I AM NEW TO THE SIGHT. I AM A BIG COLLECTOR OF FABRIC AND CRAFTS. HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A FEW PROJECTS BUT HAVE NOT COMPLETED ANYTHING. JUST KEEP ADDING TO THE LOVE OF THE FABRIC AREA. I BOUGHT A QUILT TOP FROM AN AUCTION. HAVE BEEN HAND QUILTING IT IN A HOOP AND HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THE TENTION.SO I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING TO FIND OUT HOW THIS IS TO WORK IN A HOOP? I DONT SEEM TO GET ALOT OF SMALL STICHES.

I don't hand quilt, but someone will help you! Welcome from Kentucky!

welcome from Maine - have you tried quilting without a hoop. I find I can control the stitch size better by grasping the area I am working on.

I WAS LUCKY TO VISIT FOR A DAY LAST FALL TO YOUR STATE. QUITE NICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY

I AM GOING TO TRY IT ON MY NEXT VENTURE. IT IS AN OLD LARGE TOP THAT I AM NOT WANTING TO RE-TACK. I WILL BE WANTING TO TRY WITH OUT THE HOOP ON A SMALLER FIRST. I AM ABOUT HALF WAY FINISHED WITH THIS ONE.

Hi,from another Minnesotan. Glad you could join us.

Hello, welcome and happy quilting from Germany!

Don't put your quilt too tight in your hoop, this is important for hand quilting. Eveness is much more important for the stitches than length - you will see with more practice your stitch length will change.

Welcome from Indiana. Make sure you have some give in your hoop, it will help you make your stitches smaller. :)

THANK YOU. IT WILL BE NICE TO GET TO TALK WITH YOU. IN OUR SNOWY LAND.

THANK YOU FOR YOU REPLY. I HAVE GIVEN IT SOME BOUNCE NOW. I WAS GETTING TIRED OF FIGHTING. I WAS TRYING TO GET SMALL STICHES RIGHT FROM THE START. I WAS GETTING TO FUSTRATED AND PUT IT AWAY FOR 6 MONTHS. I AM NOW GOING TO GO AT IT AS A PRACTICE QUILT AND DO BETTER ON THE NEXT. I HAVE A HARD TIME HOLDING IT WITH MY HANDS. I HAVE A DISABLED ONE AND THE OTHER DOES NOT TETURE THE NEEDLE RIGHT.

Hi from Ohio!

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!!

Welcome from Michigan.

Hi Kate, welcome from Indiana.

Hi Kate, welcome from SW Minnesota.. Where do you live?

Hello, and welcome from Idaho!

Hi from Northern Iowa just across the border. I was always disappointed that my stitches handquilting weren't the smallest, but I did alot better not using a hoop. Glad you found us.

Hello and welcome from VA :)

Hello from Western Mountain Maryland !!

Hi Kate and welcome from England. I am a hand quilter.

Thank you, I love your picture. I am a big fan of England. I enjoy collecting tea cups and I love the needlework. That is why I like to hand quilt my work.

Thank you for your welcome.I use to live in VA before I came to MN. Now I am able to do more here with out all the city life. But I do visit often and have many friends all over VA. I have half my fabric stach as I call it from all different areas of VA.

Thank you for your welcome . I live in the bottom part of MN so I am not that far away in fairbault county. I have been here for six yrs. Now and love the midwest .

I live in Brown County. We are not too far from each other.

I have heard of that one. I am still one of the tourist that has to pull out the map to make any heads or tails where some are out of it. I am only use to seeing the ones on the news to get an idea of a few others. I have traveled to Minneapolis several times. That was where I had my first hand Quilting lesson at the Mall of America

I am sorry for using all the capital lettering. I am new to this. I am disabled with one hand so I always type with the capital key on to make it easier. Thank you for your info.

Hello and welcome from Nevada!

Welcome from Georgia.

Your stitches will get smaller and more even with practice.

Welcome from Utah!

Welcome to the board!
I love to hand quilt and will tell you that it takes some time to "master" it (not that I have really haha).
It's better to aim for even stitches, rather than tiny ones.
Make sure you have a small enough needle that you can use easily. For me it's a size 10.
Good luck! :)

welcome!

I was going to say the same thing - check your size of needle. The shorter the easier also. I learned something and I'll be darned if I can remember to determine the size you need for a quilting needle - something about the tip of the index finger (mine is crooked) to the first joint and that should be the size of your needle. If I am wrong, someone please correct me because this is something I would really like to know. It is possible that I don't enjoy the hand quilting as much because I am using the wrong size needle.

The dog woke me up this morning, crying. Twice during the night. I just covered her up with the blanket and she is sleeping like a baby! That's Minnesota weather for you. Even the dogs don't like the weather!!!!!!! Have a happy day! Edie

Hello, and welcome from Arkansas!

Howdy and Welcome!http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...um/welcome.gif

welcome from se TX -- practice (and a quilt sandwich which isn't too thick) will make for smaller stitches -- take your time as small stitches will come

Hi Kate-welcome from wisconsin. Keep on practicing

Hello and welcome from Michigan!!

Hello and welcome from Kentucky

I found a new dog in NC.and was worried that she would not like the weather here but,she is loving M.N too.She had me out for quite a long walk yesterday. Thank you also for the info.Wrong or right I like it. If the needle is long I only bend it because I fight to much with it.

Hi and Welcome from NC!