happyquiltmom

This is often a very emotionally charged topic. I've seen people equally passionate about both techniques.

I prefer hand quilting myself, because I love the process and it is very calming to me. However, I have been steadily improving my free-motion machine skills on my old Bernina Record 830 over the last couple of years, and am awed by machine work at each show I attend.

Here's a suggestion:
Since you do have that wonderful quilt frame, why not teach your hubby to hand quilt and then BOTH of you sit down at the frame a couple of times a week TOGETHER? It's a good compromise, and a way to get some quality bonding time in as well.

pasolovers

They did a lot of things different years ago.. Maybe his mother had more time back then.
I would not be hand quilting a quilt that huge...

dublb

I've been thinking about my response & how fast I reacted. First; My DMIL has alzheimer's & I know how hard that can be. I know that your DH is responding to some of the feelings he is experiencing. If my DMIL had done anything crafty either my DH or I would have been tempted ta do something like that to feel close to her. DMIL doesn't know any of us anymore. I go & do her hair almost every day, 'cause that was something that she liked. Sometimes she doesn't even like that anymore. Maybe you can find another way to honor her. As I said in my earlier post only you should decide of you want ta hand quilt.

jbj137

I hand quilt and love it.
Most of my quilts are Queens.
4 in 2010 for my Grands,
2 in 2011 for my son and a neighbor, &
1 so far this year, but started in 2011
just to see what one for the tops I sold
earlier on the board looked like...

J J

virtualbernie

[QUOTE=Tartan;4930850]I do enjoy hand quilting but I am slow at it. A queen size would take me about a year. If he doesn't mind seeing it sitting there on the frame, I would do a block a week. It is the same as the saying, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." I love having several projects going at one time so I would quilt a block and then move on to other things the rest of the week. I guess I have a short attention span and I get bored if I work at something too long. That being said, do what feels "right" for you. Quilting is supposed to be our joy not drudgery.[/QUOTE/]

Took the words right out of my mouth!

Sadiemae

I would love to hand quilt, but even after carpal tunnel surgery I cannot do it. Sewing by hand of any kind is just not an option, so I machine quilt and love it!

mississippiqltr

I hand quilt some and others I have machine quilted. Mariners Compass I would have machine quilted due to the number of seams in it. The size of the quilt doesn't bother me since I have hand quilted a king size.

GrannieAnnie

I think I'd have to tell him to grab his needle and thread and use the beautiful frame he'd made me.

OR

Let me send it out to be machine quilted.

TanyaL

Is the quilting frame a frame that he uses to apply pressure? It doesn't sound as if it came with no strings attached. Just as we can't go home again, we can't go back in time, and we can't be our husband's mother. Would he be happy trying to be exactly like your father in some way?

Silver Needle

I think you have received some sound advice. Having lost my grandmother, two aunts and my mother to Alzheimer's I understand the desire to hang on to what is rapidly slipping away. Look for opportune moments to gently question his reason for the frame gift and hand quilting request. Ask brief questions and listen for what he is not saying as well as what he says. Just don't sit him down for a big discussion on the topic. Just keep pondering the possibilities of how each method will look and ask his thoughts and listen, listen listen. You will make the right choice for both of you if you reach it together.