Time for a Nap Embroidered Alphabet Quilt

Snuggle under this quilt for an afternoon nap or hang it a child’s room. Each letter of the embroidered alphabet is stitched with a brightly colored thread while using a built-in font. Download printable instructions.

Materials:

• 1½ yards of 45” wide striped cotton fabric
• ½ yard of 45” wide balloon printed cotton fabric
• 1 yard of 45” wide red cotton fabric
• 1½ yards of backing cotton fabric
• Crib sized quilt batting
• Baby Lock Tear-Away stabilizer
• Water soluble marker
• Madeira sewing embroidery and quilting thread
• Basic sewing and quilting supplies

Tools:

• Baby Lock Unity Embroidery and Sewing Machine
• Crown Jewel III or Tiara III
• Pro-Stitcher Quilting Software System (Optional)

Steps:

1. Prepare the machine for embroidery first attaching the embroidery unit

2. Mark the striped fabric for the placement of each letter. Allowing an 8” x 8” square for each letter except the letter “Z”. Do not cut the fabric apart at this time.

3. Insert the striped fabric and stabilizer into the embroidery frame. Be careful to line up the stripes of the fabric carefully in the frame

   1. Attach the hoop to the machine; select the first letter by using one of the larger built in fonts. Embroider the letter.

4. Remove the hoop from the machine and gently tear away the stabilizer.

5. Repeat the above process for the remaining letters except the letter “Z”.

6. Mark the placement for each of the three letters “Z”. Allow a space of 14” x 8”. Mark the center of this area at 7”; this will be the center of the medium sized “Z"

   1. Mark the center of the large “Z” at 3¾” from the left of the 7” center. Mark the center of the small “Z” at 3½” to the right of the 7” center.

7. Embroider each of the “Z”s changing the size accordingly:

   1. Large - 4.96” x 2.76"

   2. Medium - 3.77” x 2.06”

   3. Small - 2.83” x 1.84”

8. Cut each of the 25 letters into blocks that measure 6½” x 6”. Cut the “Z” block to measure 6½” x 13”.

9. Continue cutting as follows:

   1. Red cotton: 35 strips - 6”x 2” 35 strips - 6½” x 2”

   2. Balloon printed cotton: 3 square - 6½” x 6” 42 square - 2” x 2”

   3. Striped cotton sashing: 2 sashing - 36½” x 1¼” 2 sashing - 46 ½” x 1¼”

10. Lay the blocks out into rows. The balloon blocks will be placed in the upper right and left corners. And in the lower left corner.

11. Sew the red strips (6½” x 2”) to the blocks. Press the seams towards the red strips.

12. Sew the sashing rows together using the 2” x 2” balloon squares and the 6” x 2” red strips.

13. Stitch the sashing rows and the alphabet rows together.

14. Stitch the top and bottom striped sashings to the quilt.

15. Stitch the two side striped sashings to the quilt

16. Set the Crown Jewel up for quilting. Wind several bobbins and thread the machine with the Madeira Quilting thread to match the quilt colors.

17. Using the Crown Jewel roll the batting onto the batting roller.

    1. Pin and roll the backing fabric onto the backing roller. Pin and roll the top quilted section onto the top roller.

    2. Position and pin all layers onto the top roller making a sandwich.

18. Quilt the layers together using either the free motion quilting technique or the Pro-Stitcher Quilting Software System.

19. Remove the quilt from the frame.

20. Square up the edges.

21. With the machine set up for sewing bind the quilt while using the following directions:

    1. Cut several 2½” wide strips across the width of the fabric.

    2. Sew the strips together to create one strip that will fit around the outer edge of the quilt.

    3. With the wrong sides’ together fold and press the long edges together.

    4. On one of the short ends fold under ½” and press.

    5. Place the folded edge of the binding 8” down from one of the corners with the raw edges even with the quilts edge and pin in place.

    6. Using a ¼” seam allowance sew the binding to the quilt by starting 4” down from the start of the binding and continuing down the side.

    7. Stop ¼” from the first corner. Cut the thread.

    8. Fold the un-stitched portion of the binding up and then down over the first corner so that the raw edges are even.

    9. Tip: I like to press the corner at this time. This forms a 45˚ angle at the corner.

    10. Starting at the corner continue to sew the binding to the quilt on the second side.

    11. Repeat the prior directions for the remaining corners.

    12. After turning the last corner trim away the end on the binding so that it fits comfortably inside the binding’s starting point. Continue to sew the binding in place.

    13. Fold the binding to the back side of the quilt and hand-sew in place.