Table of Contents
- Primer: What Ruth’s Method Achieves (and When to Use It)
- Prep: Materials, Files, and Cutting the 12 Blocks
- Setup: Hooping, Floating, and Smart Thread Choices
- Operation: Stitch-by-Stitch Workflow for One Block
- Quality Checks: Flatness, Alignment, and a Clean Back
- Results & Handoff: Finished Blocks and Next Steps
- Troubleshooting & Recovery: Puckers, Pins, and Safer Alternatives
- From the comments: Quick answers to frequent questions
Video reference: “Bugsy Bunny SDS 1136 Joining Quilt Squares - Ruth’s Way” by the original creator.
A crisp, clean front—and a back that looks just as good. That’s the promise of this quilt block method: hoop your stabilizer, float your top fabric to avoid hoop marks, then integrate the backing with a final, neat stitch pass. You’ll finish each block ready to assemble, without raw mess on the reverse.
What you’ll learn
- How to hoop Vilene H640 (iron-on Pellon) and float your top fabric for a mark-free front.
- How to match bobbin color to your backing to get a professional reverse.
- When to pin—and when not to—as a last-resort fix for puckering.
- The exact cutting sizes for top, backing, and stabilizer so the method repeats cleanly for all 12 blocks.
Primer: What Ruth’s Method Achieves (and When to Use It) This approach creates machine-embroidered quilt squares with a neat finish both front and back. You’ll hoop just the stabilizer (Vilene H640), float the top fabric over it, complete the interior design, then add the backing fabric for the final stitch pass so the reverse shows coordinated stitching rather than bobbin chatter. It’s ideal for blocks featuring character or motif designs, plus decorative quilting blocks that show nicely on both sides.
- Quilt plan: 12 blocks arranged three across and four down.
- Color story: pink top fabric; purple backing fabric; a complementary border fabric (Bow & Arrow – Designer Collection; number shown on the selvage).
- Stabilizer: Vilene H640, commonly referred to as iron-on Pellon.
Quick check
- Your goal is a finished square that looks tidy on the front and the back, with the final border pass stitching through all layers cleanly.
Pro tip If you’re setting up a Janome Memory Craft 500E, this method maps neatly to the machine’s 200×200 mm hoop. Readers researching accessory options might look into janome memory craft 500e hoops for their specific setup.
Watch out If you float a fabric with stretch (not all quilting cottons are 100% cotton), un-secured areas can pucker under dense stitching.
Prep: Materials, Files, and Cutting the 12 Blocks Cut all 12 blocks before you begin so the routine stays consistent and quick. The success of this method hinges on giving yourself enough margin for floating and pinning.
Materials
- Top fabric: pink, cut 300 × 300 mm (about 12 inches).
- Backing fabric: purple, cut 320 × 320 mm (about 13 inches).
- Stabilizer: Vilene H640 (iron-on Pellon), cut 320 × 320 mm (about 13 inches).
- Threads: white; pinks (rose smoke, petal pink, orchid pink); illusion blue; green; dark burgundy. Choose shades to suit your color plan.
- Border fabric: Bow & Arrow – Designer Collection (ID printed on the selvage).
Files referenced
- Bugsy Bunny SDS 1136 and additional weekly “in-the-hoop” designs (the video also references a correction for a block number—see From the comments).
Layout - Quilt layout is 3 across × 4 down.
Decision point: fabric content
- If your top fabric has any stretch (blends, knits, or loosely woven substrate), secure it to the stabilizer with temporary adhesive before stitching.
- If your top fabric is stable quilting cotton, you can float it un-sprayed—but test with a few outline stitches first.
From the comments A clarification notes one block used was SDS1264 due to mixing numbers between two quilts.
Prep checklist
- Cut top fabrics to 300 mm; backing and H640 to 320 mm.
- Gather color sequence notes and thread spools.
- Load your chosen Bugsy Bunny design for the first block.
For readers exploring accessory options, this technique remains the same whether you use a standard hoop or alternative hooping aids people often research, such as magnetic embroidery hoops for janome 500e.
Setup: Hooping, Floating, and Smart Thread Choices Hoop stabilizer only - Place Vilene H640 in your 200×200 mm hoop. Center carefully; the stabilizer should be smooth and taut across the frame.
Float the top fabric
- Place the hoop on the machine, then lay the 300 × 300 mm top fabric centered over the stabilizer. Do not hoop the fabric. This avoids hoop marks on the front.
- Find center marks, align, and smooth gently.
Threading plan and color sequence
- Begin with white if your design calls for it first (the sample sequence includes white, rose smoke, illusion blue, petal pink, orchid pink, green, and dark burgundy). Have notes handy so you can skip and revisit a color if needed.
- A useful trick used here: move or plan the border-like pass to stitch last, and match the bobbin to the backing color so the reverse looks tidy.
Quick check - Stabilizer hooped taut? Top fabric centered and flat? First thread color on the machine?
Pro tip If you can reorder colors in software, put the outline/border-style pass last so it secures all layers. If you can’t reorder, stitch the interior colors first and return to the border pass at the end as shown here.
Setup checklist
- Stabilizer hooped and centered; top fabric ready to float.
- Thread sequence notes nearby.
- Bobbin plan: change to match the backing before the final pass.
Readers who prefer different hooping hardware sometimes explore tools like hoop master embroidery hooping station or embroidery magnetic hoops. The technique described here still relies on the same fundamentals: stabilizer hooped, top fabric floated, backing added for the last pass.
Operation: Stitch-by-Stitch Workflow for One Block 1) Start the interior stitching - With the top fabric floated and white loaded, begin stitching the interior elements. Keep an eye out for fabric lift or drag if your top has any stretch.
