Did you know that March is National Quilting Month? What a great time to make something fun!
I saw the cutest in the hoop project and I just could not resist making one, or two, or...ok so I made a bunch! In fact, I thought that I would make some as fun little gifts for a few of my sewing friends (shh...don't spoil the surprise).
Machine Embroider By Number: Spool
Only $8.99! (Reg. $9.99)
Pfaff Multi-Line Decorative Foot
The Kimberbell design collection, "Machine Embroider by Number: Spool", is just so cute. When at convention, I saw the ones that Kim (from Kimberbell) had made and fell in love. She had taken the design and made a pin cushion. What a great idea!
My original plan was to make my friends each a pincushion, but then I got a different idea. These little gems are the perfect size for a coaster!
How did I find the fabric?
Since I am not (or maybe now "was not") a scrap saver, this proved to have it's challenges. When I started the process of picking fabrics for my spools, I decided that each spool should be a different color. Makes sense, right? Each spool ends up being about 3.5" square and 6 would fit nicely in my largest hoop. The first design I moved into the upper left hand corner of my hoop, the second into the upper right and then I moved down the hoop as I made additional spools.
Being able to fit six designs in my hoop I choose six different color families so each spool was a different color. I picked: blue, pink, purple, yellow, green and orange. With this plan in hand, I began gathering the fabrics to use for the threads on each spool. Each spool calls for 4 to 13 different fabrics. Sounds easy but I must say that I especially struggled with finding enough pinks and yellows (guess I should put those on my shopping list - ha ha - "Must buy more fabric!"). In addition to fun prints, I found that batiks are perfect for this project. With their gradation of tones and colors, one piece of fabric looked like different fabrics and even as different colors. The batiks worked great! So glad that I had several to work with!
The last step of the embroidery design is the addition of the back fabric. In order to create fabric coasters that would protect furniture surfaces from condensation, I added clear vinyl on the back of the hoop just before this final step was stitched. Once turned inside out, the vinyl is concealed inside of the finished coaster.
Spool Back
Pfaff Multi-Line Decorative Foot
They turned out great! In fact, I like them so much I just might need a set (or two) for myself.
[gallery link="file" ids="3207,3209,3210,3211,3212,3213"]
Click to see close-up!
Pfaff Multi-Line Decorative Foot
Make something fun!
-Reva
