The Kimberbella Blog

Clear Blue Tiles Expansion Set 2 & Large-Scale Background Quilting Designs

Written by Jenny Lyman | Mar 20, 2024 9:04:00 PM

Great news! Kimberbell Clear Blue Tiles® are now bigger than ever! If you enjoy our innovative quilting system and have the largest embroidery machine hoops, you're definitely going to love these new sizes! 

In this post, I'm going to talk about TWO products:

  1. The new Expansion Set 2 tiles and
  2. Our new large-scale background quilting designs (shown in dark blue on Kimberbell.com).

Please note that these are two separate products that work together. Let's start with the tiles!

Clear Blue Tiles Expansion Set 2

Our Expansion Set 2 includes seven new tiles in 10x10, 10x12, 10x14, 10x16, 4x16, 6x16, and 8x16 sizes, which you can use with your largest embroidery machine hoops. (Less hooping = faster stitch time!) 🙌

Now, these larger tiles work the same way as tiles from the Essentials Set and original Expansion Set. They're just bigger. 😊 (To see how they work, click HERE!)

Please note that tiles from Expansion Set 2 are meant for use with Kimberbell's large-scale background designs. Our small-scale background quilting designs (shown in light blue) will not work with the large tiles.

Toward the bottom of this post, I'll include a helpful chart showing which designs work with which tiles! 

Large-Scale Background Quilting Designs

Shown in dark blue, Large-Scale Background Quilting Designs are digitized with larger design elements for a faster stitch-out. (The designs are bigger and more spread out than our light blue designs.)

Now, this is really important so please note the following, my friends!

⭐ Though tiles from Expansion Set 2 will only work with the large-scale designs, you can use the large-scale designs with any  Clear Blue Tile that's 4x4 or bigger. ⭐

 Let's go over that again! 

  • If you're using any tile from Expansion Set 2, you'll use large-scale designs shown in dark blue. Every time.
  • But if you're using smaller tiles from the Essentials Set or the original Expansion Set (which goes up to 8x14), you can use the large-scale designs with tiles that are 4x4 or bigger (any except the 2x2).

Like the original small-scale designs (shown in light blue), dark blue designs will also work with block-by-block quilting. So you can use ANY blue design with both methods! 😊

I hope I explained this effectively. If not, please drop a question in the comments below! 

Which Designs Work with Which Tiles?

With Expansion Set 2 and large-scale background quilting designs, embroiderers who have the largest embroidery machine hoops can maximize their stitching area to finish bigger projects faster!

Basically, we're making your quilting life even more efficient. 😀 Now, here's that chart I told you about. This should make it easy to remember which designs work with which tiles!

Yellow Designs

In looking at the chart above, you may have also noticed yellow designs. Yellow designs have larger design elements like the dark blue designs; however, yellow designs are only for our block-by-block quilting method.

Let's recap: 

  • Large-scale dark blue designs work with Clear Blue Tiles sizes 4x4 to 10x16 and also come with files for our block-by-block quilting method. 
  • Large-scale yellow designs come in sizes 4x4 to 10x16 but are not for Clear Blue Tiles. They're only for our block-by-block quilting method.
  • Small-scale light blue designs come in sizes from 2x2 to 8x14 for Clear Blue Tiles and also come with files for our block-by-block quilting method.
  • Small-scale orange designs come in 2x2 to 8x14 sizes but are not for Clear Blue Tiles. They're only for our block-by-block quilting method.
  • Dark grey border designs come in 1x7 to 6x14 sizes and work with Clear Blue Tiles.
  • Light grey border designs come in 1x7 to 6x14 sizes and work with our block-by-block quilting method. 

To learn the difference between Clear Blue Tiles and block-by- block quilting, please click HERE  for a video with Kim and HERE for a video with Liz. 💛

Quickly Finish Every Project

Kimberbell’s Expansion Set 2 and large-scale background quilting designs work hand in hand so you can quickly and easily take your projects across the finish line!

Notice the large tile and also the bigger quilting designs on this beautiful table runner. (See how big those design elements are?) 😍

Also, please note that like the first Expansion Set, our Expansion Set 2 is an add-on to the Clear Blue Tiles system, meaning that you'll need the Essentials Set (with its User Guide and USB) before adding larger tiles.

I'm excited for those of you with larger hoops to be able to finish your projects even faster. Have SEW much fun with these new tools and designs!