Quilt-As-You- Go Machine Embroidered Chakra Wall Hanging

Several years ago I created a simple Chakra Wall Hanging for three yoga friends. Today I'm updating that tutorial with a different Quilt-As-You-Go method that is just a bit faster and easier to finish! Learn how to make this quick and easy gift in this machine embroidery tutorial:

Quick links to the tools and supplies from this tutorial:

Elemental Energies Embroidery Designs

Rainbow Batik Fabrics

Micro Glue Bottle

Original Chakra Tutorial

Chakra Wall Hanging Materials List

1 - 10-inch square of batik fabric in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and cream.
1/4-yard fabric for backing and hanging sleeve
7 - 7-inch squares of thin batting
Tear away stabilizer wide enough to hoop
Red, Gray, White, and Purple embroidery thread to stitch the designs
Piecing thread that matches the fabric colors

How to Embroider the Designs

For this Quilt-As-You-Go Method, we're going to completely cover the back of the designs. This means you don't need to waste fabric in the hoop. Instead just hoop a layer of tear away stabilizer.

Next float a 7-inch square of batting, then top it with a 10-inch square of fabric. Check out this chart to find what fabrics correspond with which yoga chakras and which designs to use:

Chakra	Fabric / Thread Color	Designs to Use
Root	Red fabric / White thread	Infinity Tree, Pea Gravel Path, Tropical Flower
Sacral	Orange fabric / Red thread	Sun Medallion, Flame Flower, Heartburn
Solar Plexus	Yellow fabric / Gray thread	Lightning Bolt, Icicle Lights, Circuit Board, Garden Maze, Split Paisley
Heart	Green fabric / Red thread	Heart Paisley, Bleeding Hearts, Feathered Hearts, Queen of Hearts
Throat	Blue fabric / White thread	Foundation Puzzle, Pea Gravel Path, Icicle Lights, Delicate Petal Flower
Third Eye	Purple fabric / White thread	Spiral Paisley, Cyber Spiral, Sand Dollar, Spiral Flower, Universe Spiral
Crown	Cream fabric / Purple thread	Delila, Sea Oat Flower, Spiral Daisy

Find all of these designs in the Elemental Energies Embroidery Collection!

If your machine has the function, run a line of basting around the design first. This will lock the layers together so they don't shift around on you. Then hit "start" and let your design stitch out!

Note: if your machine doesn't have a basting function, or has very small hoops, don't worry! You can still make this project. Consider taping down the fabric to keep it in place as the designs stitch out.

Once you get all of the designs stitched for each color of fabric, carefully pull out the basting stitches and tear away the extra stabilizer from the back of the blocks. Now it's time to connect the blocks and create your Chakra wall hanging!

How to Quilt-As-You-Go without Sashing

This method of Quilt-As-You-Go does not have sashing. Instead the blocks are pieced together end to end, then the entire back is covered with a new backing fabric.

First, trim all the blocks down to 5 1/2-inches with the embroidered design centered in the middle.

Pull back the batting from the edges of the blocks. Align only the fabric right sides together and stitch with a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Piece all the blocks together in this manner in the following order: Cream, Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red.

At your pressing board, carefully finger press all the seam allowances open, then press using a pressing cloth and a hot, dry iron.

Now it's time to trim up the batting! Smooth out the batting over one side of the seam allowances, then smooth out the opposite side. The batting should overlap around 1/2-inch. Trim away the extra batting that overlaps using a sharp pair of scissors.

To stop the batting from floating around in the middle of the wall hanging, apply a thin line of glue along the edges. Use a microtip glue bottle to help control the amount of glue you use. Press the glue dry using a pressing cloth and a hot, dry iron.

Repeat this step with all the seams on your Chakra Wall Hanging so they are all pressed flat and the batting is carefully trimmed away and glued in place.

Now let's finish the edges and cover the back of our project so it's really pretty on both sides! Cut the backing fabric to measure 5 1/2 x 35 1/2 inches.

From the excess backing fabric, cut a piece for the hanging sleeve that measures 5 x 9 inches. Press the longer sides under 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again to fully encase the edges and stitch along the fold. Fold the sleeve in half to bring the short edges together and stitch 1/4 inch from the end.

