Pjs In the Hoop

Plant-a-Bloom
Well, the worst of the winter weather is past (we hope!), but theres always a
chance of a late frost or winter blast, so its a bit iffy to plant MOST flowers--but
not these!
This design set, largest designs for the 6x10 hoop, has lots of potential to plant
flowers wherever you wish. The 4 petal styles and optional leaves are all
created in the hoop. Then, based on which of the 4 flower configurations you
choose, the petals and leaves are attached in the hoop, the center is appliqued,
and your flower is planted! For my sample, I chose to create a cheery tote bag
and matching zippered catch-all purse (all instructions included). To help get
your creative juices flowing, I am also showing another version of the blooms as
a busy pillow front. But these choices are only the beginning, as you decide
where to plant! And best of all? No dirt on your hands!!

Supplies
NOTE: Each flower is planted on a pre-existing item or fabric piece. The 2 corner blooms
and the half bloom are designed to be on the corner or edge, respectively, of the item or
fabric, and the full bloom is designed to be positioned in a non-edge area. You will need to
plan your project according to these limitations. The pre-existing item or fabric piece is not
listed in the following supplies.
To create each of the flowers you will need:
Flower Full: Center fabric 3 x 3 and dense fleece batting (such as Pellon Thermolan
Plus), same size; optional leaves and 21 petals (fabric requirements for these listed below)
Flower Half: Center fabric 2 x 3 and dense fleece batting (such as Pellon Thermolan
Plus), same size; optional leaves and 11 petals (fabric requirements for these listed below)
Flower Quarter: Center fabric 3 x 3 and dense fleece batting (such as Pellon
Thermolan Plus), same size; optional leaves and 13 petals (fabric requirements for these
listed below)
Flower Quarter Smaller: Center fabric 3 x 3 and dense fleece batting (such as Pellon
Thermolan Plus), same size; optional leaves and 6 petals (fabric requirements for these listed
below)
For all flowers you will also need:
embroidery thread to match item on which youre planting, and embroidery thread to
coordinate with center fabric
Firm tear-away stabilizer to fit hoop
Petals:
To create any style of petals (5 petals in one hooping) you will need:
1 piece main fabric measuring 6 x 10 and 1 piece petal lining fabric to fit hoop
To create a single petal, any style, you will need:
1 piece main fabric measuring 3 x 3 and 1 piece petal lining fabric to fit hoop
Leaves:
To create 2 leaves in one hooping you will need:
1 piece main fabric and lining fabric and thin batting, each measuring 6 x 9
1 piece light-weight cut-away stabilizer to fit hoop
To create a single leaf, you will need:
1 piece main fabric and lining fabric and thin batting, each measuring 4 x 5
1 piece light-weight cut-away stabilizer to fit hoop
For all leaves or petals you will also need:
embroidery thread to match petal or leaf fabric

Design Information
Flower Full
146.9mm wide x 147.2mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line
2) Outline of all rows of petals
3) Attach optional leaves
4) Attach outer petals
5) Attach next inner row petals
6) Attach innermost row petals
7) Tackdown flower center
8) Satin outer edge flower center and detail

Flower Half
75.7mm wide x 155.6mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line
2) Outline of all rows of petals
3) Attach optional leaves
4) Attach outer petals
5) Attach next inner row petals
6) Attach innermost row petals
7) Tackdown flower center and detail
8) Satin outer edge flower center

Flower Quarter
148.6mm wide x 148.6mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line
2) Outline of all rows of petals
3) Attach optional leaves
4) Attach outer petals
5) Attach next inner row petals
6) Attach next inner row petals
7) Attach innermost row petals
8) Tackdown flower center and detail
9) Satin outer edge flower center

Flower Quarter Smaller

97.0mm wide x 96.7mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line
2) Outline of all rows of petals
3) Attach optional leaves
4) Attach outer petals
5) Attach innermost row petals
6) Tackdown flower center and detail
7) Satin outer edge flower center

