roseOfsharon

The best needles to use ?
Thimbles? Fingers, thumbs and how can you judge size?
Spoon or Aunt Betty?
Hoops, types?
Thread, doubled or single strand?
Types of thread?
Any information is welcome..

Thanks.
Sharon

dakotamaid

Boy, you are going to get alot of different methods here. I use a thin sharp, lots of pins and no hoop. I pin the quilt well and than starting in the middle I begin to quilt out. The reason I use a sharp is because I like to "load" my needle with lots of stitches. Now, I am not a heritage quilter but I do a nice job and can work pretty quickly with this method.

Here is a tutorial on my method. (Not mine.)

http://quiltville.com/tonya/hoopless.shtml

Up North

I use a 9 or 10 needle, A leather thimble, an 18 inch lap hoop single strand of quilting thread Made for hand quilting. My under finger gets picked alot but usually not hard. It is just to feel the needle and guide it back up. I have an oval floor frame but I find it easier to sit back in my chair with a hoop in my lap. I also have a full size frame but never got the hang of it and do not really have room for it.

sueisallaboutquilts

I use a size 10 or 12 quilting needle. Really helps make small stitches. I use leather thimbles. I learned with them and they are the only ones that work for me. It's a very personal thing. I also use a hoop.
I use quilting thread, single strand, cut to about 18 inch lengths- if it's any longer it tends to tangle. I got a good tip to thread several needles first, that way you don't have to keep threading all during the time you have to quilt.
Hope this helps. There are so many different ways! You just have to find what works for you :)
OH- my favorite needles are Piecemakers or John James. I like both.

roselady

I love hand quilting! I use an 11 between, Richard Hemmings or Jeanna Kimball needle. Using a thimble was so hard for me at first. The nimble thimble, a small black leather one, was the most natural feeling, is what I used at first. Once I got used to a thimble, I wanted one that was a little more substantial, I switched to the flesh colored adjustable, with the open fingernail side, sorry don't know the name. Then I splurged and bought a Roxanne thimble. I love it, but it is not perfect for me. It's dimples are on the top, which is more rounded than most, and the back side, so you push the needle more from the pad of your finger then the tip, which is supposed to be better for your hand. The Roxanne thimble has an opening for a long fingernail also, but not for one shaped like mine. If my nail gets long at all, we're talking 1/16th of an inch here, the thimble becomes uncomfortable. I have recently bought a Clover, adjustable, bronzy metal thimble that is similar to the Roxanne, it fits my finger better and is MUCH cheaper. I started out using a PVC type frame, held in my lap, but It was hard on my neck and shoulders, having to hold the weight of the quilt. I've since bought both a hoop on a floor stand, and a lap stand hoop. I love both of them, and use both of them for different parts of the quilting process. I have used fingercots and rubber fingers, on my index finger to help pull the needle when it is loaded with several stitches. My favorite so far is made by Bohin, and it is a small little fingertip cover. I have mostly used Mettler 40 weight cotton quilting thread, because I know it is good thread, and it has come in the colors that I've needed. I want to try YLI next. I really love the Clover desk top needle threader, my eyes are aging with the rest of me!! Not all needles work with it, but most do. Bohin makes one that is supposed to work with all needles. I do use "Thread Heaven" on my thread, and rarely have any tangles or knotting problems. I have tried Aunt Becky and couldn't make it work for me, maybe I didn't try long enough. I do use a spoon, I like my homemade one better than T.J's quilting spoon. I still use my bare finger underneath sometimes, certain positions are hard to get to with the spoon. You didn't ask about batting, but this is what I have used...Hobbs 80/20. I haven't tried Warm & Natural, but I have heard that it is harder to hand quilt, especially when you are just beginning.

roseOfsharon

Well, I thank those that have commented thus far. I was attempting to hand quilt the top of a small doll quilt and had to give up the venture! I could not get the needle to behave for me! I believe I will just have to make a sandwich and have someone show me and practice on a blank pallet! The thimble or thimbles are a must, I tried the two I have and neither are the right size it seems. Needles, I will have to buy some, I had a few that are supposed to be betweens but not sure of the size, they were in with a group of needles in a cantainer.

Up North

A quilting needle is real short and thin.

roseOfsharon

Thank you sueisallaboutquilts, you are a wealth of information to think about. ohhh batting I did forget of that too. I was using flannel as the batting in this little quilt, maybe that was a deterent. I would just like to give it a good try and see some stitiches .. I do know that it takes practice to get them nice and even and near the same in length. So I will just have to see :)

sueisallaboutquilts

Anytime my dear!! Hope we didn't overload you with info. As I've said "different strokes for different folks" :D
I love Hobbs 80./20 for hand quilting, forgot to tell ya!
HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!

sewcrafty

The one thing that I didn't see mentioned or just didn't see, was Tiger Tape. When I first was learning handquilting I used the #9 Tiger Tape and then worked myself up in #. It helps you feel what an even stitch is and then helps (atleast me) to get the rythym. I put together a practice sandwich with straight lines on it and then once I got the feel for that I started curved lines and went to circles, etc. I use:

needle size 10-11
single strand of thread
approx. 14" hoop (have larger and found to bulky to deal with)
Thimbles - leather with opening at top for fingernail or suede dots for upper finger. Just purchased an adjustable that looks pretty interesting, haven't tried it yet. Underneath sometimes my finger gets sooo raw I've purchased those oval plastic stick-ons that I still can feel the needle come through yet protects my finger. Haven't tried the spoon or Aunt Betty, but it does sound interesting.
Thread - Handquilting usually