Originally Posted by feline fanatic
I would not consider a stitch about 1/8" long a larger quilting stitch. That is downright tiny and is giving you 8 to 9 stitches per inch which is what I usually get with my "fine" hand quilting done with 30 wt thread and #11 between.
Does it look bigger because you are using heavier thread?
I count the front-surface-showing stitches only, which means you are getting about 4-5 stitches to the inch. Museum quality handquilting is usually about 9-12 stitches per inch -- on the front. And yes, to me the thread does make the stitch more dominant, more obvious, appear bigger. I plan for this and use it to create another dimension of the design on the quit surface, usually with a contrasting thread color.
The trick to Big Stitch quilting is to make all your stitches even in length, not to worry so much about the size as long as you can't slip a fingernail under one stitch.
Jan in VA