I have handquilted for a long time; for a queen/king size it
takes me a couple months. I quilt a few hours most evenings
and more on weekends. I have never kept track of the exact
hours. Then again, once or twice on each quilt I have to lay it aside for a few days while my fingers heal. For me,I find that Zinc Oxide Ointment helps me heal more than anything else I've tried. Don't find it at Walmart, but our local drug store carries it. One time I found it in the 'baby' section...it is suppose to be good for diaper rash. When hand quilting a large quilt, it does seem like
a long time, but that is my favorite part of quilting. If you just quilt 15 or 20 minutes here and there, you will be surprised how that time accumulates.