Yesterday I showed you how to scan and embroider Halloween pumpkin designs I downloaded from the internet using THE Dream Machine 2.
The next step is how to use these embroidered pieces to create a small wallhanging or table runner. I find improv quilting very liberating, without too much fuss, an eye-catching quilt can be quickly created using your scrap stash!
Although I’m using a Halloween theme, you could easily adapt this improv technique to use for any holiday or special occasion. I can envision a wallhanging ushering in blessings for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Here’s what you’ll need if you’d like to make this project too:
- 3 embroidered pumpkins; the embroidered designs in this sample are about 3″ square and the background square has been trimmed to about 5″ square.
- 5 – 7 Halloween themed fabrics. Cut 1 or 2 – 3″ strips from each fabric. The length doesn’t matter so this is a good way to use up some scraps!
- ⅛ yd [.15m] blue for sashing
- ¾ yd [.7m] Halloween print for border and binding
Starting on one corner of the embroidered square, sew on a 3″ strip, right sides together, on an angle. Press seam away from the embroidered fabric. Trim excess fabric from the seam allowance.
I used the ¼” foot that comes with THE Dream Machine 2. The little lip on the side of the foot makes it so easy to stitch the ¼” seams!
Using a different fabric, sew a strip, on an angle, on the next side of the embroidered fabric. Press. Trim excess fabric from the seam allowance.
Using a different fabric, sew a strip, on an angle, on the next side of the embroidered fabric. Press. Trim excess fabric from the seam allowance.
Continue adding strips all around the embroidered fabric. Try to use a different fabric for each new strip and create a variety of angles as you sew on the strips.
Sew on another round of strips in the same way.
Square-up the blocks so they are 9½”.
Sashing: From blue fabric cut 4 – 1″ x 9½” and 2 – 1″ x 29½”.
Sew the 9½” strips to the top and bottom of the embroidered squares.
Sew the squares together.
Sew a 29½” blue strip to each side.
Border: Cut 2 – 4½” x 37½” and 2 – 4½” x 10½”.
Sew a 10½” border to the top and bottom. Sew a 37½” border to each side.
Using the walking foot that comes with THE Dream Machine 2, I quilted straight lines in the improv quilt blocks and then used the serpentine stitch #Q-16 in the border. This is just 1 of 30 different “Q” stitches that is designed especially for quilting.
After my wallhanging was all quilted, I decided it needed some more embroidery. No problem when using THE Dream Machine 2! I had saved the pumpkin designs in the machine, so I could re-use, re-size and rotate them as needed to fit in the spaces I had.
I just hooped the little quilt and embroidered 4 more pumpkins in each block. Because there was already backing and backing, I didn’t need to use stabilizer for the embroidery.
I sewed on the binding, and my little Halloween wallhanging was all finished.
Be sure to come back tomorrow to learn how to make an embroidered label for your quilt on THE Dream Machine 2!
This is part 2 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 1: How to use the scanner and embroidery features of THE Dream Machine 2
Go to part 3: 4 options – THE Dream Machine 2 makes play out of making a quilt label
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