Enchanted Triangles Quilt

Starring 45 Triangle Blocks

The design of this quilt is based on the front panel pattern of the BERNINA 790 ULTRA.

The quilt consists of a triangle block which is used repeatedly to create a collection of 6-point stars. 
45 of these triangle blocks are needed for the quilt top. The hexagons between the stars feature two embroidered Mandala designs which are arranged on the machine with the Shaping function.

Learn how to use your machine

This quilt demonstrates how to use several wonderful features of the B 790 ULTRA:

• Ruler Quilting with the BISR
• 3-Point Placement of a BQM design
• Crop parts of an embroidery design
• Use the circle template in the "Quilting designs" folder on your machine for crisp appliqués
• Precise stitching and placement of designs with the Pinpoint Laser

Quilt Size and Preparation

• Finished size: 47” x 47” (121 x 121 cm).
• All measurements include a ​¼” seam allowance.

Spray Starch and press all fabrics used for the piecing and the applique circles. Once this is done, try not to handle the cut fabric pieces too much so they don’t fray.

Fabric 1

• Border: 3 ½” x 5.5 yards long in total.
• Backing: 57” x 57”. It is larger than the finished quilt top so you can hoop the quilt for embroidery more easily.
• Diamonds: From 3 ½” strips, cut 45 diamonds. Use the 60° marking on your ruler and cut at the 4 ½-inch mark. (See photo)

Alternative method for cutting diamonds

• If you are a confident cutter, it is also possible to sew the first silver 1 ¼” strip to the dark red strip. Press the seam allowance open and then cut.

Fabric 2

• Cut 100 triangles from 5-inch strips with a 60° ruler.
• Tip: Make sure the straight grain of the triangles is marked on the fabric – it helps to know as the straight grain edge won’t stretch and should be at the bottom of the block.

Fabric 3

• 8 x strips for the star sashing 1 ¼” wide
• 8 x strips for the star sashing 7/8” wide
• 6 x binding strips 2 ½” wide
• 6 x star center circle applique pieces 3” x 4 ½”

Set up your machine for Patchwork

• Set up a station with cutting mat, iron and pressing board next to your machine.
• Select stitch #1303 (Piecing Stitch). The default stitch length is 2mm.
• Attach the Patchwork Foot #97D and select the presser foot on the touchscreen.
• Engage the Dual Feed.
• Attach the Straight Stitch Plate and the Patchwork Seam Guide.
• Attach the Slide-on Table and Knee Lifter.
• Insert the needle and thread the machine.
• Turn on the Pinpoint Laser and engage Needle Stop Down.

Framing the bottom edges

• Sew the bottom left edge of each diamond first (if you did not use the alternative cutting method).
• To find the correct measurement of the silver strip, place the silver strip under the red diamond, both right sides facing up.
• Cut the strip matching the diamond.

• Stitch the silver strip to the diamond, right sides facing.
• Press seams open before adding the right bottom edge.
• Cut the strip matching the diamond and the first silver strip.
• Repeat the steps above for the bottom right edge.

Optimizing your workflow

Save time by sewing the same edge of 6 diamonds in one go!

• With the Needle Stop Down engaged, the needle stays in the little overlaping triangle of the previous diamond, while you arrange your next pair. The closer you chain the fabrics together, the easier it will be to cut the threads and the "dog ears" (the little triangles that overlap).
• Cut the chain and the "dog ears" as you go.
• It is quicker to sew without using pins and securing your seams.

Framing the top edges

• Place, cut and sew the narrower 7/8” strip to the top right and then the top left edge in the same way, pressing seams open in between steps.
• These strips are narrower because they will be sewn to each other, which results in a line with the same width as the bottom sashing.

• Place two red triangles next to the bottom edges of your diamond to form one triangle block. Keep in mind to align the straight grain of a red triangle with the base of the triangle block.
• Sew the first triangle the bottom right edge of your diamond.
• Press seams open before adding the second triangle.
• Cut off any remaining "dog ears".

