Baby Animal Applique Quilt

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There’s something undeniably heart-melting about baby animals, and when they’re stitched into a cozy quilt, the charm multiplies! This Baby Animal Applique Quilt uses your embroidery machine to bring together soft fabrics, sweet faces, and the precision of modern stitching techniques. Each block features an adorable embroidered applique design, layered with texture and detail, then frames them with bright color and movement to create a quilt that’s as cuddly as it is eye-catching! Whether you’re making it for a nursery, a baby shower gift, or simply to celebrate your love of quilting and embroidery, this project blends creativity and craftsmanship into one irresistibly sweet keepsake.

Supplies

Fabrics

  • Scraps of Red, Orange, Yellow, Purple, and White depending on the designs selected
  • Green Quilter’s Cotton – 1 yard – Fabric yardage of the Green Quilter’s Cotton is based on a 10” x 15” hooping. Fabric and stabilizer amounts may vary depending on hoop size.
  • Red Quilter’s Cotton – 1/2 yard
  • Orange Quilter’s Cotton – 1/2 yard
  • Yellow Quilter’s Cotton – 1/2 yard
  • Blue Quilter’s Cotton – 1/4 yard
  • Purple Quilter’s Cotton – 1/4 yard
  • White Quilter’s Cotton – 1/4 yard
  • Batting – 42″ square
  • Backing – 1 1/4 yards
  • Binding – 1/2 yard

Cutting

Green

  • 2, 15” x WOF (embroidered block background)
  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

Red

  • 3, 2 1/2″ x WOF (pieced blocks)
  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

Orange

  • 3, 2 1/2″ x WOF (pieced blocks)
  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

Yellow

  • 3, 2 1/2″ x WOF (pieced blocks)
  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

Blue

  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

Purple

  • 2, 2” x WOF (pieced border)

White

  • 2, 1 1/4” x 27” (inner border)                  
  • 2, 1 1/4” x 29” (inner border)

Embroidery – Strip Hooping Applique Blocks

Step 1

Cut 2 strips of Fusible Woven 15” by the length of the green fabric which should be between 40” and 44”. Apply the Fusible Woven to the back of the green fabric according to the package instructions.

Step 2

Apply SoftWeb to the back of applique fabric. This gives the fabric more body and it is easier to trim the fabric in the hoop. After the fabric is trimmed, the applique can be pressed, which fuses the applique fabric to the background fabric.

Step 3

Measure 5 1/2” from the selvage edge and draw a line. Draw another line halfway up the vertical line to denote the center of the block and embroidery design. Note: After the designs are embroidered, they will be trimmed to 9 1/2”. To give plenty of room for squaring the blocks, allow 11” of space when embroidering each block.

Step 4

Using the OESD Grippy Grid, hoop one layer of Heavy Weight TearAway and the green fabric with the drawn crosshair centered. Note: We selected Heavy Weight TearAway for the appliques as the applique designs have a satin outline that makes removing the excess stabilizer from around the design easy, but we are leaving it behind the design as it gives a little bit of body.

Step 5

Embroider the desired design. Design PK10119-01, Baby Lion Applique, is shown here.

Step 6

Unhoop the design. Carefully tear away the stabilizer from the outside of the design.

Step 7

Press the design, right side down, on a Perfect Embroidery Press Cloth.

Step 8

For the second design, measure 11” from the vertical center marking of the first design. This is the vertical center of the second design. Draw another line halfway up the vertical line to denote the center of the block and embroidery design.

Step 9

Using the Grippy Grid, hoop one layer of Heavy Weight TearAway and the green fabric with the drawn crosshair centered. Embroider the desired design. Remove the stabilizer and press as done before. Design PK10119-06, Baby Giraffe Applique, is shown here.

Step 10

Cut 5 1/2” from the Lion center line, between the Lion and Giraffe designs. The Lion should be on a piece of fabric that is approximately 11” x 15”.

Step 11

Repeat Steps 8 – 10 for the third design. Repeat Steps 8 – 10 for the fourth design, but also make sure the vertical center is at least 5” from the selvage edge. Using this method, embroider a total of 5 designs. We embroidered the Baby Lion, Baby Hippo, Baby Tiger, Baby Zebra, and Baby Giraffe.

