Adding Hearts to the Bow Basket Block

Here’s another step. Hope you’ve finished your basket blocks. I have done quite a few, but my goal was 18 blocks for three projects and there are still several left to go. I am also going to have to cut and make one extra because my first test block didn’t size correctly because of my uneven stitching. That’s a lesson – always make a test block before cutting them all. How could I have been so sure of myself that I forgot that step?

 

Here’s the first step:
Hoop the stabilizer and stitch the placement lines onto the stabilizer.

Take a finished basket block and apply a fusible stabilizer on the back of the block. I use Totally Stable by Sulky, but I am sure there are other stabilizers that will work. You can see it on the back of the block below. Then find the center of the block on the red/white triangle by folding and matching the red/white line and corners.

Put a pin through the center crease at the seamline and match it to the center mark on the stabilizer.

Then use pins to match the top center and the lines on the stabilizer.

 

 

Use straight pins to attach block to stabilizer being sure points are matched to stabilizer guidelines as you insert the pins.

Stitch the die lines onto the block. If, for any reason, the die lines do not stitch in the correct position, take the stitching out at this point rather than proceeding and stitching the hearts in the wrong position (ask me how I know!).

Fuse the hearts into place on the die lines and complete stitching on the machine.

The first couple of blocks I made were just a little off, but I quickly got into a rhythm and am making beautiful blocks. You might want to try the embroidery on a plain block first, just to get a feel for it. The design is in the web store and is included with the center motif design.