilizers can shrink with heat.
• Appliqué tacking iron
• Double curve appliqué scissors
• An embroidery machine with a minimum sewing field of 5.75” x 5.75” for the blocks

What’s Included with the Collection

• Twenty-two designs digitized for piecing in the hoop
• Full size patterns and templates for each block
• Color sequence PDF with images of sample block
• This instructional PDF
• Quilt-As-You-Go Basics ebook
• PDF for making a journal cover
• Basic notes for

Watch How-Tos on YouTube

If you’ve never done piece-in-the hoop or paper piecing before, the process can seem overly complicated.

You can watch me stitch the heart from this set in the following YouTube video:

• How to Stitch Victorian Crazy Piecing In-the-Hoop
Also, please check the website for new projects using these designs as well as specials and informative blog posts. At the time of this writing, there are two blog posts on this set:
• How To Embroider Victorian Crazy Patch In-The-Hoop
• How To Make An Embroidered Journal Cover

Preliminary Notes

If you’ve done foundation or paper piecing, you’ll notice there are a few variations:

1. In paper piecing, fabric is applied to the back side of the printed pattern and the sewing is done on the printed side. When embroidering pieced blocks, all sewing is done from the fabric side.
2. In paper piecing, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go by folding back the pattern and rotary cutting. When embroidering pieced blocks, excess fabric is trimmed off as you go with double-curved appliqué scissors.

Understanding the Patterns

Each design in this set except the border has a PDF pattern sheet.

For the border, cut 22 pieces 8” x 1”; the pieces are applied from the top down.

All pattern pieces are numbered with an arrow pointing to the side that will be initially attached.

This number indicates what order the pieces will be applied.

The first piece has a reminder to place it face up; all other pieces will be placed face down (right sides together)

Exact cutting is not required but I recommend not getting too sloppy about it. The outer edges have a ½” seam allowance while all the inner seam lines are ¼”. This extra bit gives you some “fudge factor” around the outside.

There are no digital cutter files included with this set, only the PDF for hand cutting. Because of the variety of fabrics you’ll be using and the simple straight line shapes and the fact that these aren’t appliques that require precise cutting, I found it easier just to cut these pieces with a rotary cutter or scissors.

Understanding the Color Sequences

All the designs except the border sew in generally the same order:

1. A placement line is sewn that indicates the seam line for the finished blocks. This line will only be seen from the back of the project.
2. Color 2 sews a numbered guideline for the placement of all the pieces. The seam lines will be sewn directly over these lines.
3. Color 3 is an “edge guide” to help you with placing the fabrics. This line is set at a 1/4” offset from the seam lines. This is a handy reference particularly if you aren’t very precise with cutting or placing your pieces as it can tell you right away if you’re fabric isn’t going to get caught in the next seam.
4. Color 4 will tack down the first piece of fabric in the design. This piece is always placed face up.
5. Before color 5, place piece 2 face down along the indicated line. (Refer to the included pattern guide.) Color 5 sews the seam line.
6. Before color 6, flip the fabric over and finger press the fabric smooth and flat. You can hold the fabric in place with a bit of glue stick. Color 7 will sew a tack down that will get covered by subsequent pieces or be enclosed within the seam allowance.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the pieces are placed. Although I’ve set different colors in the design, I typically sew all of this first part in 1 color. The extra colors are to force the machine to stop.

It’s totally possible to stop the design at this point; all the piecing is done and your block can be used as is (exception is the heart, which requires the next to last color to stitch the appliqué).

The remainder of the design is all the decorative stitching. I’ve used a variety of colors here for flexibility. Color stops not only make it easy for you to match threads to your fabrics, they also make it easy to skip or delete areas.

Refer to the included color sequence guide for additional color information.

All seams are double pass so there is no need to use construction thread for the piecing steps. You may want to use polyester embroidery thread instead of rayon for strength.