Embroidery – Piecing In-the-Hoop Rail Fence Blocks

Step 12

Gather the 2 1/2” strips of Yellow, Orange, and Red. If you want to work with smaller pieces of fabric, crosscut the strips into 2 1/2” x 6 1/2” pieces. Using the Grippy Grid, hoop one layer of PolyMesh Fusible with the fusible (shiny) side up. Note: We selected Fusible PolyMesh as we love the ability to fuse fabric pieces down as you go, and the stability it provides to the finished blocks gives a great finish. Remember to use a medium iron!

Step 13

Load design 51229-06 Rail Fence Small into the machine. Thread the machine with a neutral color. Stitch Machine Step 1, Design & Placement Guide 1.

Step 14

Remove the hoop from the machine, but not the project from the hoop. Cover the center placement with orange fabric, right side up. We are using a long strip of fabric, so we’re centering the fabric with about the same amount of fabric on the left and right hand sides but overlapping the bottom stitch line by about 1/4” or so. Press in place with a medium warm iron.

Step 15

Return the hoop to the machine. Stitch Machine Step 2, Placement Guide 2.

Step 16

Remove the hoop from the machine, but not the project from the hoop. Trim the fabric away from the left side of the placement line. Place the yellow fabric, right side down, on top of the orange fabric with the edge aligned with the placement line.

Step 17

Return the hoop to the machine. Stitch Machine Step 3, Tackdown & Fold Line 2.

Step 18

Remove the hoop from the machine, but not the project from the hoop. Fold the yellow fabric open. Press in place with a medium warm iron.

Step 19

Return the hoop to the machine. Stitch Machine Step 4, Placement Guide 3.

Step 20

Remove the hoop from the machine, but not the project from the hoop. Trim the fabric away from the right side of the placement line. Place the red fabric, right side down, on top of the orange fabric with the edge aligned with the placement line.

Step 21

Return the hoop to the machine. Stitch Machine Step 5, Tackdown & Fold Line 3.

Step 22

Remove the hoop from the machine, but not the project from the hoop. Fold the red fabric open. Press in place with a medium warm iron.

Step 23

Return the hoop to the machine. Stitch Machine Step 6, Stay Stitch.

Step 24

Trim just outside the Stay Stitch. Press well with a medium warm iron.

Step 25

Make 15 more Rail Fence Small blocks following the above instructions.

Assembly

Step 26

Using embroidery software such as Embroidery Tool Shed, print the designs embroidered, with crosshairs, on Print and Stick Target Paper. Trim the Print and Stick Target Paper down and place the sticky side over the top of the embroidery. This makes finding the center of the designs quick and easy. Using the crosshairs on the template sheets as a guide, trim all the Animal Applique blocks to 9 1/2” x 9 1/2” with the embroidery centered.

Step 27

Lay out the Rail Fence blocks as shown. Stitch the Rail Fence blocks together a 1/4” away from the stay stitch line. The completed block will be 9 1/2” x 9 1/2” when sewn together.

Step 28

Lay out the quilt blocks as shown. Stitch the blocks together with a 1/4” seam allowance.

Step 29

Sew the 1 1/4” x 27 1/2” white inner border pieces to the left and right sides of the quilt top with a 1/4” seam allowance. Sew the 1 1/4” x 29 1/2” white inner border pieces to the top and bottom sides of the quilt top with a 1/4” seam allowance

Step 30

Gather the 2” x WOF strips of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. Stitch together in order with a 1/4” seam allowance.

Step 31

Cross cut the strip sets into 5” strips.

Step 32

Stitch the strip sets together to form the four borders as shown in the diagram. Then sew the borders onto the quilt top in the same way as the inner border. Tip: Label the borders before attaching them to the quilt to make sure they are positioned correctly.

Step 33

Sandwich the quilt top with backing and batting. Quilt and bind as desired.

Step 34

The project is complete. Enjoy!

JOIN US IN THE OESD COMMUNITY!

We hope you enjoyed this machine embroidery tutorial! Have you stitched your own Baby Animal Applique Quilt? Come show off your work in our private Facebook group, The Perfect Stitch!