I just love trapunto work and found that doing it by machine is really easy if you take a little bit of time and care. It can take a ho-hum quilt to "wow" status in a heartbeat...so add something new to your skill set...here we go....

1st- Select your pattern. Any quilting pattern that has sections that will "puff" up well will turn out great. I chose this one because I want to try it in some triangles to put on a quilt that has on-point blocks.

Step 2- Trace your pattern onto your fabric using your favorite marking tool. I like to use the disappearing purple marker. (Be sure to test to make sure it disappears!) Mark ALL details of the design onto your fabric. It is best to do this step after your quilt is assembled.

Step 3- I recommend that you use a Poly batting for this next step. I use either high loft poly or 2 layers of regular poly (whatever I happen to have). I Don't recomment that you use cotton batting! Especially if not pre-shrunk. (Think granny's bra)

Step 4- Pin your poly batting behind your design. Make sure that you have covered the entire design. Pin securely in place.

Step 5- Using WATER SOLUABLE thread on the top (you can use regular white or beige in the bobbin because it will be released, but will be between the 2 layers of batting) sew on the OUTSIDE lines of the design only. There is NO need to sew the detail lines at this point.

Step 6- This is the only critical/scary part. Carefully...carefully, trim away the excess batting from the design. Trim as close to the sewing line as you can without cutting the fabric. I hold my finger behind the batting to lift it up and slowly trim the excess. I end up leaving about 1/8" of batting outside the line of stitches. I sewed some extra lines on this design, but all you need to sew is the outside.

Step 7- Sandwich your quilt as normal.

Step 8- When you get to this area in your quilting, sew around the outside of your design, but sew INSIDE the water soluable thread. This way, if you trimmed too close in any area, this line of stitching will catch the batting and when the water soluable releases the batting, it won't be loose.

Sew all the details as you normally would when quilting.

Step 9- When finished...soak the area to release the water soluable. I sometimes soak the entire thing in the bathtub (if its a small quilt) If its a large quilt and I don't want to actually wash it yet..I will spread it out and spray water on these areas until soaked and the thread disappears. I lay it flat to dry or hang it to dry.

Another tip is to use a slightly darker thread when quilting your trapunto design. It seems to give the appearance of receeding and making the design pop up more.

Why do you use water soluble thread? Won't the trapanto work disappear when the thread disappears? I have always wanted to try this.

OOPS, I see you are still posting now. Sorry

The final step if you choose to do it, is to pebble or meander around the Trapunto, this will make it pop up even further.

Viola'...done! Its really easy, just take care in trimming your excess batting away. If you should cut the fabric...well, you'll just have to applique a little piece on top..its not the end of the world. Have fun and make some spectacular quilts!

I guess I have the same question about the water soluble thread. I can see this would take patience and practice.

You use the water soluable to "temporarily" hold the poly batting in place. You will secure it when you do your regular quilting over it, but if you use regular thread, you will have a double stitch line showing and you don't want that. This way, it will disolve when you no longer need it.

I'm not understanding why using water soluble thread when you are going to use regular thread to stitch around it. Seems like a waste of time or am I NOT getting something.

Patti...just come to my house and teach me!!

You have to secure the poly batting so that you can trim it prior to sandwiching your quilt. You don't want to use regular thread for that. So you aren't thinking through that you will be trimming. If you used regular thread for that set, then trimmed, then stitched...you would either have to take out the first stitch lines, or you would have a double row. I'm not good enough to do it twice and hit the same holes. This way...it doesn't matter.

Ok, this is what I'm understanding.
You use the water soluble to hold the batting.
THEN, once you get quilt done, ready for quilting, you go over what you did with the batting to begin with, right?
Or...do you need to come here or do I need to extend my trip to Laurens house and head over to your house for a lesson?

Yes Terri, you will stitch over where you used the water soluable (but inside the line) to permanently hold the Poly AND the regular batting. Now...if you'd like to stop on by when you go to Lauren's...well...my sewing room IS my guest room and its available! Come on!

