I really hit a nerve last week when I asked if you had any quilt tops that need to be quilted. Most readers admitted having more than three tops ready to be quilted from over 200 (and counting) responses. Not that it was a competition, but wow, we all seem to have quilt tops that need to be finished!
Blog reader Eileen Gorzelic summed it up when she wrote, “Wow! Seems like a lot of us are in the same boat. Honestly I am not sure how many I have to quilt. I really enjoy the piecing part and when I get to the quilting part I become paralyzed and anxious. For some reason I have a problem with making small pieces and end up with twins, queens, and kings and the cost of having someone quilt it has become so expensive that I end up dragging my feet and end up start a new project…….Thanks for giving us an avenue to completion!”
On January 31, Nataly Poire shared, “I have 3 boxes of tops that need to be quilt because I don’t like the quilting part…have to try your method.”
I know exactly how Nataly feels. I’ll share a little of my quilting journey (it’s taken 20 years so I won’t bore you with all of the details). When I first started quilting, I didn’t know a thing about precise piecing skills so instead of focusing on learning how to be precise and consistent, I took another path. I just came up with my own ways, like wider seam allowances, raw edge applique, fabrics that hid mistakes and more. Then in 2014, I invented the shortE, the embroidery short arm with a long reach. It’s a frame that holds a quilt above the machine bed so you can quilt with an embroidery machine.
At first, I used cheater panels and whole cloth quilts to learn the ‘machining’ part. The ‘machining’ part is the actual quilting of the quilt.
After a while, I got good at the ‘machining’ part and I fell in love with the end result – quilts that I wanted to wrap myself (or a loved one) in. They were not only soft and supple; they were also interesting to look at. The stitching was beautiful and the texture was what I had always longed for. They were finally like the samples in the quilt shops that you just want to pull off the wall and lie under. They were, well, real quilts! 
The end result made me want to create beautiful tops so I finally paid attention to the piecing. Believe me, I’m years away from entering a top notch quilt show but I’ve found I enjoy the quilt top making process so much more because I know the ‘machining’ part is doable – the machining is not going to ‘ruin’ all of my piecing efforts. And isn’t that what we’re all afraid of? Ruining our beautiful quilt tops with the quilting (machining) process? Well, fear no more – help is here! 
Quilt with an Embroidery Machine in 8 Easy Lessons breaks all of the ‘machining’ down into manageable steps. I feel like I’ve made (and overcome!) every challenge that you could encounter in quilting with an embroidery machine. I’ve learned an awful lot on this journey and I’m happy to share it with you in Quilt with an Embroidery Machine in 8 Easy Lessons. Remember, you can watch it on Sewing with Nancy at http://wpt.org/SewingWithNancy/ or check your local TV listings to watch on PBS.
Last week’s lucky winner is Joanna Cook!
Want to be winner this week? Just tell me the size of your largest hoop (and machine model) and you could win a pack of Print & Stick Target Template paper – that’s a $19.99 value! 
84 COMMENTS
Linda
8 years ago200 X 300 mm, Baby Lock EMP….maybe those stickers would help me to use it more :/
Sharon Blaylock
8 years ago9×13 Brother Dream 2
Nancy Berglund
8 years agoMonster snap hoop, baby lock elisimo gold 2
Cynthia Wentwoth
8 years ago7.9″ x 11″ Janome 500E.
Sandy
8 years agoMaxi hoop (210mm x 400mm) Bernina 780
Debbie Dowling
8 years agoDestiny II with a 9 x 14 hoop
Belinda Germain
8 years agoBabylock BMP9, six needle with 8×12 hoop. I have used a few quilt designs to make quilted totes. Haven’t tried a quilt yet.
Francine Meyer-Drasutis
8 years agoI have babylock 10 needle. 14 x14.
QuiltShop Gal
8 years agoBernina 830e Jumbo Hoop 40x21cm (15 3/4″ x 10 1/4″).
QuiltShopGal
http://www.quiltshopgal.com
Catherine Stiele
8 years agoBerinia 730′ jumbo hoop, really need to get busy and use this technique!
Catherine Stiele
8 years agoBernina 730, great machine, all hoops small to jumbo.
Carol Steanson
8 years agoHusqvarna Viking Epic. 260mm x 300 hoop or even 350x 350,
Pamela
8 years ago8″ sq — Janome 11000
It seems every design that I’m currently in love with take a bigger hoop 🙁 So disappointing!
Deana Guardado
8 years agoRicoma 1501, largest hoop is, I think, 14″x22″ 🙂
Mary O'Donnell
8 years agoHusqvarna Diamond Mega Hoop
Ellen Perry
8 years ago7×12 elissamo
Karen Poole
8 years agoI have a Brother Duetta NV4500 and the largest hoop is 12 x 7. I absolutely love it! I also have a smaller Brother PE 400D with the largest hoop 4 x 4.
