I am doing a pieced wall hanging that I am planning to hand-embroider a quote onto, and my question is: Should I embroider the top and then quilt the thing, or batt and quilt it and then do the embroidery? If I embroider first, should I have interfacing or something behind it? Any thoughts or advice that you can offer will be greatly appreciated!

I'm doing the Winter Wonderland quilt & have muslin pinned to the backs of my blocks. My friend is using the iron-on interfacing & I prefer the softer look of the results with the muslin. Just my preference. After I embroider all the blocks, it will be sewn together and then hand quilted. If you embroider through all layers (appliquilt) you might need to use fairly big stitches which would result in a more "country look" rather than fine needlework, so guess it depends on what look you're hoping for.

When i did my last 2 wallhangings and once i had sewed all borders on (so it was the finished size) i got the batting and basted the 2 together (with no backing yet) then i did all my embroidery by hand (without a hoop) Once that was done i then added the backing and then quilted it by just quilting in the ditch. Once that was done i then trimmed off excess batting and put the binding on. My wallhangings were not large they measured roughly 23 in x 23in and they turned out well with no puckering (front or back) I used a walking foot for all the straight lines when sewing in the ditch and i think that helped it not pucker. Once i had finished the quilt i embellished it with a few buttons and beads.I also added an embroidered label on the back which i made separately and then hand stitched onto the back. The label said a friend is like an angel who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. It was for my friends 50th birthday.

I use interfacing depending on the fabric, if its a very delicate thin fabric interfacing...a more sturdy fabric no interfacing. I would either embroider it with or without the batting, but I wouldn't do it through the backing or you'll have backwards writing on the back.

Lisa, I never thought about the writing being backwards! Well I don't want that!

Blahel, I really like your method of basting the batting and then embroidering, and then quilting. I have always used a hoop for embroidery. Is it difficult to do without one? BTW, the quote I am using is about angels too! " We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another."

t-bug, what is the winter wonderland quilt?

Thanks, Ladies!

Here's a link to my Winter Wonderland pattern. http://crabapplehillstudio.com/product.asp?intProdID=2179

have you ever though of using the watersoulable stablizer we use for machine embroidery. You will still have your soft effect and don't have to worry anout taking it off.

I have never used the water soluable stuff (How do you spell that word??)
Does it come with easy to follow instructions?

to get it off you just stick it in water and it dissolves away

I believe it is spelled, "soluble"...
When I embroider (with my machine), I embroider the fabric, then put it into the quilted project as if it were any other piece. I treat it the same as if it weren't embroidered. I do use stabilizer. I usually use an iron on (permanent) stabilizer if it is something I want to really keep its shape.
I also use tear away stabilizer that stays just where the design is. The rest tears off around the design. I use the tear away most often bc I can't seem to get the iron on kind to really stick! ? I don't know why.
Well, now you have my two cents on that one.

Try one of the new tear away stabilizers. that would give you more stability and reinforce the fabric and should just tear away at the end. some people use something on the top and the bottom. A tear away underneath and dissovable one on top.

If you're doing HAND embroidery, I'm not sure using a tear away is a good idea. It would very likely loosen your stitching when you try to remove it. I haven't used the soluble for hand work either, but it might be worth a try if you don't want a product that will stay in the finished quilt.

I'm just watching this topic, because I always use interfacing for machine embroidery, but never for handwork. I would do the embroidery on a larger piece of fabric, then cut.

That makes sense Moonpi, Wish I'd thought of it before I had cut!

That is a good point t-Bug! My embroidery skills won't win any prizes and probably shouldn't risky any loosening of the stitches.

At this point, I'm thinking I will baste the batting on, embroider, then attach the backing and then quilt.

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

Lucky patsys mum no it is not hard to embroider without a hoop, just dont pull your stitches too tight and check by laying out flat every now and again to see that it isnt puckering or pulling

Someone in my quilt guild did this quilt in blue. It is wonderful. I liked it so much I went online and ordered the kit. Was unhappy that the patterns are not iron-ons. Will have to use my neighbors light box to transfer all that embrodery work. Hope it works out. Did you have to transfer the pattern, too?