How many of you hand quilt?
 

I did some hand quilting on our past president's (quilt guild) quilt last evening and decided I need to do more in the future. it really is relaxing. How many of you hand quilt? Seems like it is almost a dying art with all the machine quilters. I love machine quilted quilts because they are so fast and durable, but think I may just have to do more hand qork

I have never hand quilted but 2 weekends ago we were up in Michigan camping and visiting family. My other half's aunt has a double wedding ring quilt that her mother made right before her death 2 years ago. The top is completed and has been pinned to the batting and backing. She asked me if I could quilt it for her. I feel really honored that she asked me to do this for her (I really didn't think she liked me!). There were 7 children and 7 quilts distributed. Everyone else found a longarmer to send it out to. One paid over $300 to get it done. I know money isn't the issue for her. I really don't care for FMQ on my domestic machine other than SID and straight lines so I am going to try my hand at hand quilting. As it is a queen or a king size, I know this will take some time but I just feel it deserves the hand quilting. Bought my Qsnap frame, Perl cotton, needles, Tiger Tape to keep my stitches neat and tidy, and that stuff you swipe the thread thru to keep it from getting tangled this weekend!

I usually have one quilt that I'm hand quilting in between making quilt tops. I like handquilting as it is relaxing to do. I don't get all excited when I see a handquilted quilt though.

I hand quilt everything, mainly because I canb't afford a long arm, or to pay someone to do it for me..I onlly make my quilts for family, so I also like to feel they are getting something with my personal touch..I have just began using stencils to help me hand quilt moitfs..I found great prices at http://quiltingstencils.com/ I enjoy the hand quilting and find it relaxing

I don't quilt, but I did hand quilt a small wall hanging on my very first quilt. It is not finished some 20 years later, but I really did enjoy doing that. I need to get it out and finish it. It is 3/4 done. It isn't perfect by any means. My sister tried to get me to stitch tinier, but I couldn't and I kind of like the look of the bigger stitches. It's a funky kind of quilt. It has Christmas Angels and they are all kind of raggedy so my quilting goes with it. I just sold my LA table so I might try my hand at some small projects. I think what you are doing is really quite wonderful...being so big a quilt! Your Aunt will probably love your quilt the most!!!

I love to do hand quilting because it is relaxing. My only problem is the stitches may not be consistent.

There are a quite a few hand quilters on this board...and I'm one of them. :) I don't think it's a dying art, but it isn't as common as it used to be. It does take time, but I find it more enjoyable than sitting at my sewing machine.

Janet

I have hand quilted lots of large quilts. Finally finished #2 double wedding ring quilt about six months ago. I have arthritis in my hands so bad that I have learned to machine quilt as you go method and like that much better. I liked hand quilting as it was relaxing but hard on my back and hands.

I always did my quilts on machine, but for some reason, I did a scrappy quilt with a light and dark pattern, again, me too, with bad arthritis and not good at hand sewing, I decided to baste my big quilt its all log cabin blocks the more I kept basting the more I loved it, it is totally finished now, every piece of fabric and the border which is piano key style, its all hand quilted not small and neat, but I totally love it, it looks more like a old fashioned quilt thatn all my others. May be doing a lot more hand quilting in the future. Grum from N.J.

I am usually a hand quilter but last year I committed to 8 quilts by Christmas (all done in time except 2). I forced myself to learn fmq but the whole time I was tense because the machine was controlling me not the other way around, lol. I did finally learn how to do a passable meander but as long as I don't need the quilt quickly, I'll be a forever hand quilting gal!