Quilting with an embroidering machine
 

I have a sewing machine that has an embroidery module. I've been collecting quilting designs that I can use to make a quilt, but I can't figure out just how to hoop the fabric and stabilizer and backing when doing a quilt block.

I have a roll of washaway paper stabilizer that washes away and leaves a flurry of snowflake like fluff like you'd find in the wash after putting a kleenex through the washing machine when washed. The fluff is suppose to just add a little extra batting to the bat that I used for the quilt. Then, I have to add the backing to the quilt block to keep the snowflakes from getting all over in the wash and clog up the drains. However, the hoops for the machine will not hold that thickness, so I had to hoop a piece of washaway stabilizer and them pin the quilt sandwich to the washaway. So it goes like this:

Quilt fabric
batting
leave in stabilizer
quilt backing fabric
washaway stabilizer

This just can't be right! There has to be a better way to stabilize the quilt in a hoop. Can anyone share how they do it?

Forget the stabilizer. If you are quilting a block at a time, try hooping just the backing then adding the batting and the topping square. You may like to use a touch of spray or drops of washaway adhesive, or use a large stitch to sew an outline around the edge of the embroidery area to hold it all together - I do pin mine mostly if I know they will not be in the way of the needle.
If you are tackling a whole quilt, I just use A4 paper in the hoop, or sometimes a stabilizer. Then pin/glue/stitch around the edge, turn it all over and trim the inner section of the stabilizer/paper away. I sometimes use a sticky stabilizer for this, but it's only good for 3 or 4 uses and the tacky is gone. Some use that rubbery drawer liner in this way. When you un-sew the holding stitches or un-pin, you shouldn't need to re-hoop often.

Hope this helps

I don't use stabilizer in my hoop when I'm doing quilting designs. The quilt sandwich is plenty stable enough. I use an air erasable marker to make a cross hatch in the center of my block, then hoop my quilt sandwich, lining up the cross hair marking with the center marks on my hoop.
Getting a quilt sandwich in the hoop can be a pain for some machines hoops, some machines have a quilting hoop.

Cari

Stabilizer isn't needed when you are quilting,

Are your designs specific for quilting on an EMB machine or are they general designs that you are using to make quilt blocks.

Specific quilt designs will have the placement and tack down stitches built in for the design.

General EMB designs won't have these steps.

I hoop a piece of no-show-mesh first. Add and set the design into your machine.

In most designs, the first stitch is placement stitch. Cut batting about 1/2 inch larger and place over the line. Then stitch the "tack-down" stitch for batting. Trim around batting close to stitch line. This step prevents bulk from batting in the seam lines later.

Check the steps in the design and it should have a Second placement and tack down for the background fabric. You want the background fabric larger by at least 1/2 as this will be the seam allowance in quilted EMB blocks.

Stitch out the EMB design and or applique on the quilt block. When finished remove from hoop. Trim outside of the tack down outline by 1/2 inch. I use a large ruler and square up at the same time.

You can trim out the no-show mesh against the tack down line (from back of block) to eliminate bulk.

This method works for me as there is no batting and background fabric layered in the hoop.

Remember if the EMB is more than 8000 stitches it needs an extra layer of stabilizer to prevent puckers. Tear away works well. Just lay it carefully under the hoop and let the stitching catch it. No need to hoop it with the NSM (no-show-mesh).

PS: There might be a tutorial in the design pack to show how to quilt blocks.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info! The designs I'm using are made specifically for quilting. Leaving out the stabilizer will help immensely! I'll give it another go!