Preparation

1. Print the pattern pieces.

Open the corresponding design PDF in Acrobat and print the full size pattern and corresponding pattern templates. Make sure Acrobat does not scale the pattern. For your convenience, a 1” square is printed on the first page of each block’s templates for easy verification.

You might want to print 2 copies: 1 for cutting and 1 for placement reference while stitching.

2. Cut your fabrics.

Loosely cut out the patterns, swipe the back with a glue stick and press it to the front of your fabric. Cut out neatly.

While absolute precision is not required, avoid getting too careless with your cutting and making the pieces too large or too small.

3. Hoop the stabilizer.

Piecing in the hoop is a floated technique. Because of all the extra embellishments, a tearaway may break down during stitching in some areas. And, since the designs are relatively open and delicate, tearaways can be difficult to remove.

On similar projects I’ve used heat fusible to hold the pieces after stitching but I didn’t for these designs.

Hooping a thin stabilizer may not be secure in your hoop. If it isn’t use some method to make sure it won’t slip. I prefer duct tape for this.

4. Stitch the placement lines.

The first 3 colors are placement guides.

Color one outlines the seam line. Use this as a reference for cutting your finished pieces. Note that after stitching it may no longer be straight due to push and pull.

Color 2 defines the stitching lines along with sequence numbers and color 3 indicates a ¼” seam allowance.

Sew these in color that won’t bleed through your fabrics but can still be seen. The numbers are within seam allowances and will be covered by several layers of fabric. Indeed, they are likely to be covered by the time you have to place the corresponding piece to having a copy of the pattern by your side as you stitch is a handy reference.

Note that none of these colors are required and can be skipped, which is why they are all separate colors.

5. Place piece 1.

On all designs in this set, piece one is placed face up. On the border design only, piece 2 is also placed at this time, face down (noted on color sequence guide)

The next color will do a zigzag tack down to secure this piece in place

6. Place piece 2.

All subsequent pieces will be aligned, placed face down, and stitched along the seam.

After stitching, the piece will be flipped over, pressed into place and then secured by a tack-down stitch via the next color.

7. Continue with the remainder of the pieces.

All remaining pieces are applied in the exact same manner: check alignment, place face down, stitch, flip, press, and tack down.

8. Sew the decorative stitches.

Once again you’ll have many color changes. Choose colors that work well with your fabrics.

Extra color changes mean more flexibility. It’s easy to skip one at the machine delete them in software.

9. Trim to size.

When the design is complete, remove from hoop, place face down on a cutting mat and trim to size using the seam reference (color 1) as a guide.

Exceptions

The first and last design have a few differences.

The first design is a heart and is finished as an appliqué. The last two colors of the design are the finishing edge around the heart. Before those colors sew, remove the hoop from the machine and trim off any fabric beyond the tack down.

The last design in the set creates the striped border. All the pieces are identical and numbered placement guide is omitted. The guides for this design are the raw edge of the seam allowance.

Because this design is simpler, pieces one and two are placed together with piece on the bottom face up and piece two on the top face down. Only the seams are stitched and are double pass as in the other blocks.

Project Notes

Full instructions are included for the journal covers.

For the quilt, I stitched all 5 of the squares, the 4 large triangles and 4 small triangles. I stitched each one through the batting.

For the borders, I stitched two hoops of the border, stitched them together on the sewing machine to form one long strip and then rotary cut them in four 1¾” strips.

The blocks were pieced together using a quilt-as-you-go method with 1” strips of sashing (½” finished) using the twin sashing strip method after adding a backing fabric to each block. See the included Quilt-As-You-Go Basics ebook for more details.

(Some items included with the set art not available with individual design purchases.)

Summary

Piecing in the hoop produces a highly consistent and accurate result provided you follow the steps precisely!