Michelle Hall
8 years agoBrother Duetta N4500 with the 12″ x 7″ hoop
Marylee Maury
8 years agoViking Husqvarna Epic with the 360X260 hoop
Janet Rettig
8 years agoBrother 10 needle 14 x 14
Debi Patrick
8 years agoBabylock ELLISIMO Gold II. 8×12
Lynn
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine 2 9 x 14 hoop
Ann
8 years agoBabylock Destiny, 9 x 14 hoop
Vicky
8 years agoBrother Persona
8×8
Terri
8 years agoBabylock Ellisimo Gold II — 8×12
Linda A
8 years agoBernina 880 with the Jumbo Hoop
260mm x 400mm
(approximately 10.3” x 15.8”)
Melissa Dunn
8 years agoMaxi hoop (210mm x 400mm) Bernina 750 QE
Diane Cockman
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine 9×14
Janome 12000 9×12
Jan Sprague
8 years agoDream Machine with 9″x14″. My ‘dream’ is to make my own quilt for a king size bed.
Laurie Borysewicz
8 years agoI have a 6 needle baby lock 8×12
[email protected]
8 years agoI work on a Singer Futura CE-150, the largest hoop being a 5″x7″. Great machine, which can use just about any pattern extension.- she is very touchy-with a mind of her own sometimes, but we’ve come to an agreement and I love her anyway! Thank you, Susan
Susan Spiers
8 years agoI work on a Singer Futura CE-150, the largest hoop being a 5″x7″. Great machine, which can use just about any pattern extension.- she is very touchy-with a mind of her own sometimes, but we’ve come to an agreement and I love her anyway! Thank you, Susan
Casie W
8 years agoHV Designer Diamond Deluxe with a 360 x 360 hoop
Theresa Cobb
8 years ago300 X 200 Brother Quattro2. Love your Blogs.
Teresa Boi
8 years agoBrother 10 needle, jumbo hoop!
I am happy to quilt for others, no added fees, quick turnaround, 100″s of satisfied customers. http://www.tbdecor.com
Cathy
8 years agoBrother PR-600 – 300 mm x 200 mm. I enjoy reading your blogs and always learn something.
Debbie Smith
8 years ago200 x 280 mm is the largest capacity hoop my Elna 9500 machine will accept. Thanks for the “freebie” and good luck to all.
Martine Postuma
8 years agoHusqvarna Ruby Biggest hoop 200×360 mm.
Judie Sparling
8 years agoHusqvarna Viking Epic. Largest non turnable hoop is 260×360. thanks for the opportunity……..
Renelle Burger
8 years agoOh I wish I had a larger hoop. Mine is a Brother PE770 with a 5×7 hoop. I have yet to try quilting and re-hooping to use it on a quilt.
Anna Gornall
8 years agoBernina 830, 260mm x 440mm and the Monster Snap Hoop
Nancy Stansbury
8 years agoViking Epic and 360mm x 360 mm. Also Brother Enterpreneur and 360mm x 340 mm
Francine
8 years agoBrother DreamMaker – 7 x 12
Deb
8 years ago230x300cm Janome 15000
Marilyn Koestler
8 years agoBrother Innovis 4000D with 7 x 12 hoop. I have used some Brother quilting patterns but have not tried to tie designs together.
maria blecha
8 years agoI have a Viking D1 ( a little old but wonderful machine) and my largest hoop is the Mega hoop, 360 by 150.
Kelly Sasman
8 years ago7×12 Monster Snap Hoop for my Babylock Ellisimo Gold 2 (8×12 Babylock hoop)
Teresa Niwinska
8 years ago5×7 Brother PE700II
Pat in Colorado
8 years agoPfaff Creative Dream Hoop, 360×350 mm. (It sews half, rotates 180 and sews the other half with 30 mm overlap.)
faith king
8 years agoI have a single needle Husqvarna Viking Designer Deluxe sewing/embroidery machine with the hula hoop sized Designer Majestic hoop. It’s 360mm x 350mm with a sewing area of 14.2″ x 13.8″. I love it for machine embroidering my quilts but so far have only used the stipple design.
Rosalie sharps
8 years agoViking Diamond Mega Hoop 360×150
Rosalie sharps
8 years agoViking Diamond Endless hoop
Donna Stein
8 years agoLove your products! PFAFF Creative sensation Pro 360mm x 200mm. Use your target sticker all the time.
Sharon
8 years agoBrother Dream2 13×9
beth
8 years agohave an Elna Xquisite II embroidery/sewing machine. biggest size hoop is 5″ x 7″.
carol
8 years agoBernina 880e Jumbo Hoop 40x21cm -15 3/4″ x 10 1/4″.
