My Little House Coaster 2 | Machine Embroidery

Yesterday, we harnessed the precision of the PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System and explored the versatility of the built-in half-step-up presser foot function on the PFAFF creative icon 2 Sewing and Embroidery Machine, resulting in a beautifully crafted My Little House Coaster 1 | Paperless Piecing.

Today, our focus shifts to creating a distinctive block piece by incorporating an embroidered flower. Let’s take a moment to inspect our supplies for the coaster, ensuring that everything is set and prepared for the stitching process.

materials

fabric

• 8½” x 11” piece warm ombre green fabric for top block background
• 5½” x 9” piece warm yellow (orange-yellow/ brown-yellow) with tiny print fabric for house roof
• 13” x 12” piece ombre off-white fabric for house wall
• 4½” x 4” piece warm brown with tiny print or ombre fabric for door, chimney and under-roof details
• 2” x 2” piece of blue fabric for the window
• 2” x 33” bias strip of burgundy red fabric
• 11½” x 11½” piece of backing fabric
• 11½” x 11½” piece of batting

thread

• 1 spool of Mettler 40wt polyester thread to match with your main fabric
• bobbin wound with main fabric matching thread
• 1 spool of Mettler 40wt polyester thread to match backing fabric
• bobbin wound with backing matching thread
• 1 spool of burgundy red Mettler 40wt embroidery polyester thread

notions

• Odif temporary adhesive spray
• patchwork clips and fine glass head pins
• sharp scissors and pinking shears
• 6” x 12” ruler and rotary cutter
• cutting mat and pencil
• water-soluble or heat-removable marker
• 1 sheet of transfer paper (optional)
• 11” x 11” piece PFAFF Tear-a-Way medium weight stabilizer
• PFAFF Universal Needles Size 80 or 90
• PFAFF Quilting Needles Size 90/14
• PFAFF Titanium Embroidery needle size 90

feet/machine accessories suggestions

• PFAFF 2A Fancy Stitch Foot for IDT System
• 6D The Dynamic Spring Foot
• PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System
• creative 120 Square Hoop (120 x 120 mm)

Download and print the My Little House Coaster 2 pattern and cut out our templates. When printing, check the printer settings to print the actual size. Cut and glue together pages 7 and 8 to create a 9” x 9” square block template. Trace and cut the piece of the house’s wall with a flower onto a tracing paper. Cut the pattern into templates. Please keep in mind that the templates DO NOT include the seam allowance.

Once all the materials and templates are ready and time to switch on our machine and dive into the creative process. Click the embroidery mode on the welcome screen. Just a reminder that it is recommended to use the straight stitch plate for embroidery. However, if you forget to switch, the embroidery navigation on the screen will provide all the necessary recommendations and reminders before the embroidery process. To start we will need to attach 6D The Dynamic Spring Foot. I showed how to set the foot in one of our previous posts: https://quiltsocial.com/PFAFF-creative-icon-2-presser-feet/

A pop-up message prompts you to clear the embroidery arm and remove the hoop if attached before calibration. Tap ‘OK,’ and the machine will proceed to calibrate while the embroidery arm moves to the ready position. Next, click to select the hop size.

I’m using the creative 120 Square Hoop (120 x 120 mm) for this project. To hoop the fabric, prepare a sandwich with a layer of an 11” x 11” PFAFF Tear-a-Way medium-weight stabilizer piece and an 11” x 11” piece of ombre off-white fabric for the house wall with a right side at the top. Ensure that the layers are smooth and securely hooped together. Trace the house wall template with a water-soluble or heat-removable marker on the right side of the fabric.

Choose the needed hoop size. Click “Start Hoop Scan”. You will see the pop-up message to attach the hoop. To attach the hoop, slide the hoop connector into the hoop attachment from front to back until it clicks into place. Click “OK” on the screen.

The hoop scan process won’t take long! In the meantime, measure the wall template. Our final embroidery size should be approximately 55 mm x 60 mm. We’ll use these measurements to set the flower size very soon!