Petals 1
145.9mm wide x 254.0mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petals fabric
2) Stitch petals

Petal 1 Single
75.3mm wide x 76.1mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petal fabric
2) Stitch petal

Petals 2
150.0mm wide x 254.0mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petals fabric
2) Stitch petals

Petal 2 Single
77.4mm wide x 67.2mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petal fabric
2) Stitch petal

Petals 3
150.0mm wide x 254.0mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petals fabric
2) Stitch petals

Petal 3 Single
77.0mm wide x 66.1mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petal fabric
2) Stitch petal

Petals 4
140.9mm wide x 255.3mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petals fabric
2) Stitch petals

Petal 4 Single
77.0mm wide x 66.2mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line petal fabric
2) Stitch petal

Leaves
145.3mm wide x 211.7mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line batting
2) Tackdown batting
3) Tackdown and detail leaves fabric
4) Tackdown leaves lining fabric

Leaf Single
131.6mm wide x 96.4mm high
Color stops
1) Placement line batting
2) Tackdown batting
3) Tackdown and detail leaf fabric
4) Tackdown leaf lining fabric

Petal Instructions
NOTE: This part of the tutorial will show how to create the petals. For any of the flowers, you will
need to create the petals first. To see how many petals you will need, refer to the Supplies
section of the tutorial. I will be showing Petals 2 in the tutorial.

Cut the fabric as listed in the

Supplies section of the tutorial.

Load design Petals 2 into your machine

and thread your machine with the petals
fabric color (bobbin type thread not
important.) Attach the hoop to the machine
and sew out color stop 1.

Hoop the petals lining fabric (I used

muslin for all linings).

Lay the petals fabric FACE

DOWN centered over the
markings from color stop 1.

Sew out color stop 2.

Remove the hoop from the machine

and remove this part of the project from
the hoop. Trim along the straight edges
of the petals about away, through
both thicknesses of fabric.

Cut the petals apart and leave a scant

1/8 seam allowance on all other edges.

Turn all petals right side out and press lightly.

Pleat the straight edge about and

pin in place. Do this for all the petals.

Make as many petals as you will need for the flower you
are creating--see the required number in the Supplies
section of the tutorial. Set them aside for now.
NOTE: If you are 1 or 2 petals short, rather than making
another full set of petals, you can do a few singles instead
using the Petal Single files.

Leaf Instructions
NOTE: This part of the tutorial will show how to create the leaves, which are optional. If you
intend to use leaves on your flowers, you need to create them before creating the flowers.

Cut the supplies as listed in the

Supplies section of the tutorial.

Hoop the stabilizer. Load design Leaves

into your machine. Thread your machine
with the thread that matches the leaves
fabric (bobbin type thread not important).

Attach your hoop to the machine

and sew out color stop 1.

Sew out color stop 2.

Lay the batting on the front of the

hoop so that it is centered over the
stitching from color stop 1.

Remove the hoop from the machine. Trim

the excess batting VERY close to the
stitching along the outer edge of the stitches.

This is how it will look after

you have finished trimming.

Return the hoop to the machine

and sew out color stop 3.

Lay the leaves fabric face up

centered over the batting.

Lay the leaves lining fabric face

down centered over the leaves.

Sew out color stop 4.

Trim along the curved edges of the

leaves a scant 1/8 from the stitching,
squaring off the tip of the leaves.

Remove the hoop from the machine and remove

this part of the project from the hoop. Trim along
the straight edge of the leaves through all
thicknesses about away from the stitching.

Turn right side out and press lightly. Make more

leaves if you think you would like to use more, and
if you only want 1 leaf, you can use the design file
Leaf Single. Set the leaves aside for now.

Flower Instructions
Flower Quarter
NOTE: I will be showing the detailed construction of the design Flower Quarter and using Petals 2 and
2 leaves. Any changes in the technique for the other flowers will be shown later in the tutorial.

