Originally Posted by
Jane Quilter
I always hand quit without a hoop, where the left hand helps feed the needle. Less stress on both hands. So relaxing. I will have to go look at the videos. Just keep practicing on small sandwiched scraps.
There are hands-free quilt hoops -- I have one by ThimbleLady that has a t-bar that you sit on & it holds the hoop above my lap & at an angle so the work is not so hard on my back; it rotates 360 degrees so I don't have to try to contort my hand like with the floor stands. And, of course, there are also the stand hoops that also rotate (hoop on a pedestal). For those of us with advanced arthritis in our neck & back (I got it young because I have a very long neck), not having to bend over so much to see our work is a wonderful thing! Plus, I'm thinking of maybe getting a magnifier soon, too. I have almost 20/20 vision, but I guess we're not made to see such tiny stitches 3' away from our face -- go figure!