i:heart:quilts

Hello, my name is Jen, I am from Northern California and I am back at trying to make some quilts after a long many years of not. I am interested in machine piecing and hand-quilting. I am starting again with a small table top quilt (a "table pad") and used some cotton batting, an "Aunt Becky's Finger Protector" and trying out a standard metal thimble. Just getting use to the thimble & finger protector is a new learning curve for me.

I like doing things old-fashioned way, involving ritual, but I won't say I'll not ever send off a pieced top to get long-arm machine quilted either. lol. I think if I do anything large, like a bed quilt, I surely will take to my local quilt shop to have it done with a machine.

For now, I am struggling with making my stitches small, and spaced closer together, although I am a very experienced crafter with needle, just getting a bit stiff in my joints, but I think more the problem is that the batting is not allowing me to do my best for the quilting. I think I've heard it called "metal to metal" hand-quilting? I'd like to know if there is an optimal natural batting for making excellent small stitches. I am fond of Amish style quilts as my husband is from Amish ancestors. I've heard of using fuzzy flannel, would that be better? I am wanting a bit of insulation though, for the table tops.

Also, I am not sure where or which forum to post for hand-quilting topics, as I don't want to get in the way and annoy the majority machine quilters, lol!

Lastly, not sure even which needles are the best for this type of quilting. Can you give me some advice?

I just hope to get involved here and will show off my most recent projects in my profile soon. Thank you.