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Golden 125th Anniversary Quilt-Along – Month 1 Part 2

Welcome back to the BERNINA 125th Anniversary Quilt-Along!  I’m BERNINA Expert and Amanda Murphy and in this post I’ll get you started on the optional embroidered cornerstone motifs for this quilt.  (If you would rather skip the embroidery I’ll give you some other options at the end of this post.)   

The BERNINA 125th Anniversary Quilt.

 

A detail of the cornerstone in the BERNINA 125th Anniversary Quilt.

First, I’d like to cover some questions I’ve been receiving about the embroidery.  I’m so excited to announce that BERNINA has decided to give out the embroidery files for this quilt to all of you!  Thank you, BERNINA! This includes the file for this month, which you can download HERE. The other embroidery files will be coming out in subsequent months. (The quilting files will be available exclusively as part of the BERNINA 125th Anniversary Collection, which also features dozens of additional embroidery designs as well.)  Both the embroidery and the digitized quilting files are optional as far as the quilt-along is concerned, so please don’t feel you must have an embroidery machine to participate.  

Just a few of the motifs from the Jubilee embroidery collection.

You have many thread choices.  I embroidered the original quilt with Yenmet S14 Mayan Gold Metallic.  Embroidering with metallic creates a spectacular look, but it does take patience as you have to go at about 1/3 the speed of an embroidery using polyester threads.  I went through 4 spots of Mayan Gold for the original quilt while I only used 2 spools of Isacord for the red version. 

If you choose to embroider with metallic, I would recommend using a metallic needle and  lowering the top tension and using a similar color of Isacord (I used 0741) in the bobbin just to be safe.  I tried using embroidery bobbin thread as well but I liked how the metallic behaved with the Isacord in the bobbin better.  I also turned off my automatic thread cutting when using the metallic.   

How I threaded the metallic for best results on my BERNINA 790 Plus AE.

If you are making the original version of the BERNINA 125th Anniversary Quilt with the gold fabrics but you’d rather use a polyester embroidery thread for a faster and easier finish, I’d recommend Isacord 0721.  It is a great shade for this quilt and has a lovely sheen. 

The files for this piece have placement lines for your fabric to help make things easier. As usual, I’ve made a video to help you along. 

The instructions for the embroidery are on page 7 of the free PDF instructions we gave out earlier in the month.  You can download them HERE.

If you choose to opt out of the embroidery shown you have a few options: 

  1. You can choose a different embroidered design. Note that this motif has a 57 mm diameter.  We piece very close to the design on the diagonal, so I wouldn’t recommend selecting a design that is any bigger and I’d stick with a circle.  A design of this size with square corners would also not work well. 
  2. You can choose an interesting fabric that contrasts well with Fabric E, the octagonal framework of the quilt.
  3. You can fussy-cut a fabric.  This would be an excellent place to use a medallion-style print.  Keep in mind that you will only see the area near the center of the block. 
  4. You can purchase the Jubilee embroidery panel and back the motifs on it with paper-backed fusible web and appliqué them down to the fabric squares. 

 

 

There are 12 of these embroideries to complete before we piece these cornerstone blocks in November.   

That is it!  I’ll be back on October 3rd to get you started on the other half of the feature blocks. 

If you have questions please comment below and I’ll try to help.  You can also join me in my Facebook Group, Quilting with Amanda Murphy. (link is https://www.facebook.com/groups/free.motion.quilting.idea.book/) 

Share how you are progressing on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #bernina125 and #125yearsBERNINA.

Happy quilting and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BERNINA!  

Amanda Murphy 

BERNINA Expert/Quilting and Longarm Spokesperson 

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  • Carrie Swartzbaugh EditEditing comments on the BERNINA blog is only possible after logging in with a blog user account. Sign up now or create a user account if you do not have one yet.

    I’m having a lot of trouble getting the embroidery cornerstone to work out, in fact I had to order more fabric to continue to practice. I know I am a novice at embroidery as this is my 1st experience with embroidery in quilts. I sincerely love the look, though. I have a brand new Bernina 770QE the anniversary edition, but I can’t get the cornerstones to stitch out correctly. Can you give me some hints? Such as the needle I should use with the isacord thread or a tension adjustment? My module stops frequently during the session and the circle either overlaps or comes short of a complete circle. I have tried for several weekends now and still haven’t got an acceptable result. I even bought the Jubilee thumb drive and I can’t get any of the designs to work. Do you think my embroidery module is defective?

  • Sylvia Lanza EditEditing comments on the BERNINA blog is only possible after logging in with a blog user account. Sign up now or create a user account if you do not have one yet.

    Although I haven’t been able to begin the project, I have been following the process with interest.  The quilt is exquisite!  I hope to buy the kit soon, and I have downloaded the embroidery files.  However, I find that in the download files, motifs 1, 2, 10, 14 and 16 are missing.  A couple of them are part of the quilt.  Are there plans to make these available?

    Sylvia

    • Amanda Murphy EditEditing comments on the BERNINA blog is only possible after logging in with a blog user account. Sign up now or create a user account if you do not have one yet.

      Thanks!  All of the embroidery files I used are going to be available as free downloads.  The quilting files I used, which are optional to finishing the quilt, and many additional files are available for purchase as part of the Jubilee 125th Anniversary Embroidery Collection.  Hope this clears things up!

       

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