Quilting your projects has never been easier! Of course, nothing beats a hand-stitched and quilted piece but machine embroidery makes it so much quicker and easier. Today’s designs allow us to quilt right in the hoop.

There are several types of designs suitable for quilting blocks and fabric.

Stipple

Quilting Stipple Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Stipple quilting is a basic background design that looks more like freehand quilting. It is a general overall pattern to hold fabric and batting layers together.

Feather Motifs

Feathered Swirl Stipple Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Feather designs are traditional throughout quilting history. Most are made in several hoop sizes to fit a variety of blocks. They can be used as a quilting motif and also as decorative stitching for plain backrounds.

Edge-to-Edge

Tulips Quilt Block Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Even large quilts can be quilted in the hoop when you master edge-to-edge quilting. These blocks from Bunnycup Embroidery are lined up across the item to be quilted. End lines at the top right and left corners are used to connect blocks for seamless quilting lines.

Linework/Redwork

Hearts Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Any linework design with large open areas can be used for quilting backgrounds. Designs can fill a block or be used as a single motif in the center of a block to hold layers of fabric, batting, and backing together.

Quilt Block Roses Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Redwork designs are other good choices.

Thimble Block Embroidery Design | AnnTheGran.com

Even multi-colored linework is particularly pretty, especially on light, tone-on-tone fabrics. If you like the design but not multiple colors, just stitch it out in one color.

Debbie SewBlest