lmanna

I am working on a Beatles Yellow Submarine quilt for my husband. It is made with 1/2" finished squares and was inspired by a free counted cross stitch pattern I found on the web somewhere. I still have a little ways to go but would like to start planning the quilting phase.

Hubby would like me to outline each of the different shapes with black thread - kinda like you would do with cross stitch. I am so pleased with how the piecing is coming out and I am afraid that I would not be able to stitch in the ditch with my machine well enough to "stay on the line" and for this quilt that would be pretty important. So I'm thinking I will need to learn how to hand quilt. Now come the questions:

1) What type and size of thread should I use? He does want the black to be fairly noticeable but not super thick.
2) What type and size needles should I use?
3) I should be able to make the stitches 1/2" long each, right? In other words backstitch like you would with cross stitch. This is an art quilt to be hung on the wall - it will not be washed.
4) This quilt is pieced using the grid printed fusible interfacing from Hummingbird Highway (love this stuff) so it is a bit heavy. I do not think I would be able to sandwich it and quilt it by hand and not have the layers move all over the place. I'm thinking I should hand quilt it before I sandwich the layers together. Would that work? Of course I would then have to figure out how to quilt it once it's all sandwiched without interfering with the aesthetic of the design.
5) Do I need a hoop for hand quilting?

What else am I not thinking of?

Sewnoma

I don't have any advice for you - I don't know anything about hand-quilting. I just had to post to say Wow - that is a really awesome quilt! You've done a really fantastic job on it so far - I love it! That is a lot of little squares!! Really impressive. Your husband is a lucky guy!

QuiltnNan

super job so far

jokir44

You can't hand quilt without sandwiching that I know of. Your back would be loose and floppy. Do you mean hand embroider the black lines? That you could do with great accuracy and could also get the exact line thickness that your Husband wants. And that you would do before you sandwich.

SusieQOH

I have a feeling it would be hard to hand quilt- unless you do big stitches, which can look really cute.
I love it, love all things Beatles!

Jane Quilter

I would do an embroidery chain stitch with 3 strands of black embroidery thread or pearl cotton for the outline. Then I would do a meandering FMQ pattern all over in yellow thread for the quilting. It's a wonderful quilt for hubby.

MadQuilter

If you want the black thread to show, then Stitch in the ditch is not the answer. How about using a heavier black thread (like a 28) and do the line just along the edge of each shape. You can go really slow. If your machine lets you move the needle, then you can find a spot on the block to align the edge of your foot. That way, when you move the needle position, your line will be solid.

thimblebug6000

Hand stitching through the fusible will make it quite tedious but of course it can be done. I agree with previous comments, you might be better to hand embroider the lines and then sandwich and quilt.

feline fanatic

For the black outline to show like it does in the original Yellow Submarine graphic you can't do it via quilting as others have stated. You can try a couple of different things,

Hand embroidered with heavy floss or several strands of floss. I would use a stem stitch or chain stitch.
Make super skinny bias strips (like used in applique) approximately 1/8" and apply that around each shape. You can then stitch down with your machine or fuse in place, or find 1/8 black ribbon to do this with. If stitching, I would probably glue in place first.
Couch black cording or yarn around each shape but you will need a couching foot for you machine. Some people can do it using a regular foot and zig zagging but it is much easier with a couching foot. Again, you could probably glue in place before stitching down.
Paint the black with fabric paint, the kind that leaves a raised up line, using an applicator to get a uniform line of paint. (This would be too scary for me to try personally because there is no room for error)

Once it is embellished you can sandwich and quilt as desired. I think I would be inclined to do wavy lines like water.

Prism99

I think hand quilting the black will be very difficult because of the layers of interfacing. Make a sample using leftover interfacing to test.

If your machine has the type of foot control that allows you to make a stitch at a time (my Bernina 1230 allows me to tap the foot to raise or lower the needle, so technically is probably a half-stitch at a time), then I think it would be fairly easy to use the machine. I would either use a heavier weight black top thread (maybe 28wt ?) or double up regular thread and go very, very slowly with the machine. Experiment with different feet to see what helps you stay in the ditch the most. I have doubled regular thread simply by placing 2 spools on the machine and treating the two threads as one. Works well for me, although I think a single heavier weight thread would be preferable. I do invisible machine applique and sometimes will sew just a stitch at a time to make sure the needle placement is exactly where I want it. For me with my bad hands, this still beats hand sewing every time!