Gannyrosie

Hand Quilting is time and patience. You may find your own way of doing it and love it. Yes the under hand which waits for that needle to come threw does get a beating. I don't use thimbles, I've tried and tried. I can only use the little leather dots that stick to my fingers. It's what I've gotten accustomed to and I find I have control over my needle. I like tiny stitches and just can't get them with a thimble. Just practice and practice and watch a lot of You Tubes, the light bulb will go off and you'll be on your way.

DOTTYMO

I lve hand quilting, though not been able foe about year after a wrist op to quilt successfully. Time will heal.
When I do I don't wear a thimble. Use right hand down onto nail below rock and up. I have long nails about 1/4 inch growth from top of finger tip. Great for sewing.

citruscountyquilter

I watched the you tube video on using Aunt Becky. I had never seen or heard of this tool. I'm interested in hearing from others who have used it. How useful was it to you. I was also really interested in this video because she did not rock her hand and wrist in getting her stitches. I have not done much hand quilting because it really hurts my hand and wrist with all the movement. Aunt Becky seems to take care of this. Any thoughts out there?

mic-pa

Hand quilting is the best, although I not longer do it because of arthritis etc. Very relaxing in the evening to do it. But now I send all my quilts out to be machine quilted and that works too. I still have the very first quilt I hand quilted. Oh my gosh, how bad was I. lol When first starting try an get your stitches the same size even if they are big but eventually with practice they become smaller if that makes sense.

youngduncan

I did some hand quilting MANY years ago in the first ever quilting I took. We had to applique a heart in the middle of an Ohio Star, do all the HST's, then put the block together and hand quilt it. I go as far as quilting around the heart. The rest of my single block was quilted on the machine. Sorry to say, I've never looked back at hand quilting. I'll relish the memories of my grandmother's hand quilting, but I say ON TO THE MACHINE!! I, too, admire anyone who has the physical dexterity and the patience to hand quilt -- it is truly an art.

Lucy90

I'm a left hand quilter. I have hand quilted a few wilts but can't get the rocking motion, needle or fabric. I just do the best I can becuz I love hand quilting. Just keep practicing it all works in the end.

DonnaC

citruscountyquilter, I have watched that Aunt Becky video at least a dozen times, and I still can't figure it out! I would love to see a more close-up video of someone using it. Even some photos would help (just in case there's anyone on this board who actually uses the tool... hint hint!). Mine keeps falling off my finger no matter how much I tighten it... I think I might be hopeless!

MargeD

I agree that hand quilters deserve a lot of respect. I was a self taught hand quilter, using the stab, one stitch at a time, method. I also taught a group of crafters to hand quilt a raffle quilt this way (they have since forgive me-LOL), but it was a long time before I could do the rocking stitch and gather several stitches at a time. However, after a career as a secretary and transcriptionist I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, which meant the end to my hand quilting. My daughter is the only one in the family with my first and last hand quilted full size quilt. Taking a class in machine quilting was my saving grace to continue quilting. But hand quilting, like machine quilting, takes time to master, but like anything you need to keep practicing.

fangman

Years ago when I didn't know what I was doing, I used the stab stitching method, and it would take me a year to hand quilt a quilt. Since then, I do mostly machine quilting, and for charity quilts, makes it much more sturdy. But the hand stitching was very tranquil and satisfying.

117becca

When I hand quilt, I find the key to being able to rock my needle is to make sure the quilt in the frame is lose enough - kinda counter intuitive, but none the less, good for me. The 12 lb cat jumping on the quilt proves just enough loosenesd! LOL!!