I have been showing people how to do this for the last 6-9 months. I have had some people feel a bit discouraged because their LongArm Embroidery is wonky and puckered.
Guess what? SO IS MINE. I have Longarm quilted some pretty impressive (WONKY) quilts in my time, so I treated this pretty much the same. I KNOW it will quilt out.
Here are the pictures in process.
I start by embroidering on my home embroidery machine. You don't have to if you don't have an embroidery machine, but it helps to understand the process. Your embroidery is only as good as the hooping. Remember that.
Quality thread, fabric and stabilizer is key. I use fusible fleece and Superior Magnifico thread. I may have gone through 4 or 5 bolts of fusible fleece in the last 6 months!
I then use the same top and fleece layer to my quillting machine. I just load the top/fleece layer and no back to the machine.
I load tight! I also use side clamps. Remember, hooping is key.
Even with the best hooping, it starts to pucker.
The designs I choose are pretty watercolor styles. The dense areas will have some pull. I think it is fine because it will quilt out. I continue stitching. I have made some pretty interesting mistakes and yet I still continued the stitching. These do take hours to stitch, so be patient and continue!
This one is normal in in puckering. I know it will quilt out.
I do press really well with some starch.
I use a ton of this starch.
It looks much better, but still not flat.
That is okay. It will quilt out.
Here are both the large and the small, getting ready to quilt. I leave in the whole piece of fusible fleece and add a batting as well for the quilting.
I load it pretty tight, connect the embroidery to my top bar so I can stretch it out a bit.
I baste it pretty well to hold everything tight. This is much tighter than I would normally quilt.
I quilt these with an overall digital design, using Bottom line for both the top and bottom thread. I stitch right through the design. I use a size 18 needle.
I do not like the quilting to stop at the embroidery. I feel you get an unnatural poofiness if you do not quilt over the embroidery.
I tend to use more modern designs. I also quilt the small ones the same but in a smaller scale.
After quilting:
It is flat as a pancake! The wonders of the complete process really is amazing.
The threads used for the embroidery:
The other 2 designs from this series are just as beautiful.
These are large posters size pieces of art. I LOVE them.
It is very addicting to complete these. I have had a couple not turn out, but it is rare.
If you have made some large embroideries, please share on my facebook page Bestquilter.
I hope you take time to try this out! it is really fun to see how embroidery designs look blown up!
Megan