Ask Alex: Square Up Embroidery Blocks : Crafting : Home & Garden Television

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Square up embroidery blocks with these practical tips.

Position a 6-inch ruler over a symmetrical motif and locate the center of the design by adjusting the ruler to center the motif.

Center the asymmetrical motif by adjusting the ruler as demonstrated in this photo.

Another example of an asymmetrical design.

Expert Alex Anderson shows Mary Matas how to square-up machine embroidery blocks. This is also a concern for appliqué and redwork because any type of stitching may draw in a block and pressing will not alleviate the shrinkage. Anderson states it's a matter of determining the motif's center to square the blocks effectively. She offers the following suggestions for establishing the center of symmetrical and asymmetrical designs.

An important factor for squaring up blocks for either embroidery, redwork or appliqué blocks is to allow an additional inch or two of fabric on each side of the block to avoid block shrinkage.
For symmetrical designs, position a 6 inch ruler over the design and locate the center by adjusting the ruler.
Make sure the design is balanced perfectly on each side and not skewed.
For asymmetrical designs without a defined center, adjust the ruler placement until there is an equal amount on all sides, equal on the top and bottom of the design. Then focus on the sides for center positioning.
Mark the four corners with a marking tool.
Take a larger ruler and extend for 1/4 inch and cut out the block.