How to Make an Embroidered Panel Scene

Create an embroidered panel scene with this helpful tutorial!

This tutorial shows how to make a wall hanging out of any of our continuous panel scenes no matter how many panels make up the scene. It will work for both square and rectangular shaped scenes, but it is meant for the panel scenes that sew the embroidered panels side by side and do not have thin fabric borders between the embroidered pieces. This tutorial also works for any hoop size of the panel scenes by simply adjusting the length you cut the borders to.

Cut a piece of medium weight cutaway stabilizer and cotton fabric (or another similar weight fabric) bigger than your hoop. Spray the cutaway stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive and smooth it onto the wrong side of the cotton piece.

Hoop the cotton and stabilizer together. Make sure everything is hooped tightly and that there are no wrinkles or puckers in the fabric.

Load the first embroidery file onto the machine, and attach the hoop to the machine. Then embroider the entire first design.

Once the embroidery has finished, unhoop the embroidered design, and set it aside. Do not trim the fabric or stabilizer yet.

Repeat the previous steps to embroider all of the designs in the chosen panel scene. For example, the butterfly panel scene we are making is made up of four panel embroidery files.

To prepare the first design panel, iron one of the embroidered panels with a pressing cloth on top. Try and remove any wrinkles, and make the sides as straight and flat as possible.

After pressing, measure .5" away from all four edges of the design and cut away the excess material. This will leave an even border of fabric around the edges of the embroidered design. This .5" border of fabric will be the seam allowance. Feel free to use whatever seam allowance measurement works best for you.

The easiest way to measure and cut the seam allowance around the design is by using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. If preferred, you can also measure and draw the seam allowance around the outside of the panel, and simply cut on that line with a scissor instead.

Repeat the steps to press all of the embroidery panels so they are straight and flat. Then cut them all out, leaving the seam allowance (.5" for our example) border of fabric around all four edges of every panel.

After all the panels in the scene are pressed and cut out, carefully arrange them on the work area to show what panels go next to each other when the scene is all lined up. Looking at them like this while you assemble the scene will help you see what edges need to be sewn together. Keeping them arranged like this while you work will also help prevent them from being mixed up or sewn to the wrong pieces.

To begin assembly, take the top two squares, and lay them on top of each other with right sides together. Match up the edges of the fabric. For best alignment, carefully look between the two panel pieces and line up the outer border and corners of both embroidered panels. Then pin or clip the two panel pieces together along the side that needs to be sewn together. 

If your panel scene is two or more panel's wide (like our butterfly example), it is easiest to assemble the panel scene by making each of the horizontal rows first. So to start, we took the two top, left most pieces first, and pinned them together.

If your panel is a single column of vertical panels, simply take the top two panels instead.

The trick to perfectly lining up your panels and seams with the edge of the embroidery is to pay close attention to the outer embroidered edge and border of the designs. When pinning any panel pieces together (like we did in the previous step), take extra care when matching up the outer borders and corners of the two panels as best you can on top of each other. The closer they are lined up, the better the panels will be aligned once sewn.

Then when sewing, you want to always sew with the backside of the embroidery facing up so you can see that outer border while you sew. Then simply sew directly on top of that outer line and edge of the embroidered design. Sewing right on top of the stitched embroidery edge will look best, and leave no gaps. Since we measured the seam allowance from this line as well, sewing along the embroidery edge also acts as a guide to sewing the correct seam allowance.

Place the pieces on the machine with the wrong side of the embroidery facing up, and sew the two pieces together with your chosen seam allowance as well as following the outer edge of the embroidered design. Make sure to sew directly on the outer most edge of the embroidery for best results.

After sewing the seam, press the seam open so it lays nice and flat. Use a pressing cloth when ironing to protect the stabilizer and fabric from the iron.

If there are more panels in the top row of your chosen panel scene, repeat the previous steps to sew them onto the sides of the first two. Our butterfly panel scene is just two panels wide. Continue until the top row of your panel scene is all sewn and pressed.

If your panel scene is a vertical scene that is just one panel wide and multiple panels tall, simply repeat the previous steps to pin, sew, and press all the panels together vertically that make up the scene.

Repeat the previous steps to pin, sew, and press together all the horizontal rows in your chosen panel scene. The butterfly scene we are making has just two horizontal rows.

Skip this step if are making a vertical panel scene that is just one panel wide.

For a panel scenes with multiple rows like our butterfly scene, lay the top two completed rows on top of each other with right sides together. Match up the edges of the fabric, match up the seams, and carefully line up the outer border and corners of the embroidery. Then pin or clip the two rows together along the side that needs to be sewn together. 

Skip this step if are making a vertical panel scene that is just one panel wide.