newquiltmama

I am toying with the idea of making a baby quilt for a friend who is going to be a first time grandma soon. I love the look of the hand quilting. How do I get that thick look?? What thread is best and how many strands do you use??

Pat625

I hand quilt everything> I have tried many of the expensive hand quilting thread, and have not been satisfied. I ended up back to using the Americana cotton hand quilting thread I get for 99 cents at Joannes...I run it through thread heaven to prevent a lot of tangles. The thick look would be from the thickness of your batting..For a first quilt I wouldn't advise using a high loft. I is more diffficult to sew thru the layers. I only use a single strand of the thread when quilting. I use #`10 quilting needles and try to sew smaller even stitches using a rocking motion. In the beginning it was real hard to get the small stitches, so I focused on even. In time it became neater and smaller. Good Luck with your project. I love hand quilting and find it very relaxing

feline fanatic

By "thick look" are you talking batting loft or are you talking heavy looking stitches like the "Big Stitch" quilting? Here is a blog that has a picture of Big Stitch quilting
http://lexingtonquilter.blogspot.com...t-attempt.html

Here is tute for it:
http://www.americanpiedesigns.com/BI...G%20METHOD.pdf

ckcowl

what do you mean by -- 'that thick look' ???
high loft batting---or thick/heavy thread???
there are a few high loft batts on the market- they give a quilt a (puffy) look
normally for hand quilting- 1 strand of thread is used- there are lots of weights/sizes of thread-you could use a perle cotton or multiple strand embroidery thread if that is the look you are going for-

willferg

With perle cotton, #8 seems to be the most common, but I kind of like #10 or maybe it's #12...they have it at Joann's and it's thick, but not too thick...I'd use a single strand.

newquiltmama

I mean the thick thread look. Can I get this Perle Cotton at Joann's or at a speciality store??