• Press your finished triangle block.
• Check with a 60° triangle ruler that your diamond is centered.
• Trim the triangle block if necessary.
• Repeat to make 45 triangle blocks.
• Take your time to sew accuratly. Perfect practice builds mastery!

• Place two triangle blocks right sides together.
• Pin the seams at the diamond sashing corners, ¼” from the edge. Secure the corners with a second pin before sewing.
• Sew the triangle blocks together. Start at the corner point and sew to the sides of your triangle block.

• Press each half star well.
• Attach the next triangle block to create the first half of a star.

• Press each half star well.
• Lay out your quilt top as shown in the photo. There are four rows with three half stars each.

• Take care that the star points match when sewing each row.
• It is important not to rush this process. Keep as accurate as possible and press well as you go.
• Tip: Use a stiletto to manage the bias seams.

Load and Edit a circle template

• The circle is created using a template in the embroidery designs folder of your machine.
• First, change the measurements of your machine from cm to inch. You can switch the measurements in the Settings > Embroidery > Unit of Measurement
• Attach Embroidery Foot #26L and confirm it in the Presser Foot Selection.
• Lower the Feed Dog of your machine.

• You can select the circle template here:

• The circle template is now visible on your screen.
• Open the Hoop Selection menu and choose the Medium Hoop.
• Close the Hoop slection.

• Click on the i-symbol to open the Edit menu.
• In the Edit menu, click on the Rescale icon and reduce the size proportionately to 2 inches (33%).
• You can check the size of the circle in the bottom left corner.

• Duplicate the circle twice so you have three circles.
• Arrange the circles in the hoop so they are quite close to each other without overlapping.

• Each of your three silver fabric pieces (4 ½" x 6") will have space for 3 circles.
• Add spray starch and let it dry. This helps the fabric circles to keep their shape.
• Iron the Vliesofix onto the back of each fabric piece. Don’t remove the paper backing yet.
• Sandwich each fabric piece between 2 layers of tear-away stabilizer.
• Hoop your fabric and embroider the circles.
• Repeat twice so you have 9 circles in total.
• Cut around the stitching line as neatly as possible.

Creating a circle appliqué

• Return to Sewing Mode.
• Attach the Open Embroidery Foot #20C and confirm it in the Presser Foot Selection.
• Select Stitch #1309 and move the needle position to the far right.
• Stitch length and Stitch Width are 2.5.

• Thread the machine with grey thread.
• Re-engage the Feed Dog and the Needle Stop Down.
• Select the medium setting of the Needle Stop Down in: Setup > Machine Sewing > External buttons

• Pin a 3-inch piece of tear-away stabilizer on the back of the quilt top at the center of the star.
• Position the presser foot with the inside of the right edge on the outline of the circle.
• Sew three stitches. Stop and wait for the presser foot to lift, then then turn your fabric.
• Continue sewing until you complete the circle.
• Use the Cut Thread button to pull the thread ends to the back or secure and cut them manually.

Preparing for Quilting and Basting

• Iron the backing well.
• Place it on a table wrong side up, followed by the batting and then the quilt top.
• Pin the layers together with a few curved quilters safely pins.

Machine Basting your quilt is quick and easy to do with the BISR:

• Choose a contrasting bottom and top thread.
• Attach the Ruler Foot  #72S or the Embroidery Foot #26L and confirm in the Presser Foot Selection.
• Attach the BISR Stitch Plate.
• Select BISR in the Home Screen. Select the basting stitch 3 with 2 SPI. 
• Baste several rows in both directions and baste right around the edge of the quilt at a distance between 1/8” and ¼”.
   

Stitch in the Ditch

• Thread your machine with grey quilting thread on top and red thread in the bobbing to match the color of the backing fabric.
• Use your favorite method to stitch in the ditch around each star. One way is to use a Straight Ruler Work ruler and the Ruler Foot #72S in the BISR 2 mode.

• Alternately, attach the Walking Foot #50 and select stitch #1302.

