Originally Posted by ReeneeD
I took a course in hand quilting and I was surprised at how loose the material was in the hoop. I made a Dear Jane and hand quilted the whole thing. The teacher put the fabric between the hoops (loosely) and then laid it on a flat surface and pushed the piece down with her hand until it touched the table underneath the hoop. Then she tightened the hoop and she was ready to quilt. I always thought that the piece had to be taut - but not according to her. Any other feedback on this?
I do it exactly the same way like your teacher did. When the material is too tight in the hoop it's impossible for me to move the needle and to do small and even stitches. The thicker the material is, the looser I put it in the frame.
My cut the quilting thread about 18"-20" long. A longer thread becomes too weak after a while of pulling it through the layers, especially when the needle's eye is a little bit sharp.