Lostn51

Patrice I am with you on this one but in a way I am still holding onto a part of quilting that is the closest to hand quilting and that is using a treadle for the entire process. Fortunately we have had a lot of interest generated by the Vintage Sewing Machine Shop Thread and I think there is going to be more collectors using the vintage machines to make their quilts. So that part of the hobby will not die off as long as we keep saving the vintage machines!

Billy

motomom

Well, if hand quilting dies out, it won't be 'cause of me and my daughter, we both love to hand quilt.

It isn't that the quilting is prettier done by hand, or that it is better or worse. We both love the calming experience that happens when we hand quilt. Kind of like a meditation.

Boston1954

Not if I have anything to say about it. I love to hand quilt. In fact, none of mine have been machine quilted. I think the machine ones are very pretty, and I'm sure they get done quicker, but I like mine to be all "me", if that makes sense.

debbieumphress

Fortunately , there are not a lot of hand quilters in my area so I stay busy. Mostly handquilt those which belonged to their mom, grandma, etc that started as handquilted. So I finish their quilts with handstitching. On some, tehy even like me to "match" their loved ones stitches so I sew just like they did on the original by length of stitches, etc. I do not work so I can quilt daily as often as I like. And my guild refers everyone to me when someone asks about hand stitching. I taught my 11 year old GD and the 13 yr old gd and I am going to continue the tradition. And then I love to machine quilt with those wonderful big machines. Each of my Children adn grandchildren and best friends have a quilt I handquilted with love for each of them. I wanted them to know I took the time to make theirs with lots of love and time. Happy quilting. Long live Handquilters.....

rhueluna

I agree completely. No feeling like the one when you are all done hand quilting and you step back and look at what you have achieved. Hurray!!!

rhueluna

You are doing a good thing.

grammypatty7

I belong to a very large guild of 400 plus members and we have 9 chapters. My chapter has between 50 - 60 members. The majority of the ladies either do small projects that they can machine quilt or send their quilts out to be professionally long arm quilted. When I joined 2 years ago, I was 1 of 3 hand quilters in the group but the only one to bring work with me to the meetings to work on. Now there are maybe 10 of us bringing hand quilting to the meetings to work on. I tend to make bed size quilts - twin or queen depending - and they all marvel that I take the time to hand quilt these huge quilts. There are chapters in my guild that do NOT accept hand quilters because we aren't considered prolific enough and I think that's sad. Luckily my chapter is welcoming and proud of us hand quilters but when they do a machine quilting project, several of us do join in. Although not fond of machine quilting, I do see the advantage in time saved by doing more machine work on my quilts but regardless of what I do, my plan to do the detail work by hand for as long as my hands allow me to do so.

We do have several in our guild who can't hand quilt any longer and they feel very badly about it but they are quilters and want to participate. Life is busy these days and many have pain in their arms and hands preventing them from hand quilting. I personally find machine quilting a pain and boy do I ever feel it when I machine quilt - probably because I don't do enough of it. Some do exquisite machine quilting. Although I'm not fond of the machine quilting personally, I applaud these ladies who love quilting enough to want to be quilters and so they use whatever avenues available to join us. Others who can't quilt are machine piecing tops they probably will never be quilted during their life time. I personally doubt that I can afford to hire my quilts professionally done but I have made it very clear that if I have a quilt in progress and something happens to me, the family is to see to it that the quilt is completed and pay the cost to have it professionally quilted and finished and they've promised me they will do this. Until I can't, I do plan to go out hand quilting if at all possible.

As many have said on this board, applaud those who complete quilting projects whatever way they NEED to do them - tie, machine quilt or hand quilt. A quilt is a quilt is a quilt and is full of love in every stitch or tie, however it is completed it will be loved, appreciated and treasured. Just my opinion.

Lostn51

I do look up to the hand quilters and I would love to be able to do it but it is getting to the point that when I write or hold something my hands go to sleep and then sharp stabbing pains follow.

Even typing this on my laptop is killing my hands. So I stick to my treadles and keep the vintage feel to my quilts.

Billy

virtualbernie

Here, here!

shamrock

I like to do both, or mix them, depending on the patern and for whom it is destined. I do think hand quilting is nore relaxing. I take mine to the front porch in the summertime, no sitting in that little room at the machine for hours. In colder weather, I can watch my tv shows and quilt away. Right nowe I'm machine quilting a table topper, because I don't want to take the time to do otherwise.