Using PFAFF’s passport 3.0 stitches to add charming details to a table topper

Today’s a great day for a finish! In yesterday’s post I used charm squares to start making a lucky table topper. Today we’ll finish it up by adding some decorative stitches with PFAFF’s passport 3.0.

To start, trim the excess ¼” off of the edge of the square sides of the topper with a quilting ruler, so that they match up with the edges of the triangular sides. Repeat on all four square sides.

Then trim the ‘dog ears’ from the diagonal sides.

Now the topper is ready to be sewn together using the envelope method. I could have trimmed the batting and backing even with the topper and then pinned the layers together – but I didn’t!

Instead, I put the batting on my cutting mat and the backing fabric right side up on top of it. Then I placed the topper on top, right side down, with one edge lined up with the other two pieces. Next, I pinned around the outside edge of the topper, marking my turning gap by putting in two pins where I’m supposed to stop sewing.

I used the basic stitch 00 and the needle down button. I used the reverse stitch button at the beginning and end to secure the sides of my turning gap.

I found the sewing guides on the presser feet really helpful for finishing this topper – sorry in advance for a lot of closeups, but for me, this is the part I like to see. What’s different about this machine? How does it make it easier, more precise to sew my seams? In this case, the circle in the outside edge of the presser foot helped me turn the corner. I lined the circle up with the edge of my topper.

Then I lifted the presser foot and turned the topper. Perfect alignment!

Once I had sewn all the way around to the spot where I had put the two pins (to mark the spot for turning) it was time to trim all the excess backing and batting. I lined up the ¼” on my quilting ruler with the stitched line.

Turn by pulling fabric through the gap. I finger pressed the gap closed and used a pin to secure it.
I changed back to a black thread and lined up the red outer marker on the 0A presser foot to topstitch ⅛” from the edge.

After that, I really wanted to use some of the decorative stitches I had played with earlier in the week.

I started stitching on the silver/white fabric with stitch 86, lining up the red guide mark with my topstitching. As I approached the white/black background fabric I had the idea to change my stitch! So I did 🙂

I switched to stitch 90 in the white/black background, then continued to alternate stitches as I progressed around the topper. To change the stitch I pressed the needle up/down button to lift it out of the fabric, then I selected the stitch. I pressed the needle down button again and continued with the new stitch until I got to the next background change.

Last but not least, I echo quilted ¼” away from the shamrock with black thread and the basic stitch 00; this required changing back to the 0A presser foot. I used the ¼” dash guide on the presser foot to help me keep a consistent distance away from the shamrock as I went around. I used the reverse stitch button at the end of my stitching to secure the threads before lifting the needle and cutting the threads.

I’m really happy with how my lucky table topper turned out. I think it’ll hang out in my sewing space for a little bit!

The lucky table topper and pincushion made with the passport 3.0 will brighten your sewing space and might even encourage you to make and finish more projects this month!

This week’s adventure with the PFAFF passport 3.0 has made me feel really lucky. The features of the machine make it easy for me to bring my ideas to life with accuracy in a short amount of time. I’m already thinking about what’s next 😉 Good luck in your quilting adventures!