Choose the item on which you will be planting the

flower. I am constructing a tote bag, so I have cut a piece
of home dec fabric (13 square) to use as the bag front
and another for the bag back which I will use later.

Attach the hoop to the machine

and sew out color stop 1.

Hoop the stabilizer. Load design Flower

Quarter into your machine. Thread your
machine with a thread color that matches
your item (bobbin type thread not important).

Choose which corner of the item where

you wish to plant, and lay that corner
of the item so that its edges extend
beyond the stitching from color stop 1.

This is a close-up of the item placement.

Sew out color stop 2.

Remove the hoop from the machine. Lay your leaves and petals until you have an arrangement
you like. Keep in mind the raw edges of the leaves and petals will be caught in a seam
allowance along the arcs, and the leaves will be attached along the outermost arc.

Remove all but the leaves. SLOW YOUR MACHINE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN and sew out
color stop 3, making sure the leaves stay in place and are caught in about a seam. The
machine will go along the outermost arc in a running stitch starting at the lower left edge and
then stitch back to the beginning of the stitching, so keep your finger on the start button in case
your presser foot tries to flip up the edge of a leaf. If so, stop the machine, raise the presser
foot, and lay the leaf flat before lowering the presser foot and continuing the color stop.

This is how it will look after color stop 3

has sewn out.
NOTE: If you are not using leaves,
skip color stop 3 and continue with the
following instructions.

Lay some petals along the same arc used

for the leaves. Space them evenly and
overlap if necessary. Do not have the petals
extend into the seam allowance.

MAKE SURE YOUR MACHINE IS STILL AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE FOR THE

NEXT 4 COLOR STOPS. Sew out color stop 4, stopping and starting as the
machine repeats the same path as color stop 3, to remove the pins and making
sure the presser foot does not flip up any petal edges.

Lay more petals along the next arc.

Sew out color stop 5, using the same

technique used on color stop 4.

Lay more petals along the next arc and

sew in place with color stop 6, then the
innermost arc with color stop 7.

This is how it will look after

you have finished trimming.

Remove the hoop from the machine

and trim the innermost arc petal raw
edges close to the arc stitches.

Lay the batting over the circular area

of the base item that is showing.

Lay the flower center fabric face

up centered over the batting.

Return the hoop to the machine

and sew out color stop 8.

Remove the hoop from the machine. Trim the excess batting and fabric close to
the stitching along the curved edges, being careful not to cut any of the petals.

This is how it will look after

you have finished trimming.

Remove the project from the hoop.

Tear away the excess stabilizer.

Return the hoop to the machine

and sew out color stop 9.

This flower is now planted!

Flower Quarter Smaller

The design Flower Quarter Smaller is constructed

in exactly the same way as Flower Quarter except
that there will only be 2 rows of petals instead of 4.
Both Flower Quarter designs can be rotated to
whatever orientation you need for your project.

Tote bag front so far!

Flower Full

Flower Full is constructed the same way as well, but its placement works a bit differently. It will
not be placed on the edge of the item; I am using it on the reverse side of the tote bag and I
want it in the center, so I have found the middle of that fabric piece and marked the middle.

Load design Flower Full into your

machine, hoop the stabilizer, and
sew out color stop 1.

Lay the item face up so that your center

placement mark lies in the center of the
stitched area and sew out color stop 2.

From that point on, you will proceed

exactly as you did for Flower Quarter.

Flower Half
Flower Half is constructed the same way as well, but again its placement works
a bit differently. It will be placed on the edge of the item, not the corner.

Load design Flower Half into your machine,

hoop the stabilizer, attach the hoop to the
machine, and sew out color stop 1.

Lay the item so that its edge lies past the

stitched line (I will be using Flower Half on
the zippered catch-all purse, so I am using
the fabric piece [5 x 7] for the purse front).

Close-up of how the fabric edge should

be overlaying the stitched line.