We made the main preparation and it’s the best time to pick up the embroidery design, to set a size and illuminate it using a projector on the correct spot on the house’s wall.

What I adore about PFAFF creative icon 2 is a built-in embroidery design library!!! There are so many gorgeous varieties! To load a design for editing on a screen click “Edit design”. Scroll to the “Flowers and Leaves” category. For our coaster, I picked up flower design#6. Click on Flower #6 to load the design for editing.

Click the Projection icon and set the background color and the LED Work Light level by moving the indicator.

Time to size and place our embroidery flower. Click “Edit design” on a work panel. Click the resize icon. In a pop-up window enter the size. For our project, I recommend starting with 55 x 56. Check how projection looks on a fabric. Click the icon again if any changes are required and edit the measurements. I chose to resize it to 54.9 x 55.8 since it looks great on the wall piece.

We are all set for embroidery. Click the GO icon. On a machine panel press the start button. And enjoy watching it stitch to perfection.

For this embroidery size, it could take approximately 10 minutes.

To remove the hoop from the embroidery arm, press and hold the gray button on the hoop attachment, then slide the hoop towards you. Carefully unhoop your finished masterpiece. Wash the piece to remove the stabilizer, let it dry, and press it. Trace the wall template onto the wrong side of the fabric, then cut with a ¼” seam allowance. Now, we’re ready to assemble our house block.

Click the menu button at the top of the screen. Click the sewing mode.

Attach PFAFF ¼” Quilting Foot for IDT System for stitching our block. Follow the assembly order in your printed pattern. For more details read my previous post My Little House Coaster 1 | Paperless Piecing. 

The basics of the process are to flip and transfer all template pieces on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut with pinking shears with ¼” seam allowance. Mark the exterior sides. Cut with pinking shears with ¼” seam allowance for all inner sides and ½” for the exterior sides.

I recommend starting with section D as there are a lot of small pieces to stitch together.

Pin and stitch pieces together according to steps D1-D6 on page 4. Press the finished block.

Continue putting together section D according to the order of assembly on pages 5 and 6, after finishing section D pin a piece from section E and stitch it together. Press the finished block to have crisp seams.

Put in order pieces for sections A, B, and C. Follow the order of stitching on page 3 to finish the roof and chimney of the house.

To finish our block pin and stitch together pieces A, B, and C with pieces D and E. Press the finished block.

Make a quilt sandwich using the housetop block, then a piece of batting, and a lining fabric. Baste sandwich layers using Odif Temporary Adhesive spray.

Quilt the basted quilt sandwich in the same method as in my previous post, My Little House Coaster 1 | Paperless Piecing

Trim the quilted coaster to 9” x 9”. Sew on the binding following the instructions from Coaster 1. Fold the binding to the back and press. Clip the binding along the coaster shape paying special attention to folding the corners.

To finish the binding I decided to add a fancy stitch. Click the “Stitch Creator” icon. Scroll to “Quilting Stitches”. I used stitch#8. For the best result click and switch on the projector.

Attach the PFAFF 2A Fancy Stitch Foot for the IDT System and adjust the IDT System for smooth stitching. Stitch along the shape following the projector lines. For smooth and easy stitching remove the clips as you go.

We’ve successfully finished My Little House Coaster 2 featuring a charming, embroidered flower. By utilizing so many functions, we created a unique coaster that seamlessly blends piecing and embroidery.

This is just the beginning! We have two more exciting projects and techniques ahead, so stay tuned as we continue to explore the endless possibilities with the PFAFF creative icon 2. Join me tomorrow as I share key tips for raw edge appliqué to make the shapely My Little House Coaster 3!

P.S. I almost forgot! Before we wrap up, I have to mention there’s one more amazing feature of the PFAFF creative icon 2, you can easily clean up your previous or ongoing work with its convenient functions in three clicks!

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: My Little House Coaster 1 | Paperless Piecing

Go to part 3: My Little House Coaster 3 | Machine Raw Edge Applique