You sound like my father. He had a fit when he saw machine quilting on a quilt. He is gone now but he made cathedral window quilts for each of us four daughters. They are beautiful and what a treasure.

Ha! Now you tell me!!! My first quilt, which I'm almost finished with, is a king size hand pieced and hand quilted. I never do anything the easy way. Jump in with both feet and just go for it. It is turning out really nice. I'm going to CA next week (for a quilt shop hop swith two of my sisters) and hope to have it finished to take to show my 94 yr old mother who is an avid hand quilter. She's so sweet...she'll just say it is wonderful!

I hand quilt and love it.
Best advice,
"DO IT YOUR WAY",
you do not have to follow anyones rules.
J J

I don't hand quilt very often but when I do I like the Big Stitch using DMC Pearl Cotton thread. Actually I just started one tonight. I am hand quilting a Double Wedding Ring quilt made with flower sacks.

Lots of good advice here - I have been hand quilting for a long long time and have recently started to machine quilt on my domestic machine. I like and respect both methods - they each suit different quilts/situations. My advice is to second those who have said to relax and enjoy the process - it gives me a great excuse for movie marathon sessions while i am busy handquilting. I will say to keep quilt a bit loose in the hoop helps a lot - also I find a cushion under my arm to help too. Have a good time on your new adventure!!

Hand Quilters
 

Hello Michelle. I have been doing hand quilting for over 40 years. First, let me say if you can sew a seam or a curve, you can quilt! As a newbie to this craft, I suggest you may want to start on a small project first. I would suggest a a place mat made of of scraps. Once you get into the hang of hand quilting, you will find it is one of the most relaxing activities you can do! I wish you well in your endeavor and if you would like to talk with me more, please email me ..... [email protected] ... Blessings to you and yours.:o

I use a thimble on my middle finger and cut off ends of cheap rubber gloves on my index finger to help pull the needle through.

I hand quilt and it is very relaxing. It wasn't very relaxing in the beginning when I worried about the stitch size and being consistent but now I just sew away. I do not sew on the machine because it hurts my back and I don't always cut my pieces out with a rotary cutter because of backaches but I just love the process. I have made chair covers, cat beds, place mats and I wash them up and use them over and over again. They hold up great. I love making smaller projects. I make a lot of lap quilts and give them away to people. My first project is about 12 years old and has been washed repeatedly and is still good; maybe a little faded.
Sissy

I keep a rubber finger on my index finger to help pull the needle thru when it gets tight in the quilt. When I put on my thimble I put on my red finger too. Can't quilt without it.

I hand quilt too. My advise is to relax and enjoy the process. It is sooo relaxing and rewarding. Don't put your quilt in a hoop tight. It has to be kinda loose.