I really like embroidered blocks in a quilt. I use any cotton fabric and especially like tone-on-tone or soft prints for the background. I use Perle cotton and back the block with white flannel. I make sure I wash both fabrics in HOT water and dry in the dryer to take care of any shrinkage. (Flannel I wash twice) The flannel gives a nice softness to the embroidery work and eliminates shadows. I use a Sewline pencil and a lightbox to trace the patterns because it washes out and comes in several colors.