Quilting Tutorials

Beautiful Classic Floral Spray - Machine Embroidery Design

2019-01-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

Watch this design come to life on your fabric canvas. This gorgeous design has been thoughtfully digitized so that your stitch-out only requires you to thread each color once. Additionally, you will receive exact color numbers used, but more importantly, you will receive instructions on how to confidently choose your own thread palette from your existing stash of machine embroidery thread. We are sure you will enjoy the process of watching this design come to life before your eyes. The design fits a 5x7 hoop, in “landscape” position. The actual design is about 4 ½” x 5 ½”.

ITH - Quilted Christmas Wallhanging

2018-12-09T18:38:00.001-05:00

Click here for the machine embroidery files and instructions

This machine quilted in the hoop machine embroidery design is a quick and fun project to make for Christmas gifts. My children's teachers were thrilled with them! It is also a great use of small pieces of fabric, batting, and stabilizer. Instructions are written such that even a beginner can make it.

The embroidery files have block sizes ranging from 4" to 9.5" so you can make as small or as large as you want. The smaller one looks great as a "bell pull." Available in multiple machine formats and hoop sizes - all in the same download. Click here to see them

To Grandmother's House We Go - a free quilt pattern

2018-03-25T18:51:00.002-04:00

Click here for the free quilt pattern

This quilt is a take on little red riding hood. I just think it is adorable for girls of any age! This is a great opportunity to learn flying geese. There is a little applique, for those who just want to get their toes wet, and the rest is traditional piecing. It is definitely a great opportunity to use up some of those fabric scraps! Windham Fabrics has provided this free quilt pattern.

A finish - Customer Quilt - Going Batty

2018-03-12T13:38:00.002-04:00

I have a customer who is a member of a Spelunking group. What is spelunking? It is for people who actually enjoy crawling around in caves and other dark crevices in the earth. I will stick to quilting and an occasional hike in wide open spaces.

Anyway, every year a group of Spelunkers gets together and they part of their activities is a silent auction. She always makes a quilt for the auction and this is the current year's installment.

Typically, her quilts for this event include bats in the fabric and I believe the last couple of years the quilting was a design that included bats. This year, I felt like the design of the quilt was calling for a geometric quilting design. At first, I was leaning towards squares/lines....then the circles changed my mind. I landed on this circular "bubbles" all-over design.

Do you have a quilt that needs finishing? I would love the opportunity to quilt for you. Please e-mail me:
michele.hester@gmail.com

A lesson in Values - free quilt pattern

2018-02-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE QUILT PATTERN

This quilt is a great one to learn about the use of color value in quilt-making. It is also a great use of scraps.

The designer gives instructions for block sizes from 12 to 28-inches.....with a 28-inch quilt square, you will have a finished quilt top in no time at all!

Free Floral Animal Collage quilt

2018-02-01T23:50:00.000-05:00

click here for the free quilt pattern

Have you made a collage quilt yet? I haven't, but I definitely want to do so. I was happy to run across this free floral animal collage quilt pattern. Going on my must-make list.

Charm Square Quilt Pattern - Free

2018-01-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE CHARM SQUARE QUILT PATTERN

Whenever I look at a quilt and have a hard time figuring out where the square units are, I always think it has got to be a difficult quilt. Most of the time they are not though.....as is the case with this beauty.

This pattern utilizes charm packs and 2 background colors in yardage.....so even picking your fabrics is easy! The designer gives great strip cutting and chain piecing instructions that make this quilt a breeze.

Free Quilted Bag Pattern

2018-01-11T23:41:00.000-05:00

click here for the free quilted bag pattern

Ambrosia Bag by Amanda Murphy This complimentary bag design features fabrics in the "Ambrosia" collection by Amanda Murphy for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It is a great way to practice your free-motion quilting!

Free Kim Diehl inspired quilt pattern

2018-01-04T23:27:00.000-05:00

click here for the free quilt pattern

Who doesn't love a good Kim Diehl quilt pattern? This one is made with Asian-inspired fabrics - something I don't think I would have thought of for a Kim Diehl pattern....usually made with civil war era fabric prints.

Beautiful free quilt pattern

2017-12-28T20:27:00.000-05:00

Click here for the free quilt pattern

I think this quilt is beautiful. I like the depth that the borders add to it.

It was originally posted as a mystery quilt, but that was some time ago, so all the "pieces" of the puzzle are posted and you don't have to do it as a mystery.

It is interesting to note that this quilt is actually set on point, even though at first glance it appears to be a horizontal row quilt.

Free Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt Pattern

2017-12-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

Click here for the fat quarter quilt pattern

This is a really pretty one and makes great use of a fat quarter pack.

The instructions include very good strip cutting, which I love!

Enjoy!

Got Charm Squares? - Free Quilt Pattern

2017-12-14T19:56:00.001-05:00

Click here for the free charm square quilt pattern

This quilt utilizes charm squares - of course, you can cut your own, but I have some sitting around that I always wonder - "what should I do with these?"

The pattern is written by a blogger and appears to be well written. At least it doesn't just give you templates and say good luck!

Don't let the front page scare you off - shows measurements are shown in metric....but the pattern gives you standard measurements for cutting/piecing.

Free Quilt Pattern - Glitz Garden

2017-11-11T23:20:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE QUILT PATTERN

Oddly shaped quilts always intrigue me - especially when they are more "traditional" in the main design. The pattern is a combination of applique and traditional piecing. No templates though - just regular rotary cutting in the traditional piecing. Thank you, Michael Miller, for the free quilt pattern.