Design the first Mandala

• Return to Embroidery Mode and set up your machine for embroidery.
• Select the BQM Design 24 in the folder: Embroidery Designs > Quilting > Folder 2

• Select the Maxi Hoop and activate the Pinpoint Laser.
• Open the Edit menu and select the icon "Quilt Functions".

• Select the function "Show Start/End"
• Green marks the first stitch and Red marks the last stitch of your design.
• Return to the Edit menu.

• Open the Shape Designer, which is just next to the icon of the Quilt Functions.
• In the Shape Designer, scroll through the shapes and select the hexagon.

• Multiply your design by 6 and confirm with the green check.
• Return to the Edit menu.

• Open the Quilt Functions. Select the function "Match Start Stop" first, then "Connect".
• In the Connect screen you can choose between a sewing stitch (left icon) and jump stitches (right icon with dotted line). Jump stitches are mostly used when it is not possible to match the start and stop.

Perfect positioning of your design

• Reduce the size to 7.6" x 8.6" with the "Resize" function in the Edit menu.
• Hoop your quilt. Your first hexagon should be placed in the center of the hoop.
• Make sure to align the orientation of your hexagon with the 6 points of the BQM design. The exact positioning of the design is done on the machine.

• Turn on the Pinpoint Laser so you can check the positioning without the need to lower the needle.
• Center your design with the "Center" function in the Move menu.
• Center the needle position with the "Center Design" function.
• Move your Mandala so the design center aligns with the hexagon center.

• Unselect the "Center Design" function to check the positioning of all corners and points.
• Fine tune the positioning and rotate the design if necessary.
• Save the Mandala design on your machine.
• Switch to the Stitch Out screen and quilt your own Mandala BQM design.
• Use "Needle Up/Down" to bring up the bobbin thread at the start and end of your design.
• Cut the threads and bury the ends by hand.

Create the next Mandala design

• The second Mandala is made with the BQM Design 36.
• You are welcome to use other designs and create your own Mandalas.
• Pepeat the process and embroider all the full-size hexagons.

Remove parts of your BQM design

• With the "Cropping" tool in the Quilt Functions, you can remove parts of your Mandala design which are outside of your quilt. This is where a wider piece of batting and backing fabric is neccessary.
• When hooping the area you want to quilt next, always try and have the bulk of the quilt to the left of your machine.
• Open the Quilt Functions menu and select the "Crop" function.
• The machine will prompt you to attach an embroidery hoop.

• Center the crop line on your BQM design.
• The greyed-out area will be removed from your design.
• Ensure the Start/End point is outside of the cropping area by rotating the design.
• De-select the "Center Design" function in the Move screen.
• Check the alignment of the design points and the hexagon corners.
   

• Position the Crop Line on the edge of the quilt where you want to remove parts of your BQM design.
• Confirm the Crop and close the Edit menu.

• You may like to save the cropped design as it can be used for other areas.
• Quilt all of the cropped hexagons.
• To create a smaller shape for the corners, you can crop the design twice.

Create a diamond BQM design

• We will create a BQM design to quilt the diamonds inside the star.
• Open the BQM designs folder on your machine.
• Using the Search function, select the BQM Design 77.
• Hoop your quilt and move the design to the diamond you wish to quilt.

• Open the Pinpoint Placement menu and activate 3-Point Placement.
• Position the corners. The BQM design will morph according to your changes, while retaining the desired stich length.
• Check the Placement with Virtual Positioning.

• Duplicate and Mirror your design.
• Select both triangles by clicking on the lowest layer in the layer bar.
• In the Quilt Functions menu, select match and connect the start and stop.
• You now have a diamond design. Save it on your machine.
• Use this design and rotate, resize or edit your diamond quilt design as you prefer.
• Quilt all of your diamonds.

• It is up to you if you wish for a border with a mitered corner.
• You can decorate the border with your favorite BQM Sewing Stitch.
• We used the stitch #1634. You can find this stitch in one of the Sewing Stitches folder with the Sideways Motion symbol.
• Bind the quilt with the silver fabric.