Detailed instructions and patterns are not included with individual design fle downloads. Please refer to the color sequence information for a basic guideline for stitching. You can print the design using any embroidery software to make a template. For a fully illustrated step-by-step tutorial formatted for printing along with actual size printable patterns, please purchase the full collection. Free instructions can be found in the following blog posts:

• One Hoop Wonder: An In-the-Hoop Zippered Accessory Bag
• How to Make a Quick & Easy ITH Mini-Zip Bag
• How to Customize A Basic In-the-Hoop Project to Make Your Own Designer Bag

HOW TO DETERMINE FABRIC SIZES FOR ANY BAG IN THIS SERIES

1. Using your embroidery software, print the design at the actual size. You’ll use this as a pattern to cut all your pieces.

2. If you don’t have any software, then stitch out color 1 on the cutaway to use as a template and add the same seam allowances.

3. I added an extra quarter inch to the sides and top and an extra half inch along the bottom for seam allowances. Precision cutting is not required, just don’t make them too small

4. The outer line is the initial placement line, and the final seam allowance is a mere 2mm inside this line so cutting them larger than I did for the photo sequence makes the final steps easier. The measurements listed here and shown on the cut-out pattern pieces to the right are sufficient and will work for the other bags that use this construction technique.

5. Batting may be cut slightly smaller than the placement lines to reduce bulk in seam allowances. Batting is only cut for the front pieces and as a single layer (not on the fold)

Appliqué is a very versatile machine embroidery technique. Creating free-standing ornaments is fun and easy!

Skill Level

These instructions assume that you already know how to work with templates printed on fusible tearaway, a method I use most often for machine embroidered appliqué. If you’ve never used this technique, detailed instructions are included in the Appliqué Basics pdf that is included with most Lindee G Embroidery appliqué collections

What You’ll Learn

• How to use simple yet creative techniques to expand your embroidery options
• How to make double-sided free-standing designs with appliqués

Selecting a Design

This technique works best when the satin cover stitching that finishes the appliqué sews last, as it so happens in the gingerbread designs on Gingery Christmas. There are 4 small ginger cookie appliqué designs and 4 larger ones that work well with these instructions.

You’ll also want to select a design that does not have any stitching extending beyond the fabric appliqué area. If you’re using the “bitten cookie” versions, the crumbs will be lost during the finishing process.

If you are using other appliqué designs, you may want to resequence some stitching or wind matching bobbins for each color change in your design so that the back looks as good as the front.

What You’ll Need

• Small scraps of fabric for front and back of appliqué
• Cutaway stabilizer (medium to heavy weight)
• Washaway stabilizer (fiber, not film)
• Light-weight tearaway stabilizer for printing templates
• Double-stick (pressure sensitive) fusible web for appliqué (Steam-A-Seam II or Pellon Easy Steam II)
• 6-8” piece of ribbon for hanger
• Cellophane tape
• Small gingerman design from Gingery Christmas by Lindee G Embroidery with templates
• Suitable embroidery threads
• Regular embroidery bobbin thread
• Bobbin of matching thread for the outer gingerbread color (last color in these designs)
• Temporary embroidery spray adhesive (“TESA”)

Print templates onto fusible tearaway and loosely cut around shapes to separate. (See technique in the Appliqué Basics instructions if aren’t familiar with this process.)

Fuse a piece of cutaway to the back of each piece of appliqué fabric using fusible web. Press one template to front of one fabric and one to cutaway of other fabric to make a reversible ornament.

While the cutaway isn’t strictly necessary, it adds extra body and dimension to the design.

Cut out appliqués just to the outside edge of the pattern lines

Hoop 2 pieces of washaway stabilizer. Sew first color of design (outline).

Fold a loop of ribbon in half, place cut edges within top outline about 1/2”. Tape in place out of range of needle.

Spray back of top piece with TESA. Remove template from piece and position in hoop within outline.

Inspect the design to see if any areas extend beyond the tack down and trim off.

Don’t sew last color! The last color attaches the back of the ornament.

Remove the hoop from machine. Spray cutaway side of back appliqué with TESA, remove paper template, position appliqué in place, reset the hoop, replace the bobbin with the matching thread, and sew last color.

Trim off excess stabilizer close to the stitching. Remove remaining bits with damp paint brush or sponge. It is not necessary to soak out the remaining stabilizer