Return the hoop to the machine and sew out color stop 2.
NOTE: Since I wanted to use the Flower Half on a small purse, I advanced through
the stitches of color stop 2 so I would have only the innermost arc--the actual design
file provides 3 arcs, but that would have been too big for my purse.

Because I skipped the outer 2 arcs, I also needed to skip color stop 3, for the
leaves, color stop 4, for the outer arc of petals, and color stop 5, for the next
arc of petals. Here I have sewn out color stop 6, for the inner arc of petals.

Complete just as you did Flower Quarter.

Instructions for Zippered Catch-all Purse

To construct the purse, you will need to cut another piece of purse fabric the
same size as the piece just used (I used 5 x 7), and 2 pieces of purse
lining that same size. You will also need a polyester zipper wider than the
width of the purse (I used a 9 zipper) and a 3 piece of narrow ribbon.
You will also need to switch your machine to sewing mode.

To make the upcoming seam less bulky, fold back

the excess flower center fabric and trim away the
excess batting. You will do this on any other seams
as well during the construction of the tote bag.

Lay one of the purse lining pieces over the

Flower Half fabric piece, right sides together;
repeat with the other fabric and lining pieces.

Sew a seam on 1 long edge of the

naked purse fabric and its lining, and
on the flower half edge and its lining.

Trim the seam allowances to .

Fold the lining fabric up and over the seam

allowance and press, on both purse pieces.

Fold the excess lining fabric to the back

and press, so that the lining is peeking
to the front of the purse pieces and
encasing the seam allowances.

Switch to a zipper foot and attach the

closed zipper, stitching in the ditch
along the lining lip. The zipper will extend
beyond both ends, and thats fine.

Turn to the back side and trim the

excess purse fabric bottom edges even
with the lining fabric.

Fold a 3 piece of narrow ribbon in half. Pin in

place along one side edge of the purse so that the
cut edges of the ribbon align with the raw edges of
the fabric and the folded edge extends onto the
purse--this will become a loop on the final purse.

Fold the purse right sides together.

Pin the petals out of the way so they

will not be caught in the purse seam.
Unzip the zipper halfway.

Pin in place.

Sew a generous seam, angling the corners.

Trim the corners diagonally;

trim the excess zipper ends.

Unzip the rest of the way, turn right out side, coax
your corners to a pleasing look, and youre finished!

Instructions for Tote Bag

In addition to the bag front and back created earlier in the tutorial, you will also need:
2 strips of the tote bag fabric each measuring 18 x 3 for the bag handles; 1 piece lining fabric
13x 26; 1 ball chain or key ring to attach Zippered Catch-all Purse to tote bag handle.

Fold each of the handle pieces right

sides together lengthwise and sew the
long edges in a seam.

Turn right side out, press,

and topstitch the edges.
Set aside for now.

Lay the front and back bag

pieces right sides together.

This is how the bag will look after

you have sewn the seam.

Sew the bottom seam of the bag in a seam.

Pin the handles in matching positions

on the front of both bag top edges so
that the raw edges align and so the
handles extend onto the bag.

Lay the lining over the bag,

right sides together.

Sew the top edge and bottom edge in

seams, making sure the handles remain in
place to be caught in the seam.

Rearrange the long tube the bag has

become so that the lining sections are
together and the bag sections are
together. Make sure the seams just
sewn are aligned.

Sew the 2 long edges in a seam, leaving a

section of the lining open for turning.

Turn right side out, then sew

the lining opening closed.

Tuck the lining inside the bag, let the lining relax into position (putting a magazine
in the bag for awhile helps accomplish this), attach the Zippered Catch-all Purse to
the handle with the ball chain or key ring, and youre finished!

Pillow
To create the pillow, I used a home dec fabric for the front and planted all my
flowers, then used another piece of the same home dec fabric for the pillow back,
sewed them right sides together, leaving an opening for turning and inserting the
pillow, hand-sewed the opening afterward, and the pillow was finished!