Hi, I’m Susan from Sewfeet.com. I don’t know about you, but I love sewing machine stitches! Today’s machines have hundreds (or more) stitches in a variety of styles – florals, geometrics, cross stitches, abstract designs, and more. I also love making mini art quilts. In today’s post, I am combining the two with a simple mini art quilt that showcases some of my favorite stitch patterns. The finished size of this mini art quilt is 14” x 7”.
Supplies
Quilt Top: 15” x 8” rectangle of quilting cotton
Backing: 15” x 8” rectangle of quilting cotton
Batting: 15” x 8” rectangle of Embellish Premium Fusible Batting
Stitched Strips: 8-10 strips 1” x 8” quilting cotton in a solid or subtle print that contrasts with the quilt fabric
Stabilizer: Floriani Medium Weight Tear Away
Needle: Universal 80/12
Floriani 40-wt embroidery thread for quilting the quilt top and couching the edging
Edge Finish: 2 ½–3 yards of textured yarn
Presser Feet:
Free-motion Presser Foot for quilting
Open Embroidery Foot for decorative stitching and couching
Batting
Place the Embellish Premium Fusible Batting with the non-fusible side facing the wrong side of the quilt top. I used Embellish Premium Fusible Batting. I did not fuse the batting to the quilt top. As you stitch, the fabric will shift slightly, creating small bubble and puckers in your fabric for a textured look.
Quilting
Using the free-motion presser foot, meander over the surface of the fabric until it is completely quilted. I randomly covered the fabric with loops circles, and curved lines. My intent with this type of stitching is to create texture on the fabric, so you can be as free as you like with your fabric movement. It doesn’t have to be award-winning stippling or perfect free-motion stitches. What you want is a pebbly surface on your quilt. After quilting, trim the quilt top to 14” X 7”. Once it is stitched, set it aside. Note: You are quilting through the top fabric and the batting only. The backing will be added after the decorative stitches are sewn to the quilt top.
Decorative Stitching
Place stabilizer behind one strip and select a decorative stitch of your choice. Sew down the middle of the strip. Tear away the excess stabilizer from the wrong side of the strip. Repeat with the remaining strips, trimming them to various lengths.
Raw Edge Appliqué
Arrange the decorative stitch strips as desired using the photos as guide. Stitch along all four edges of the strips to hold them in place.
Stitch by Stitch
Position the label on the quilt and stitch or glue in place. Place the decorative button on the label and stitch it be hand or machine.
Finishing
Trim the backing fabric to match the quilt top. Place the backing right side out behind the quilt top and fuse it in place. Cut the yarn into two pieces. Starting on the lower edge, place the two pieces of yarn along the edges and sew it to the quilt using a zigzag stitch. Set the stitch width wide enough to stitch into the quilt and over the yarn. Stitch the yarn along all four edges, overlapping the edges and backstitching to secure it.
