Discovering the Anita Goodesign Dollhouse Quilt Pattern
Embarking on a sewing journey always brings its own set of challenges and delights. It was the Anita Goodesign Dollhouse Quilt Pattern that captured my heart when I first laid eyes on it. With two lovely daughters at home, I felt an urge to craft this quilt for them before they moved past their doll-playing days.
To bring my vision to life, I upgraded to the Brother Luminaire XP2 from my reliable 5×7 embroidery machine. This allowed me to craft the 10 5/8″ x 16″ blocks essential for the quilt. The result? A breathtaking Dollhouse Quilt I am excited to showcase to you, along with some valuable insights from my journey!
Personal Touches to My Quilt
I opted for a 3-tier quilt design, mirroring the rooms of our own home. Below are snapshots of my top picks among the dollhouse rooms:
- The restroom
- The culinary space
- My haven – the sewing zone
- The elegant living area featuring a musical touch with a piano
- A replica of my kids’ room with miniatures of our family
- The main bedroom, albeit captured at a slight tilt by my dear spouse
- The welcoming doorways
What thrilled me most was how I utilized materials from our home for the applique. For instance, the fabric for the children’s bed came from one of their old tops, while some other details were crafted using my spouse’s old work attire and even a worn-out robe. Each fabric has its own story, making this quilt truly unique and personal!
Materials and Tools
Every craftwork needs the right set of tools and materials. Here’s a rundown of what I used:
- 80/20 cotton/polyester batting. Unlike pure polyester batting which can be tricky, this blend worked wonders for me.
- For rooms, I employed fusible interfacing for the rear of wall, tile, and wooden floor fabrics. This ensured a more stable stitch, especially on dense designs.
- I applied Heatnbond Lite on the reverse side of most applique materials. This prevented the edges from fraying, providing the fabric the needed durability against dense stitching.
- The dollhouse’s walls, wooden and tile floors, sky, and grass were made of quilting cotton. The restroom’s tile floor boasted a gray satin touch.
- I opted for off-white broadcloth for the partitions, even though it posed some challenges during the process.
- The roof material also served as the binding and backing. For this, I used a quilting cotton piece procured from Hobby Lobby.
- The quilt backing was affixed using clear Sulky monofilament thread with the MuVit dual feed foot. Despite being a challenging step, it was a necessary part of the process.
- For precise fabric cuts, I employed the AccuQuilt Go! and its 2.5″ strip creator. An indispensable tool in my crafting kit!
- The quilt’s label was embroidered on an off-white twill and meticulously hand-stitched onto it. The final touch was a store-bought quilt sleeve, stitched by hand.
Valuable Insights and Recommendations
Creating the Dollhouse Quilt was an enlightening experience, filled with lessons and discoveries:
- For a personalized stitch-out color scheme, pre-plan stops in embroidery software.
- Carefully trim batting to ensure smooth block borders.
- Steer clear of cotton fabric that may fray, especially for the dolls.
- Use heavy-duty water-soluble stabilizer for free-standing appliques.
- A combination of clapper and steam can help manage bulky seams.
- Ensure proper adherence of the quilt top to the backing for a seamless stitch.
- Stay cautious when using vinyl in your designs. Avoid ironing it at all costs!
Final Glimpse
The Anita Goodesign Dollhouse Quilt has been a rewarding two-month endeavor, and I’m ecstatic with the outcome. I hope my experiences shed light on your crafting journey, and do reach out if you’ve tried this embroidery quilt or have queries about mine!
Quilt Summary
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Machine | Brother Luminaire XP2 |
| Main Fabric | Quilting Cotton |
| Binding & Backing | Quilting Cotton from Hobby Lobby |
| Key Tool | AccuQuilt Go! |
| Duration | Less than 2 months |