Ok, I think I've got it!
Just don't ask me to explain it to anyone else because that will not happen lol

I want to make sure I have this correct. When you stitch with the water soluble thread, you are only stitching the batting and the quilt top. Then after trimming the batting, you sandwich your quilt to do the final stitching with regular thread. Do I have that right, Patti? I really want to learn how to do this.

Thank you for a great tutorial. I didn't know how this technique was done, it's something I can use on a quilt I'm doing at the moment.

Thanks for sharing! What kind of scissors do you have to trim with? Looks rounded on the ends...thanks!!

That is the simplest explanation I have ever read. I have avoided it because directions in magazines always sound so complicated. I did not know there is a water soluble thread. It's true one is never too old to learn.

THank you for the easy tutorial! And can we ALL come over to your house for a lesson??? LOL

Thank you for your very clear directions. This posting is definitely a "keeper" and one I will try one day soon.

Great tute, thanks for sharing.

Easy to understand and a great tutorial. Thanks

Judy, that is exactly right!

I should have also mentioned that if you are doing a more difficult design, say a feather wreath...you do it the EXACT same way...stitch with the Water soluable outside the design only, but don't forget to stitch the inner ring. You will stitch down anywhere you want to remove batting, you just don't have to do all the say...individual feathers. And if you mess up....don't worry, just loop around and sew where you need to as the water soluable is going to go away anyhow.

Those are some by Fiskars that I like for this purpose. Yes, the tips are fairly rounded. I saw some at Wally's the other day, I think for $11 bucks. I paid more for mine but love them.

LOL...you are ALL welcome...I better go get that guest room ready :wink:

Thanks for the Tute, Patti. I am going to try this soon, I hope.

Thanks for the great tutorial, I have always been a fond love of it but never seen it done like this. I have seen it where you have to cut a hole in your quilt and stuff it but never like this where you do it before you add your backing. I have a question regarding the quilting, can I still do hand quilting around the design as I am not good at machine quilting and love to hand quilt.

Thanks again
Judy

Brilliant tute! Definitely going to try this! There are scissors called 'duck bills' that would be ideal for this - I was going to get some for a raw edge applique technique I do where you sew an overlap of fabric then trim the top layer back to the stitching line and then couch yarn over this to hide it. Anyway (waffle, waffle :mrgreen: ) those same scissors would be great for this too! Duck bill applique scissors. :D

I even took a class, but this is a great refresher course as I love the look, thanks a bunch

On the first pic ( I think) it looks like you have your FMQ foot on the machine - can you use a regular foot and do it like regular stitching ?

Thanks for the great instructions -you made it possible for me to try it.

Very interesting. thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the great tutorial. I will put this on my list of new things to try.

Judy, yes, you can do the whole thing by hand if you prefer. It would be exactly the same steps. First quilting just the batting and the top, then trim, then sandwich and quilt as normal. You could actually just baste the Poly batting down to trim it if you would prefer, then remove the basting stitches after you quilt your sandwich.

Yup K, those duck bill scissors would be wonderful! These are just the ones I picked up to use.

Sharon, If you are doing your trapunto in a straight line, yes, you certainly could. I generally do trapunto work in curved type of designs, thats why I use that foot or even my BSR. For the curvey designs..I think this type of foot would work better...you would drop your feed dogs as well.

I use your method, and as an extra tip, Pamela Naylor uses two pieces of batting to put into the trapunto shape and when she cuts them, she tapers or steps the cutting, so that when you are sewing the final layer your machine foot is not butting or banging against the edge but smoothly undulates. I will try the graduated method on my next one.

Got my water soluble thread today. now I just need to start another project for this. LOL

Oh and big tip: you know how you sometimes wet your thread when you thread your needle? Probably won't work as good with water soluble thread. tee hee! :D

This is a fabulous tutorial. I'm going to give this a try. Word of warning. Be sure you don't get confused what is the water soluable thread and which isn't. Could be bad on the first washing of your next quilt. Thank you so much for the time and thought you put into this tutorial.

Holy cow! Wouldn't that be the pits! I can totally see that happening to me. ROFL

Thanks, that was a great tutorial.

I think I got the thread part, but most markers wash away also.