Hand quilting in a hoop
11-02-2016, 09:42 PM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
I agree with Sheryl that wool is best -- I love, love, love Hobb's Heirloom washable wool.
I would maybe rethink using water soluble thread to baste such a large quilt. Any moisture or humidity will cause the thread to break down & the stitches to come undone (plus, that much water soluble thread is rather expensive); in addition to incidental/accidental exposure to moisture, for those of us who mark our quilts, it means we can't "erase" any lines until the entire quilt is quilted or we'll lose our basting stitches. It's really not difficult to snip threads as you quilt. Once you load a section into your hoop, you can snip all those threads to give you a good working area.
I agree with the single piece of batting for hand quilting. If that's too difficult to accurately baste on your DSM (I know I can't do something that big on my little Bernina with its 5.5" throat), many LA's will thread baste a quilt for a nominal charge. My local LA charge $30-40 and some, if you call ahead to book an appointment, will even baste the quilt while you wait. If you can baste it on your DSM, that's great. I just get frustrated with all the time it takes to prep the sandwich with pins & then try to wrestle it through my machine; so, I either just hand baste it if it's a smaller piece, or take it to the LA if it's larger.
As for the quilting, it's a lovely flimsy. I agree that echo quilting would look nice (be sure to do some inside the flowers, not just around the outside). Or if you like straight lines, you could quilt them with straight lines to form an asterix that continues through the white. Maybe print off a few copies of the photo you took on your printer & play around with different designs to see what you might like.
I would maybe rethink using water soluble thread to baste such a large quilt. Any moisture or humidity will cause the thread to break down & the stitches to come undone (plus, that much water soluble thread is rather expensive); in addition to incidental/accidental exposure to moisture, for those of us who mark our quilts, it means we can't "erase" any lines until the entire quilt is quilted or we'll lose our basting stitches. It's really not difficult to snip threads as you quilt. Once you load a section into your hoop, you can snip all those threads to give you a good working area.
I agree with the single piece of batting for hand quilting. If that's too difficult to accurately baste on your DSM (I know I can't do something that big on my little Bernina with its 5.5" throat), many LA's will thread baste a quilt for a nominal charge. My local LA charge $30-40 and some, if you call ahead to book an appointment, will even baste the quilt while you wait. If you can baste it on your DSM, that's great. I just get frustrated with all the time it takes to prep the sandwich with pins & then try to wrestle it through my machine; so, I either just hand baste it if it's a smaller piece, or take it to the LA if it's larger.
As for the quilting, it's a lovely flimsy. I agree that echo quilting would look nice (be sure to do some inside the flowers, not just around the outside). Or if you like straight lines, you could quilt them with straight lines to form an asterix that continues through the white. Maybe print off a few copies of the photo you took on your printer & play around with different designs to see what you might like.
11-03-2016, 01:19 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: dayton OH
Posts: 1,911
When I hand baste, I baste about a hand width's apart, using a Z- pattern. This does a pretty good job of keep things from shifting as I quilt.
Look up Sharon Schamber basting on you-tube. I don't use the boards, but would take a quilt that large to somewhere - church hall, library, some large meeting room/classroom.
I haven't used a wool batting yet, but have heard positive things. Someday soon I'll use it. Because of quilting thru the seams, I would suggest Quilters Dream Request - the thinnest batting. When I quilted my aunt's quilt, I quilted around each individual hexagon.
Look up Sharon Schamber basting on you-tube. I don't use the boards, but would take a quilt that large to somewhere - church hall, library, some large meeting room/classroom.
I haven't used a wool batting yet, but have heard positive things. Someday soon I'll use it. Because of quilting thru the seams, I would suggest Quilters Dream Request - the thinnest batting. When I quilted my aunt's quilt, I quilted around each individual hexagon.
11-03-2016, 03:27 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,571
When I hand baste, like 117becca, I do about a hand-width apart but do not go in a z pattern. I just go in straight lines in both directions on the quilt making a grid. I use a high contrast thread if available and take large stitches. It goes pretty quickly.
11-03-2016, 04:24 AM
#16
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
What a beautiful flimsy. Love the colors. When I hand quilt it all depends on my mood. Helped my neighbor handbaste her quilts and we used her table like Sharon Schamber but no boards. Just clamped the sandwich to her table with cutting mats underneath so we didn't mar her table. It went pretty quickly. That day she was basting 4 quilts of different sizes; twin to king. She has leaves for her table so we could spread more of the quilts on it. We used large alligator clamps to hold in place.
11-03-2016, 05:51 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NW Kansas
Posts: 601
What a treasure. I know you will be so happy that you hand quilted it. Your friends grandmother would be very proud of her that she is choosing to hand quilt this beauty.
I hand quilt king size all the time in a hoop. Wool batting would be your best bet. It will quilt beautifully
I hand quilt king size all the time in a hoop. Wool batting would be your best bet. It will quilt beautifully
11-03-2016, 08:53 AM
#20
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 55
I hand baste my quilts and after they are basted, I use a PVC frame, or a hoop, depending on the quilt...not the same quilt on both. ......
On the hoop: I sit in a lounge chair, partially raise the footrest and prop my feet on that with my knees bent to hold hoop and quilt in position......a big quilt can be moved to one side to avoid the weight and heat of the quilt. I did a queen-size plus this way and really enjoyed the process. This process seems to keep my back happier, I can be in room with my hubby while we watch tv. Works for me and I hope it helps someone else.....happy quilting however, whenever and wherever!!!
On the hoop: I sit in a lounge chair, partially raise the footrest and prop my feet on that with my knees bent to hold hoop and quilt in position......a big quilt can be moved to one side to avoid the weight and heat of the quilt. I did a queen-size plus this way and really enjoyed the process. This process seems to keep my back happier, I can be in room with my hubby while we watch tv. Works for me and I hope it helps someone else.....happy quilting however, whenever and wherever!!!
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