Free Quilt Pattern - Star Frost

2017-11-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

Click here for the free quilt pattern.

This pattern is not for the faint of heart. It is a traditionally pieced quilt - and contains a lot of y-seams. It also uses templates, rather than strip cutting instructions. It is beautiful though and might be worth the challenge. Thank you, Michael Miller, for the free quilt pattern.

Free Quilt Pattern - Dancing Dahlias

2017-10-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

Click Here to download the free quilt pattern

This pattern is an applique pattern, but the pieces are large and not complicated....The Dresden plate "dahlias" are pieced first, then appliqued.The back of it is even adorable! Thank you, Michael Miller, for the free quilt pattern.

Stunning Free Quilt Pattern - Bravo Indigo

2017-10-21T22:31:00.001-04:00

Click here to download

I don't know how I missed this one before - I think it is absolutely stunning! The pattern includes strip cutting (no pesky templates) and you know how I love my patterns that go the extra mile to give good instructions. This one goes on my must-make list. Thank you Michael Miller for the free quilt pattern!

Quick Easy Gift - free bookmark tutorial

2017-10-19T21:25:00.001-04:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE BOOKMARK PATTERN

This would make a great quick and easy Christmas gift - especially for teachers.....AND you get to use some of the decorative stitches you paid WAY too much money for! I know you know what I'm talking about......

Free Quilt Pattern - WAY easier than it looks

2017-09-25T21:32:00.002-04:00

I recently came across a new-to-me source for free quilt patterns. This one is going on my must-make list. How cute would this be in a lake house or beach-front home.....OR a home for dreamers far away from either one. Click here to get the pattern - thanks to Quilters Select for this one.

Quilting is finished!

2017-09-20T00:54:00.001-04:00

Just finished the quilting of this queen-size quilt. Now to trim and bind.

This is the disappearing hourglass squares- used fat quarters and a 12 1/2 square ruler to make the blocks.........the borders are leftovers cut and pieced

I have never been disappointed with the thread tension on my APQS Millenium....not sure how well you can see it, but the stitches are perfectly balanced.

The thread is Glide in both the upper and bobbin. And the pantograph is Dogwood from Urban Elementz.

Little bit of quilting my APQS Millenium

2017-09-16T22:54:00.000-04:00

What are you working on? I have been working on this quilt - hope to finish soon. I have been pretty sick for a couple of months now, so my stamina hasn't been so good.....hope to pick up the pace soon, because it is time to start preparing for Christmas!

Here is a full shot of the top, just after I finished piecing it.

The pattern is a disappearing hourglass, I just used the scraps to make the borders.

The pantograph quilting pattern is Dogwood on the Urban Elementz site.

Pieced on my Baby Lock.

The quilting is being done on my APQS Millenium.

American Beauty - Free Quilt Pattern

2017-08-17T00:50:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE QUILT PATTERN

I really like this quilt pattern. I probably would do something a little different to the outside border, but the stars are quite eye-catching. A simple snowball square and four half-square triangle blocks are all that are needed to make the central part of this quilt. Thanks again Red Rooster Fabrics for another free quilt pattern.

Red White Quilt or Valentine Quilt pattern - Free

2017-08-10T00:45:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE QUILT PATTERN

This is a cute one for Valentine's Day. Thanks to Red Rooster Fabrics for the pattern.

Sometimes it is the layout - free unique table runner pattern

2017-08-04T00:31:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE TABLE RUNNER PATTERN

Sometimes it is the color, the print, or the value changes that draw your eye to a quilting project. In this case, it was the layout that caught my attention. Thank you to studioE for this free table runner pattern. The pattern also includes a table topper and placemat pattern as well.

Make Beautiful Things - Free Machine Embroidery file

2017-07-07T22:30:00.000-04:00

I am thinking of using this free embroidery design to make a machine cover for my embroidery machine - or maybe a framed piece for my studio wall. What do you think?

It is available for download in multiple formats. Click here to get the file.

Embird Outline Stitches - Free sampler stitch-out file

2017-06-24T14:07:00.002-04:00

If you are an Embird user or are considering purchasing Embird, I created a stitch out file of all the outline stitches available in Embird (version 2017.) I think it is helpful to have stitch-outs on hand when deciding which stitches to use. These can be used on Appliques or just as decorative stitching, etc.

You can put them into stitch samplers. They can be placed on any outline shape you create. Spirals of some of these designs would be pretty - even as a design element on a quilt. Hmmm.....I've got my brain working now!

I found the candlewick stitches to be a little weird, here is a photo of the back of the stitch-out. See how there is virtually no bobbin thread showing? Not sure if it is the bobbin thread choice, fabric or the stitch. When I use it on another item, I will let you know if it turns out differently.

After I stitched out, I used a fine tip permanent marker to label them with the name they are referred to in Embird.

I know - I could have been more industrious and embroidered the text, but it was late at night and I was anxious to see the stitches.

I am pleased with the stitch-out, as I didn't use any stabilizer and had VERY little pucker with just the fabric hooped in the largest frame. The fabric is a table-cloth remnant, so it is fairly heavy.

All of the stitches are done in the default settings in Embird - I didn't change any sizes. Note they adjusted to the size of the line as well. I didn't plan the length of the line - yet they all seem to begin and end in a nice place.

If you would like to stitch out this sampler for yourself, I have included the file in PES. The size is for the 9 1/2 x 14 hoop on the Destiny embroidery machine. It should work on the Brother Dream machine as well. Click here to get the file.

If you want it in a different size or format - you can easily do this with you copy of Embird.