5 Creative Ways to Use Embroidery With Quilts and Crafts

Welcome back for my third and final blog about machine embroidery in honor of National Embroidery Month! In my earlier posts, I’ve gone over the basics of using AccuQuilt’s free, downloadable embroidery designs that match applique dies, using more detailed and layered designs and some of my favorite tips. Today, I want to focus on some creative ways to use all the embroidery skills and designs we’ve been talking about. If you’re loving learning more about machine embroidery here, be sure to talk to your machine dealer about some more advanced classes – the more you learn, the more you will enjoy making embroidery and applique projects.

Add Embroidery and Applique to Quilting Projects

Machine embroidery is the perfect way to take a pattern for a quilt, wall hanging etc. and really make it your own. By adding this personal touch to the project, it’s set apart from anything anyone else will be creating, even if they use the same pattern!

  1. Customize a baby quilt with applique to match the nursery theme. If baby has already arrived you can take this further by adding in the name, birth date and more.
  2. Make a wedding quilt even more special by adding the bride and groom’s names or monograms.
  3. Create a special label for the back of the quilt using embroidery.
  4. Add applique to Quilt-As-You-Go items like placemats, table runners and totes.
  5. Personalize a variety of items you can create easily with AccuQuilt Project Dies, such as the GO! Mini Oven Mitt, GO! Baby Bib or GO! Bucket Hat.

Add Embroidery and Applique to Ready-Made Items

Need a quick but impressive gift? Turn to your embroidery machine! Adding machine embroidery with or without applique shapes to items that are already created for you makes it easy for you to look like a crafty rock star!

  1. Add monograms to things like towels and tote bags. From teen to adult, you can’t go wrong by adding a monogram to almost anything! If you’re struggling for high school graduation gifts, monogramed towels are a slam dunk!
  2. Create an array of matching items for a new home, wedding shower, neighbor gift and more by adding embroidery to a ready-made apron with matching kitchen towels and hot pads. A kitchen towel with applique is the perfect addition to almost any gift basket. How about adding seasonal details to napkins for the holidays?
  3. Don’t overlook clothing items here! T-shirts, sweatshirts, jean jackets and more can all be enhanced with fun stitches and applique. Think about matching shirts for kids, or a personalized shirt for their birthday party to match the theme?

Quilting in the Hoop

Have you ever quilted a project with your embroidery machine? It’s easier than you might think with the right tools and a little practice! Start with a small project or better yet a practice piece and use the outline stitch only from applique designs as quilting!

Here’s a picture of a snowflake wall hanging that I made. I quilted it with randomly placed outline stitches from the free, downloadable embroidery for the GO! Snowflakes-7”, the perfect added touch that I was able to do on my embroidery machine.

Pro Tips: This technique is best used with larger machines that can accommodate a large sized hoop. I’ve also found that the ideal style of hoop are the Snap Hoop Monster Magnetic Hoops by Designs in Machine Embroidery/dime.

In The Hoop Projects

If you aren’t familiar with projects made in your embroidery hoop, you are in for a treat. These are projects that are designed to be entirely created in an embroidery hoop on your embroidery machine! These game-changing projects are so fun to create and will give you such polished and professional results that you’ll be wanting to make more and more.

You’ll find two amazing in the hoop projects available to purchase and download on AccuQuilt.com by Creative Appliques, the GO! Wedding Medley In the Hoop Hanging Embroidery Design and the GO! Sewing Machine In the Hoop Hanging Embroidery Design. Be sure to give these designs a try. They are perfect for the machine embroiderer who doesn’t consider themselves a quilter or sewist!

Make Cards

Oh, I know what you’re thinking – sew on cardstock? Yes! That’s exactly what you do! Use a good, quality cardstock, watercolor paper or another heavy paper, and plan on testing it to be sure you like the results. Use plain paper without any added or embedded elements that would be hard for your machine. The next is to use a smaller, sharp needle to avoid large holes and a cut-away stabilizer. Don’t hoop that paper, lay it on top and use a temporary adhesive spray or tape that won’t tear the paper like a painter’s tape.

Stick to designs with lower stitch counts. If you’re using GO! free, downloadable designs, I would suggest using the blanket stitch. You can still use fabric with fusible on the back for applique even! Once you are done, you can cover the back of the card with scrapbook paper to cover the stitches and let it all just be pretty!

How About You?

How do you like to incorporate embroidery with your projects? Be sure to share pictures of your projects on social media and tag us – AccuQuilt – so we can all be inspired! Happy National Embroidery Month!