Expected result
- The machine begins the design cleanly; the fabric lies flat without traveling.
2) Watch for puckers—and respond early - If you observe fabric buckling, stop immediately and assess. The captured footage shows puckers appearing when a stretchy top fabric was floated without adhesive. The immediate workaround shown was to pin the floated fabric all around the hooped stabilizer and resume.
Watch out Pins can be dangerous. Keep them far from the stitch path and be mindful of hands under the needle.
Pro tip For subsequent blocks, secure the floated top fabric with a temporary adhesive spray rather than pins to prevent puckering on stretchy fabrics.
Expected result
- After securing, the stitching continues with improved surface flatness.
3) Prepare for the final pass (backing integration)
- Pause before the last border-style pass. Remove the hoop from the machine.
- Change the bobbin to a color that matches your backing (here: a dark burgundy to blend with purple backing). This is the key to a neat-looking reverse.
- Place the backing fabric (wrong side up) centered under the hooped stabilizer/top. Pin the layers together, and fold any excess backing away from the hoop attachment so it won’t snag.
Quick check
- Bobbin now matches the backing? Backing centered and secured? Excess folded clear of the hoop clip?
4) Stitch the final pass to secure all layers - Reattach the hoop and run the last pass. This simultaneously completes the design and stitches the sandwich together so the reverse shows coordinated color, not stray bobbin contrasts.
Expected result - A tidy finish on the back with the matched bobbin thread, and a clean border or final outline on the front.
Operation checklist
- Interior design stitched on floated top.
- Puckers addressed (adhesive recommended for future blocks).
- Bobbin changed; backing added; final pass stitched through all layers.
If you’re comparing options for your kit, you may encounter product lines like dime snap hoop or magnetic hoops. Regardless of accessories, the core sequence above remains the same.
Quality Checks: Flatness, Alignment, and a Clean Back
- Surface flatness: The top should lie smooth, without tunnels or ripples through dense fills.
- Alignment: The design elements should sit centered on the square; outer passes should be parallel to block edges.
- Reverse finish: On the backing, the final pass should look intentional and tidy, with the matched bobbin thread blending in.
Quick check Hold the block up to the light and sight along the border stitches; they should look even and uninterrupted front to back.
Pro tip If your machine occasionally breaks thread on the reverse during dense areas, rethread and check tension before resuming the final pass.
Readers who use alternate hoop types often combine this method with accessories like embroidery magnetic hoops to minimize hoop marks on delicate fronts; the underlying quality checks do not change.
Results & Handoff: Finished Blocks and Next Steps At this stage, each block is a three-layer unit: top fabric with the motif, Vilene H640 in the middle, and a matching-color stitch pattern on the backing. The result is a clean, assembly-ready square.
- You now have the first finished block and a repeatable system for the remaining eleven.
- The border fabric (Bow & Arrow – Designer Collection) is reserved for the quilt’s outer frame.
- The subsequent assembly and joining of blocks (3 × 4 layout) proceed after all pieces are stitched using the same approach per block.
From here, organize blocks by design theme and color balance before joining to ensure a cohesive overall layout.
If you’re optimizing your workstation, some readers research tools such as hoopmaster or brother magnetic embroidery hoop to streamline repeatable alignment. Use what fits your machine and space; the sandwich-plus-final-pass logic stays identical.
Troubleshooting & Recovery: Puckers, Pins, and Safer Alternatives Symptom → Likely cause → Fix
- Puckering mid-design → Floated fabric with stretch wasn’t secured → Pause and secure fabric; for future blocks, use temporary adhesive spray to bond fabric to hooped H640 before stitching.
- Needle hazard from pins → Pins near stitch path or fingers → Keep pins outside the path; prefer adhesive spray instead for prevention.
- Backing misalignment → Backing not centered or excess caught near the hoop clip → Remove hoop, re-center backing, fold excess away from attachment, re-pin, then resume.
- Messy reverse color → Bobbin not matched to backing before the final pass → Change to a matching bobbin color prior to the last outline/border stitch.
Quick check Before the last pass, verify three things: (1) bobbin matches backing, (2) backing is centered, and (3) excess backing fabric is folded clear of the hoop attachment.
Watch out Do not let pins overlap the needle’s travel zone. Move them further out than you think you need.
Pro tip Make a dry run: with the hoop reattached but before stitching, move the needle around the border path to confirm no pins or folds sit in the stitch trajectory.
For equipment planning, some readers evaluate accessories like magnetic embroidery hoops for brother or brother magnetic hoop when looking to reduce hoop burn or speed repeat setups. Apply the same safety and clearance checks.
From the comments: Quick answers to frequent questions
- What size are the blocks? The top fabric is 300 × 300 mm (about 12 inches). The backing and stabilizer are 320 × 320 mm (about 13 inches). A 200 × 200 mm hoop is shown.
- Do you use stabilizer? Yes—Vilene H640 (iron-on Pellon) is hooped, and the top fabric is floated over it.
- Can I multi-hoop these designs? The workflow shown uses a single 200 × 200 mm hoop per block; multi-hooping isn’t demonstrated here.
- What if my fabric is like scuba? Stretch fabrics tend to pucker when floated un-sprayed. Use temporary adhesive to bond the top to the hooped stabilizer before stitching.
- Design number clarification: A note clarifies a block was SDS1264 due to a numbering mix-up between two quilts.
If you’re comparing hoop options for other machines in your studio, you may come across phrases like brother pr 680w or magnetic hoops for embroidery machines during research. The technique here—hoop stabilizer, float top, add backing at the end—translates across platforms, provided your hoop size fits the design.