Stitch this hanging sleeve to the right side of the backing fabric, being careful not to make the mistake I did in the tutorial!

Now arrange the Chakra wall hanging and the hanging sleeve right sides together and align all the outer edges. Stitch, starting on one of the seams between the blocks and back stitch to secure.

Stitch around the quilt and stop 4 inches from your starting point and back stitch again. Leaving this space open will give you plenty of room to turn your wall hanging right side out.

Before you turn it, clip the corners and trim the seam allowances around the project so the edges finish nicely.

Turn the wall hanging right side out through the opening in the side. Finger press the sides flat and use a point turner or pin to work out the corners so they are nice and pointy.

Give the project a press using a pressing cloth to protect the fabric. Edge stitch 1/8 inch from the edge of the wall hanging to seal up the hole on the side and lock the layers together.

If desired, stitch in the ditch between the blocks to add extra stability to the wall hanging.

Done! I hope you enjoyed making a new Chakra Wall Hanging and trying out this fun Quilt-As-You-Go technique!

You can find all of the old and all of the new designs for your Chakra Wall Hanging in the Elemental Energies Embroidery Collection.

Learn more about the yogic chakras and what they mean for the body and spirit:

First / Root Chakra - This base chakra is red and is associated with grounding and stability. This design was also an easy choice - Infinity Tree makes for the best design to finish off the base of this wall hanging stitched on red batik fabric with white Isacord thread.

Designs for the Sacral Chakra – Infinity Tree, Pea Gravel Path, Tropical Flower

Second / Sacral Chakra - This chakra is orange and represents creativity, sexuality, and physical power. This was a super easy pick for me because I always like to incorporate a sun into my quilts somewhere (my last name is Day after all!). I used Sun Medallion and stitched the design with Isacord Brick thread on orange batik fabric.

Designs for the Sacral Chakra – Sun Medallion, Flame Flower, Heartburn

Third / Solar Plexus Chakra - This yellow chakra is all about will power, self-confidence, and the actions that bring your desires into being. It's a very charging chakra so I used Lightning Bolt to represent it and stitched it in Isacord Sterling thread.

Designs for the Solar Plexus Chakra – Lightning Bolt, Icicle Lights, Circuit Board, Garden Maze, Split Paisley

Fourth / Heart Chakra - This chakra is green which might seem odd because it's associated with the heart and your ability to love and feel compassion and forgiveness. I had many heart designs to choose from in the embroidery collection, but ultimately choose Heart Paisley and stitched it in Brick Isacord thread over green batik fabric.

Designs for the Heart Chakra – Heart Paisley, Bleeding Hearts, Feathered Hearts, Queen of Hearts

Fifth / Throat Chakra - This chakra is bright blue and represents communication and creativity. Looking through the collection of designs, I found many could easily fit in this spot, but I choose Foundation Puzzle because it felt like a calming balance between Spiral Paisley above and Heart Paisley below.

Designs for the Throat Chakra – Foundation Puzzle, Pea Gravel Path, Icicle Lights, Delicate Petal Flower

Sixth / Third Eye Chakra - This chakra is usually deep purple and associated with perception, wisdom and consciousness. I had a bit of trouble picking a design for this chakra because I was really stuck on the idea of a third eye. I finally settled on Spiral Paisley and used purple batik fabric and white Isacord thread and I love the way this square finished.

Designs for the Third Eye Chakra – Spiral Paisley, Cyber Spiral, Sand Dollar, Spiral Flower, Universe Spiral

Seventh / Crown Chakra - This chakra is usually white or violet and the theme is spiritual enlightenment. It's usually symbolized with a flower so I choose Delilah as the best design and stitched it on a cream batik fabric with wild iris Isacord thread.

Designs for the Crown Chakra – Delila, Sea Oat Flower, Spiral Daisy

As you can see, the Elemental Energies Embroidery collection has many designs to choose from for each of the yoga chakras. Mix and match your favorite designs and make beautiful wall hanging for yourself and your yoga friends!

Would you like to see another way to Quilt-As-You-Go with embroidered blocks? Check out the original Chakra Wall Hanging Tutorial right here!

Let's go quilt,

Leah Day