By Eileen Roche
Look at your stash of quilt designs when thinking of refashioning a garment. Their light stitch count and big impact are perfect for a variety of garments – skirts, jeans, blouses and jackets. Almost anything goes.
I used one design that’s included with Magna-Quilter and Magna-Quilts & Borders and just flipped the design and repeated it above the hem.
Embroidery Products
Magna-Quilter and
Magna-Quilts & Borders
Embroidery editing software
Materials
One lightweight cotton skirt
Floriani Wet N Gone Tacky® adhesive water soluble stabilizer
Vellum or transparencies
Target stickers
Mini rick rack (length is the circumference of the skirt)
Step 1. Print Templates
Open design #P8BS in the appropriate format and print two templates of the design.
Step 2. Design the Layout
Chalk a line 2 ½” from and parallel to the topstitched hem. Use this line as the horizontal center for all templates.
Position one template at the center front of the skirt on the chalked line. Flip the second template over to view the design in mirror image. Position the flipped template next to, but not touching, the first template, keeping the template’s horizontal line on the chalked line. Slide a target sticker under each template aligning all crosshairs. Remove the template and continue in this fashion around the skirt. Make sure all templates are on the chalked line but the space between each pair may differ slightly to fill the skirt. Since this is a full skirt and not fitted, any differences in spacing will be virtually invisible when the garment is worn.
Step 3. Embroider
Cut a long piece of Wet N Gone Tacky® adhesive water soluble stabilizer into 5” strips. Remove the protective paper and finger press the skirt’s design area onto the adhesive stabilizer. It’s only necessary to stabilize the actual design area and not the entire skirt body when using Magna-Quilter or Magna-Quilts & Borders.
Remove the top black frame of Magna-Quilter or Magna-Quilts & Borders and position the skirt onto the bottom frame. Snap the top frame in place, aligning all edges of the frame. Place the hoop on the machine. Smooth the fabric in the design area by gently tugging on the fabric outside the perimeter of the frame. Position the needle over one of the target stickers, remove the target sticker and embroider the design. Position the needle over the next target sticker (you should be able to stitch two designs in one hooping), mirror image the design and remove the target sticker. Embroider the second design.
It’s not necessary to remove the entire Magna-Quilter from the machine when advancing to the next design. Just lift off the top frame and slide the fabric to capture the next design area in the frame. Use the rulers on the frame and the chalked line to square the fabric in the hoop. Continue in this fashion until all embroidery is complete.
Step 4. Finish
Gently launder the skirt to remove the stabilizer.
Sew the mini rick rack onto the topstitched hem.
1. Intro Skirt Video
2. Skirt at Machine
3. Skirt Hooping