Marti Morgan
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine 2 with the 9 x 13 hoop.
sophia jane moffitt
8 years agobrother 10 needle love my machine then I have a single needle Viking designer 1
SANDRA NETTLES
8 years agoHusqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe, Designer Majestic Hoop 360 x 350 mm
Karen W
8 years agoViking Diamond Deluxe machine with the Mega Hoop, 360mm x 150mm. LOVE the bigger hoops & I regularly use the Print & Stick target paper — especially for precise embroidery placement.
Karen W
8 years agoSorry, that should have been the Majestic Hoop. I also have the Viking Designer SE with the Mega Hoop!
Karen W
8 years agoOops – that should be 360mm x 200mm. Just took a class with that hoop to learn Edge-To-Edge quilting. Now to get working on those quilts! Thanks you for the great article about quilting on the embroidery machine. It truly does open up a whole new world! One of the ladies in our hand-quilting group has about 30 quilt tops ready to go!! We never have to worry if she’s ready for her turn — sometimes she even lets us choose which one!
Vickie
8 years agoI have a Baby lock Ellure-largest hoop 5 X 7 and a Baby lock Adventura-largest hoop 6 X 10
Linda Severs
8 years agoI JUST bought a Pfaff Creative Sensation Pro II and brought home the massive 360-by-350 mm Grand Dream Hoop. It was definitely a dream to buy a machine which had the arm length to handle a big, big, big hoop! I’ll be learning to use it tomorrow!
Barb
8 years agoI have a Husqvarna Topaz 30. I just finished quilting my first quilt on it! I have really wanted to try quilting with my embroidery machine, glad I tried it. The largest hoop I have is 200X360.
DeWitt Donna
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine 9X13
[email protected]
8 years agoI have a Janome MC 15000; my largest hoop is 9.1 x 11.8″, I think. I have not actually ever used that hoop. Just too intimidated, I guess.
June G
8 years agoJanome 500e – 7.9×11
Renragjdatgmaildotcom
Maribel Rosa Guardiola
8 years agoBernina 580, my biggest frame is 5,75×10″. I would love to win, as I tried to buy it, I am from Spain, but I do not have the option to buy. thank you very much.
Jennie
8 years ago14 x 14 hoop for Babylock Enterprise
Jean Mateychuk
8 years agoI haven’t used the snap hoop in a while but that is going to change this week. I like using it to quilt blocks and then attach them your way, one block at a time. So thanks for that info.
I have the Innov-is 6000D. Hoop 8′ x 12′
SNAP HOOP MONSTER 7’x 12′ & snap hoop reg. 7 x 12
Diana Vincent
8 years ago360 x 350 majestic hoop
Designer Diamond de luxe
Joan Shriver
8 years agoI have Brother Dreamweaver with an 8X12 hoop, then upgraded to the 8×8 and the bigger hoop. However, I hand quilt at my church. Have only “embroider quilted” for small in the hope designs. Loved it!
Margaret Smith
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine 9 x 14.
Karen Poole
8 years agoI have a Brother Duetta and my largest hoop is 8 x12.
I also wanted to comment about one of the sponsor products on the blog page, the hoop guard. I bought these a little over a year ago and wasn’t sure how often I would really use it, after all I haven’t had issues with my fabric getting in the way. Well, was I ever wrong!! I LOVE this tool!! I find I am so much more relaxed when embroidering a large object! I hadn’t realized how stressed I was sitting at the machine and watching to make sure the excess fabric fell in the way! Now I use the hoop guard any time my fabric overflows outside the hooped area! I would recommend the hoop guard to anyone who embroiders!!
eileenroche
8 years ago AUTHORI’m so glad you like the Hoop Guard, Karen! It has been a lifesaver for me too. Just gives me peace of mind when it’s keeping the excess fabric out of the sewing field.
Jackie Branscum
8 years agoBrother Dream Machine with 9 1/2″ X 14″ hoop
Mona Scott
8 years agoBernina 750 Quilting Edition Embroidery Machine; Jumbo Hoop 40 x 26 cm
Linda Thomas
8 years agoI have a Babylock Aventura with a 6×10 frame. It is amazing the difference in a 5×7! Love it!!
Sandra Maes
8 years agoRecently purchased Brother Dream 2 machine (9-1/2 x 14) and still exploring all the different features.
Joyce Heath
8 years agoI have a brother PE770 The largest is frame 5 x 7. I’m new to machine embroidery
Bruce
8 years agoBernina 730 this is great machine.
Bruce, https://www.printavo.com
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7 years agoAs I website possessor I believe the subject material here is rattling fantastic , appreciate it for your efforts.
Hannah
7 years agoBrother Duetta N4500 with the 12″ x 7″ hoop. I would love to win Print & Stick Target Template paper.