Wow, great! Thanks LoRene11553. And, welcome to the board, of course!

I am working on my first attempt at this (for quite a while, stop and go LOL). I am working on a Christmas throw and quilting feathers that are built in the machine. It has been great to be able to change the size and orientation of the feathers and using different hoops to get different sizes exactly where I want them (scattered randomly). I hope someday I get it done!

I have used this method numerous times. I weigh the 1:1 hooping:block ratio against the time it will take me to FMQ. I like both methods and I think there is an advantage to each. I've only used the embroidery machine to quilt motifs in the center of blocks type of quilting. Does anyone do all over quilting with their embroidery machine??? I'm thinking like a stipple or line quilting. Is it difficult to keep it straight??

I did this dslice hooping each sq using my built in fm design. Then a decorative stitch along the seams. Gale

Here is a better picture of the built in fm design I used. Gale

I just love this thread. I don't have an embroidery machine YET. And honestly I don't know enough about them. So laugh if you must but I just have to ask dumb questions here... You hook it up to your computer and program in the design right? And hoop the fabric with the appropriate hoop for the design right? And from reading this thread I'm learning you have to have the right thickness of a hoop to quilt down the 3 layers. So in picking out an emb machine are there several brands to choose from or would I need to go to my Bernina dealer (I have a slightly older model that DH bought for me through EBay) and get one specific for my machine? I don't even know what I don't know but I want to quilt my quilts with an emb machine so bad! These designs look great and you can't imagine how bad I am at FMQ (oh I can stipple, but that's it LoL). Thanks for the advise!!!

I've just read through this thread and I had to chuckle at this post because it was/is exactly how I feel though I'm now lucky enough to be in the position to try it out on my ad hoc practice quilt which I think will have to be kept as a reminder of just how bad my first efforts at an embroidered quilt have been. At the moment I have a rather sweet fawn with puckered edges a blue and torquoise butterfly with a faulty chromosome causing white patching, a rather odd Looking appliquéd frog and a couple of rabbits enjoying a tea party, unfortunately they're sitting on their heads balancing toadstools on their feet. And now its time to try the sandwiched bit. This should be fun!

Does anyone know the largest design you can embroider without re-hooping on a Brother PE770 with a 5x7 hoop?