Process Questions

I have had a few emails asking about how I embroider and quilt my 5x7" quiltlets.
All my fabrics are fused using Wonder-Under. I don't fuse my batting.
The quilt tops are fused to the batting, Hobbs Heirloom Cotton, 80/20 and I use pearl cotton threads, size 8, or cotton embroidery floss, usually three strands at a time. The needles are embroidery needles, and what size they are is undetermined. Usually I just look for my needles and whatever I find, I use. I try to use the finest needle that will fit the thread through the eye.

The batting is heavy enough to provide stability so that I don't need a hoop to hand stitch. When the embroidery is done, I will finish off the quilt with machine quilting, sometimes free motion and sometimes just feed dogs up. When everything is quilted and stitched, I will find a piece of fused fabric that is the right color, and cut it to 5 1/2 X 7 1/2". I cut a 1/4" square out of each corner and placing the quilt top on the backing fabric, I will turn the edges to the front and fuse them down on the quilt top. This finishes off the composition, and then I will take it back to the machine and stitch down the edges, using a decorative stitch.
The handwork is hidden on the back and the only quilting that goes through all three layers is at the edge. Then I sign the piece, date it and package it into the clear envelopes from www.clearbags.com.
I also insert a piece of acid free matboard to provide stability. These are also from the same company.