This tutorial guides you through creating a small art quilt featuring the Celtic Tree of Life design. You will learn to sew, quilt, and embellish the piece using machine embroidery. The project combines basic sewing techniques with quilting and detailed embroidery to form a wall quilt. It’s perfect for those with some experience in sewing and embroidery who want to craft a decorative piece. Follow the steps to build a quilt that measures about 20 inches square, ideal for display.
We used the design of the Celtic Tree of Life. The finished size of the quilt is about 18" x 18".
You will need :
embroidery threads according to the color card;
about 1/2 yard of light-colored fabric for the central part and borders;
small amout of dark green fabric for the borders and binding;
medium-weight cut-away embroidery stabilizer;
backing and batting;
quilter's ruler;
rotary cutter;
iron;
#12 universal needle;
quilting threads of matching colors;
#12-#14 quilting needle.
Cutting:
Out of the light-colored fabric, cut
a piece measuring 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" for the central part;
for the inner borders:
4 strips measuring 2 1/2" x 10 1/2" and
4 squares measuring 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"
for the outer borders:
2 strips measuring 2 1/2" x 14 1/2" and
2 strips measuring 2 1/2" x 18 1/2"
Out of the green fabric, cut
2 strips measuring 1" x 10 1/2"
2 strips measuring 2 1/2" x 14 1/2";
8 strips measuring 1" x 1 1/2" and
4 strips measuring 1" x 2 1/2".
Use the remaining green fabric for the backing.
Assembly:
Note: seam allowance is 1/4" unless otherwise recommended, press the seam immediately after you make it.
Sew the 2 green 1" x 10 1/2" strips to 2 light-colored 2" x 10 1/2" strips.
Sew these new strips the upper and lower edges of the central part along the green strips.
Sew the green 1" x 14 1/2" strips to the left and right edges of the working piece.
Sew the green 1" x 1 1/2" strips to the opposite sedes of the light-colored 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares.
Sew the green 1" x 2 1/2" to one of the sides of the new strips.
Sew these new units to the ends of the remaining 2 light-colored 2" x 10 1/2" strips.
Sew the new borders to the left and right edges of the working piece.
Now sew the light-colored 2 1/2" x 14 1/2" to the left and right edges of the working piece; then sew the 2 1/2" x 18 1/2" strips to the upper and lower edges of the working piece.
Embroidery
Upload the files of the Celtic Tree of Life to the embroidery machine. Select threads. Stabilize the central part. Hoop the fabric tightly and embroider the designs in the center. Remove the excess stabilizer.
Quilting and Finishing
Now place the backing on a flat surface (table) face down. Cover with batting. Spread your working piece over it.
Pin all layers together. We quilted in a free-motion style all over the working piece. Start from the central part, and echo-quilt the emboidery first, then procced to the borders. Change threads as required by fabric colors.
Press with heavy steam. Square the piece - all angles should be 90 degrees and opposite sides of the same length. Finish the raw edges with the binding.
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