Stitch-and-Flip Trivet (In-the-Hoop)

In this exciting new technique, creating a pieced quilting in the hoop trivet is a breeze! With only the cotton batting and backpiece needing a printed dieline, this technique is a great scrap stashbuster.

Each stitch-and-flip file comes with a PDF planning sheet guide of the design to plan out your piecing. You can use the colors recommended on the sheet or have fun coloring to match your creative vision!

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files and some are dieline files labeled with "DL". Dieline files are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software.

We recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchased made through this link.)

If you do not have embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on dielines

Use temporary spray adhesive and lightly spray the back side of your printed dieline and smooth it over cotton batting.

Cut out the shape for the cotton batting.

Use the temporary spray adhesive to spray the back side of the Insul-bright and smooth it in place on the wrong side of the back fabric piece. Then light spray the back side of the back piece paper dieline, and smooth that on top of the Insul-bright. 

Repeat to cut out the back piece following the shape of the dieline. 

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer tightly, with no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline file.) The first thing to stitch is the batting dieline or outline. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the cotton batting to be placed. We are using a contrasting color for this tutorial so that it is easier to see.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer, and smooth the cotton batting within the shape of the stitched dieline.

Attach the hoop back on to the machine, the next step to stitch out will be the tackdown. A tackdown will hold the cotton batting in place for the remainder of the design.

The next thing to stitch will be the piecing guide. The numbers that stitch on the guide indicate the order that the pieces are put down.

The design comes with a PDF planning sheet guide of the design to test colors and plan out your fabric piecing. The number order is also on the PDF to make the project easy to follow!

Now it’s time to start your stitch-and-flip fabric piecing. For this and all subsequent steps, take the hoop off the machine between each of the applique steps to avoid bumping the embroidery arm and causing misalignment. 

The first section to sew is marked with the number 1 on both the PDF planning sheet and the stitched placement guide. Take your first piece of fabric and cut it to be roughly ½-1” larger on each side than its section.

Place the first piece right side up over the first section. Secure it with a piece of masking or painter’s tape. 

Stitch the “first piece tackdown.” Then remove the tape. 

Using a pair of applique scissors, roughly trim away excess fabric that reaches into other pieced sections to be about ¼” from the tackdown line.

Cut out the second piece of fabric roughly 1” larger than the next section.

Place the second piece with the right-side face down so that the edge of the piece overlaps the piecing guideline but is next to section 2, not on top of it. If you are looking at the stitched piecing guide, the numbers are attached to the line that the fabric should overlap. On the PDF planning sheet, these lines are indicated with arrows. Once again, secure with a piece of tape.

Stitch the “second piece stitchline,” then remove the tape.

Flip the fabric over along the stitched edge so that the right side is facing up. The fabric piece will now be covering its section. Use a piece of tape to secure the fabric in place. For best results, try to have the tape on the edge of the fabric piece, away from the stitching area.

After flipping, the next tackdown stitch sews. Remove the tape after stitching is completed.

If you have a lot of fabric outside the tackdown that is covering up the piecing guide, it can be helpful to roughly trim away excess fabric using applique scissors to be about ¼” from the tackdown before embroidering the next piece’s stitchline.

Repeat the previous five steps until all sections in the stitched piecing guide have been covered with the applique pieces. Stop before sewing the final border or any inner details.

Use applique scissors to trim excess fabric from around the outside border of the design. Cut as close as possible to prevent fabric from peeking out under the satin stitch finishing border.

If you would like to add a hanger, before sewing the "back piece tackdown" step remove the hoop from the machine, and turn it over so the back side of the embroidery is facing up.To add a hanger onto the trivet, cut a length of ribbon 7" long, and make it into a loop. Then tape the loop into place along the top center edge of the trivet.

Then spray the back side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive, and smooth it inside the shape on the back side of the embroidery.

As all the bobbin stitching from here on out will be seen from both sides, wind bobbins to match the remaining thread colors used in the design.

Follow the color change sheet to embroider the rest of the color change steps.

Once the embroidery is finished, carefully tear the excess stabilizer away from the outside of the trivet.

Stitch-and-flip trivet designs are a great way to work through your fabric scraps while creating an impressive, pieced quilting effect!