Quiltingboard Forums

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)
-   Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)
-   -   handquilting in the ditch (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/handquilting-ditch-t201457.html)

NJ Quilter 09-25-2012 05:37 AM

I will sometimes hand quilt in the ditch for utility purposes. But then I will quilt other motifs other places on the quilt. I will also, frequently, quilt 1/4 inch outside the seam or 'echo quilt'. I use either a plain #2 mechanical pencil for drawing the lines on light fabrics or a bohin white mechanical pencil for darker fabrics. Never have an issue with either of these washing out. A friend of mine uses chunks or masking tape to mark straight lines. Just picks it up and moves it as necessary as she's working.

rj.neihart 09-25-2012 06:14 AM

I use different markers - the markers that are washable, come in all colors, do a fantastic job on my quilt top. And they wash out after my project is completed. I always wash the quilt before it goes to it's home. I draw the pattern onto the material, and quilt! If the material is dark, I use a sliver of hand soap - smells great too! Great grandmother showed me the soap trick. Of course it doesn't show very well on white material.

honeybee_2000 09-26-2012 01:41 PM

Im trying to keep a straight even stitch around the blocks like along the seam but Im still "stitching" off center instead of straight line

honeybee_2000 09-26-2012 01:44 PM


Originally Posted by Fuzzykittenbutt (Post 5539569)
she's talking about a modification of "in the ditch", I think. I've heard others say it's supposed to be easier to stitch just outside of the ditch, but my first ever quilt (a log cabin) also had a lot of "in the ditch" quilting and I didn't think it was that much harder, if at all, than the rest of the quilting on it.

honeybee, have you tried actually stitching in the ditch? Solves your problem of it looking off center to you and you might be surprised at how easy it is. :-)

I didnt know you could stitch in the actual sewing stitch. Im still learning quilting. Have been quilting for a little over a year.

QuilterMomOf3 09-28-2012 07:34 AM


Originally Posted by rj.neihart (Post 5539958)
I use different markers - the markers that are washable, come in all colors, do a fantastic job on my quilt top. And they wash out after my project is completed. I always wash the quilt before it goes to it's home. I draw the pattern onto the material, and quilt! If the material is dark, I use a sliver of hand soap - smells great too! Great grandmother showed me the soap trick. Of course it doesn't show very well on white material.

You should try Irish Spring on light fabrics...it has a green tint to it...

batikmystique 10-21-2012 05:46 PM

Amen!!!!!!


Originally Posted by teddysmom (Post 5539609)
I also hand quilt. I quilt just slightly away from the seam. Mine aren't always even and not always exactly straight but when the quilt is completed, it looks good. Stressing over getting my stitches EXACTLY EVEN is stressful for me and I like to hand quilt because it's relaxing. When it becomes THAT stressful, then I'll just have to stop making quilts. No one who has one of my quilts has said anything about my quilting stitches being uneven. Stop stressing, enjoy the process and let others enjoy the fruits of your hands.


HillCountryGal 10-21-2012 06:22 PM

I too am learning to handquilt. Several of the ladies that I'm learning from have handquilted for years. Each of them have told me to "enjoy the process". Even machine stitching isn't perfect.

To be real honest, I don't much care what others think of my handquilting... I'm having too much fun to worry about that.

Up North 10-21-2012 06:52 PM

I gave a quilt to a friend and I hand quilted it my second ever and Just the other day I was looking closely at it an it was in no way perfect but it had small stitches they may not have been perfectly straight but I sure could not see a problem with them! AND I am the one who did it! actually I was amazed at how well it looked! Do not be hard on yourself once it is done it will be beautiful!


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:23 PM.