Any hand quilters out there?
 

I think I am going to try my hand @ hand quilting......
Anyone have any good advice or tips?
I sure would apprecate it ! Michele

There are several who hand quilt on the Board: I did when I first started but don't any longer unless it's an heirloom and ONLY for my family. You'll enjoy doing it, but if you haven't tried it before, the best advice I can give you is to be patient (and forgiving!) with yourself. It takes time to perfect, like anything else worth doing. Good luck!

It can be very relaxing and is something good to do in front of the TV. just be patient.

Focus on stitch consistency first, stitch length can come later. Don't put your quilt in the frame tightly, you need some give in the fabric or it will be extremely difficult to get your stitches in. Take your time and enjoy it.

I hand quilt and do not care for machine or long arm quilting on my pieced quilts. I think that it is a disgrace to machine quilt on somthing that you take all the time to construct. I quilt with a group of quilters that wouldn't do it any other way

Another hand quilter here. And I agree with QuiltMainia. Enjoy the process. It's not a race. Try to get your stitches consistent first. Find a thimble that you find comfortable. Try a few different brands of needles (but all the same size) to see what works best for you. I prefer Roxanne #11's but they are tiny and take some getting used to. Other quilters all have their own preferences. Do your quilting while you're watching TV. I find quilting the perfect mix for me - machine piecing and hand quilting. Love to do hand work. Find it very relaxing.

Enjoy the process knowing that depending on the size quilt it could take months/years to complete, hence Momto5's comment about heirloom/family. I love hand quilting but I am also practicing fmq for quilts I want done and out quickly!

Another hand quilter here. Even stitches more important than size. Try tiger tape to follow lines. Most often I use thread to stitch, sometimes one strand embroidery floss or perle cotton for texture.

I use to and I found it relaxing.

I'm a passionated hand quilter for more than 20 years and the main thing I found out for me is how important it is to find one's own way of handquilting. There are many opportunities to get a good result. Some quilters use a frame or hoop, others do not. Some use a thimble, others don't. Some need a longer needle, others a short one. What works best for you can be bad for somebody else. Just give it a try! You will find many good tips here on the board.

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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Wow, thank you for saying this! I thought I was the only one who liked cotton for that reason. Maybe that's why I like hand quilting batiks, too. I use lightweight polyester batting sometimes, but I find I have to be much more careful or I stab myself.

I will admit that I'm really enjoying the wool batting for my latest quilt - it has a lot more "puff" to it than cotton. It makes the quilting stand out.

Janet

Another hand quilter here. I love the look of hand quilting. You'll definitely need a thimble for your top hand. I like the ones that have the raised edge so the needle doesn't slip off. I also use either masking tape or the little adhesive circles they have now for the underneath finger. It gets pricked a lot. I've used a large hoop and also have used the Q-snap plastic frame. Practice, practice... eventually you'll get the hang of the "rocking" stitch. Good luck.

Hand quilting can be a wonderful and relaxing.......just enjoy the journey! I found a thimble that has a ridge around the top and it has made all the difference for me. I bought 3 of them!!! And for me quilting in a hoop with the quilt sort of saggy helps. Just don't feel rushed and enjoy every stitch!

Hand quilting is not a race. It is a long slow process. I always have a quilt on the frame and hand quilt when ever I have a few minutes. It's relaxing.

I, too, used to handquilt but haven't for a couple of years. My profile picture is of a postage stamp quilt, a Anne Orr design, that has 6205 one inch squares that I HQ 1/4" inside EACH square. That took about a year, but other, less involved quilts would take about 3 months. The last quilt I HQ was one I started in 2003 when my Marine son went to Iraq. Terrible things happened over there and, for whatever reason, I just couldn't finish that quilt. Finally did in 2010! Anyways, TMI. As others have said, find what works for you - Different needles, thimbles, hoop size or no hoop. I finally settled on a Gold Eye quilting needle size 11, a soft double layer leather thimble, and a hoop that was 12" 'square' with rounded edges. You should be able to find a handquilter at your local quilt shop, guilds, quilt shows, or even your state or county fairs to give you a "hand." (I know, bad pun.):D

I have been hand quilting since the 1950's/ No of couse I am not that old. lol. In my 79th year and still loving the craft. Find your own way . I use a hoop,very short needle and a thimble . some do some dont. Get comfortable and enjoy it. JO

Don't be afraid to stick your bottom finger. I build up a callous on both the first and second fingers from sticking them. I use John James needles, size 9. My nails are a little longer so I found a thimble that is open in the back to allow my nail to stick out. I use a snap Q frame. I agree with AshleyR, a pre-printed panel is the easiest to learn on. That is what I taught my class with. I prefer the poly batting, I can get smaller stitches with it. But like everyone else said, find what works best for you.

