Scary Tic Tac Toe

These Halloween sewing patterns from Baby Lock are both decoration and game. Play scary tic tac toe on a Halloween themed, sewn tic-tac-toe board.

Materials:

• Baby Lock Evolution
• Baby Lock Sewing & Embroidery Machine
• Designer’s Gallery LetterWorks III (loaded on personal computer)
• ¾” Belt Loop Binder (BLE8-S12)
• 4 Spools Maxi-Lock serger thread
• Fusible thread
• All-purpose thread to match fabrics
• Assorted embroidery threads
• Cut Away mesh stabilizer
• Five 4”x 4” squares of orange cotton fabric
• Four 4”x 4” squares of purple cotton fabric
• Two strips of 1 ¼” x 45” green cotton fabric – small border
• 1” wide black cotton bias strip at least 55” long
• 7/8-yard decorative Halloween print for borders and backing
• Iron and Ironing board
• 5/8-yard thin fleece or batting
• Rotary cutter, mat, and ruler
• 2 white felt squares for game pieces
• Fusible web
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Thread the serger and set it up for a four-thread stitch with the width set for ¼” stitch.
    
2. With right sides together and alternating the colors, serge the 4" x 4" squares together in rows of 3. Press.
    
3. Once you have 3 rows of 3 squares, serge the rows together. Press.
    
4. Set up the Evolution for a wide cover stitch with the fusible thread in the chain looper and attach the belt loop binder.
    
5. Insert black bias strip into the belt loop binder and serge the strip of bias. The edges are folded under and the fusible thread is visible on the underside of the strip.
    
6. Align and press the finished bias strips across the edges of the blocks so the bias covers the seam. Repeat for remaining seams.
    
7. Fold each of the green strips in half and press.
    
8. Reset the serger for the four-thread stitch. Stitch the raw edges of the green borders to the quilted square. Attach the top and bottom then the sides. Trim off any excess of the green fabric strips.
    
9. Cut two 4” wide x width of the fabric strips from the Halloween print.
    
10. Serge the border strips onto the center piece and press, square off the side using the rotary cutter. Repeat to add the border to the bottom and sides. Press
     
11. Trim edges so the project is square, using the rotary cutting blade and mat.
     
12. Layer the batting then the backing fabric on your work area. Then place the front onto the backing with right sides together. Cut the excess backing and batting to match the front piece.
     
13. Serge around all four sides leaving an opening in one side for turning.
     
14. Turn, Press. Finish opening by pressing closed with a strip of fusible web.

For Embroidered Game Pieces:

1. Open Letterworks III. Select the font “Bough Bough” and type “X space space O” to create the Ghost letters X & O with enough room between the letters to cut the shapes apart after stitching.
    
2. Size the letters to approximately 2” in height. Save this design and transfer it to your embroidery machine using your preferred method (i.e. card, floppy drive , flash drive, or direct connect)
    
3. Hoop one piece of white felt and stabilizer.
    
4. Embroider as many designs as you can fit into your machines hoop size. To maximize the fabric, embroider the designs close together. Leave even space between designs to trim them apart later. You will need 5 of each “X” and “O” pieces.
    
5. Once the embroidery is complete, remove the excess stabilizer from the entire felt piece. Then fuse the remaining felt square to the wrong side of the embroidered felt square. This will cover the bobbin thread of the embroidery so it is not seen on the game pieces.
    
6. Trim around each piece close to the design.

Options: Use a glow-in-the-dark thread for the embroidery or topstitching on the project to add additional Halloween fun!