burchquilts

Start small. By that I meant don't try a full-sized quilt for your first project. My first project was a doll quilt & I worked my way up from there. It's super relaxing & addictive!

Patquiltz

Why don't you make something small ... like a wall hanging, to try your hand quilting. It wouldn't take near as long to quilt and it would provide much needed practice.

cdmmiracles

I'm a handquilter and love it. It's so relaxing to come in from work in the evenings and sew a few pieces in while I'm relaxing in the recliner. But like all the other comments.......be patient, it takes a while to see the results.

AshleyR

I would also like to recommend a cheater panel for learning too. That way you don't have to deal with those pesky seams!

teddysmom

Totally with Quiltmania. Enjoy the process and relax. I use a #9 or #10 needle. Anything smaller is too much for me. Strive for consistency in your stitches. If they get smaller, that's fine. If they don't, that's fine also. This is YOUR quilt. I find hand piecing and hand quilting very relaxing if I DON"T try to make every stitch just perfect. I'm doing one for my oldest son now and it won't make any difference to him at all if the stitches are very small and very consistent. He will prize the quilt because he knows I made it especially for HIM. Relax and enjoy!

mpspeedy

I have been handquilting for at least 40 years. I always use a thimble. I prefer a leather one. The white or tan leather ones work the best for me. If they have a little metal or plastic coin shaped piece in them all the better. I use a plastic snap embroidery hoop for small projects and have larger wooden round and a square hoop for larger quilts. With a larger hoop I can quilt with both hands. If using both hands I also wear a thimble on my left thumb . The advice about not making the hooping real tight works best and practice will make your stitches smaller over time. The important part is to be constistant whatever size they end up. Handquilting makes it possible to take your project anywhere. I can enjoy TV and conversation with my family and or friends and still get a lot done.

Sewflower

I recently took a class on hand quilting without a frame and the thing that was most interesting was the batting. We ran our needle through different battings and the one that was the smoothest was the POLYESTER. Who would have thought that?

117becca

I do like glazed cotton thread - Gutterman at JoAnn's is ok, although, I prefer YLI and i have to order it (YLI is the cheapest when you pay attention to the yards on the spool)

One of the reasons that I like the cotton batting is because of the little bit of resistance when putting the needle thru - it gives me time to get my stitches where I want them. My stitches aren't as consistent w/ the poly battings because the needle "falls thru" the quilt. Another reason why you try all kinds of different stuff out - to see what you like best.

teddysmom

I agree with 117becca re: YLI thread. It's the best for hand quilting, less tangles in thread. Our LQS carries YLI but not all fabric stores carry it since it's designed for hand quilting.

Quiltshaker

If a quilt is special to me, it has to be hand quilted. Have been handquilting for 20 - 25 years. All the advice given is good. Just keep trying and your stitches improve little by little. Practice makes perfect and as long as your stitches are consistent ........ that's the key.