Hand quilting is a VERY individual thing. All of the tips and advice submitted above are good, but, you must find what works for YOU. Be kind to yourself and don't get frustrated if your stitches aren't tiny and exactly the same length. Try different methods, see what works for you. I actually don't use a frame or a hoop (just baste the project well and put it on my lap and start quilting), I use Americana cotton hand quilting thread ($1.00 a spool at Joann's), beeswax to keep it from tangling, a thimble that I bashed with a hammer to make it fit better, and a needle to fit with the batting (usually a 10 or 11 "between"). EVERY hand quilter does it different. Find your own way and enjoy the process and the results.

Thanks all for some great advice, I will give it a try............Michele

Make sure you knot the end of the thread that you just cut and it won't tangle as badly.

I hand quilt as much as possible. I sometimes machine quilt extremely small projects such as runners or placemats but do not enjoy it. I have had a couple larger quilts done long arm and although they came out wonderfully, I prefer the softness of a hand quilted piece and the way it drapes so nicely.

I make sure whatever I'm hand quilting is basted well because I no longer use a hoop. I just start from the middle of the project and work out from there. Don't use a thread longer than the length from your wrist to your elbow. This eliminates twisting/knotting and torquing your hand, wrist and forearm too much.

The thing about hand quilting is you get to revisit what you've done. Really enjoy the pattern used, and the pattern within each fabric. It's interesting and relaxing to see dimension forming and almost a topography going on. It also is comforting to be working on this at night, with your favorite dog taking one corner of the quilt for a test drive nap.

Lot's of people hate the actual quilting and I can respect that and would not judge how their choices. There's some wonderful options out there. Personally, I feel even more connected by my quilts, knowing I personally sewed every stitch. Happy Stitching!

Well said! Thank you.

Janet

That's what I did to start off. I used a panel and just quilted around the pictures and then did some quilting in the background after marking it with a stencil.
I use two thimbles, the one on top has the rubber body with a metal tip, and the other one is all metal. I like to do it, but only for family, and only with strict instructions that the dog cannot sleep on it, lol. Gina

I also hand quilt and find it very relaxing. I would say practice on something before you start on a real project. Don't put it into the hoop very tight. I have a lot of play with my fabric. Do not buy too big of a hoop. I had a 18 (I think) and it about killed me reaching under do buy a hoop any larger than the area from you elbow to your hand. Find a thimble that will stay on and that is comfortable. I like the Clover protect and grip thimbles. when you find one you like buy several. Also clean them occasionally with alcohol so you dont get a nail infections. I also have a rubber finger like from the office supply place and use it at times for my finger under neath. Other than that relax and enjoy and just remember consistant sizing is important not speed.

Diane

I think she was looking for advice on hand quilting, not an opinion that criticizes machine quilting. My response to the question would be to relax and enjoy the process and take your time. Remember, there are no quilt police.

I am a hand quilter and used two thimbles until I read on the Jinny Beyer webpage that she tried using a spoon underneath and really liked it. I tried it too and now my fingers are MUCH happier but it looks like I might wear through the spoon given some time and a couple more quilts! Oh well, spoons are cheap but fingers aren't.

I am also interested, and started a new topic on what is the best book to learn from, including hand piecing with illustrations, any comments on this also?

I am just a beginner at hand quilting, I'm working on my first piece. My mother started a Hawaiian applique wall hanging in the 70s, during the year we lived there. She completed the applique part and them we moved back to California. A few years ago, My Hubby and I we were on a trip to Hawaii (with My Mom and her friend) and were admiring some Hawaiian quilts we saw. I said I wanted to do one some day. My Mom said I have one you can finish. After 35 years, she knew right where it was and gave it to me when we got back. My goodness, it was brown and gold. After looking at it for quite awhile, I decided to add batik borders that would compliment the brown and gold but bring in more colors to distract the eye. My Hubby bought me a Grace lap hoop. I then took a handquilting class at my LQS with the ThimbleLady from Australia, Luxine Newman. After a few hours in her class my stitches were looking much nicer and more consistant. I ended up buying one of her thimbles and her book "Handquilting without Pain". She has a great technique and I hope I can finish this piece. I know I will treasure it being made by my mom and quilted by me (albeit 40 years apart)!

I always hand quilt and really enjoy it. I am never in a hurry to get them done because then you just start on
another one. Just take your time and like the others have said keep your stitches consistent. I do machine quilt my
borders but that is it. Good luck and keep quilting.

I agree with this totally. Also start in middle of quilt working your way out to sides dividing quilt into fourths. Then quilt each fourth. Helps to keep the quilt from shifting.