Quiltingboard Forums - The art of hand quilting, where has it gone?

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)

- Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)

- - The art of hand quilting, where has it gone? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/art-hand-quilting-where-has-gone-t13948.html)

Nita...I'd take your machine in a drop if you weren't so far from me!:))Now...you need to get over whatever you are fearing over there! And use that beauty!! Do some stippling...practice on magazines w/a marker..freely moving in big puzzle type pieces..flip a page and keep it up.

at: www.allpeoplequilt.com
and watch their free videos on machine quilting...you will love it..practice!practice!:))You lucky quilter you! Skeat

Thanks, Skeat, for the vote of confidance. But, I've given this alot of thought and my mind is pretty much made up to sell my long arm. For one thing, I think I bought it on impulse after my Mom died (long story). More importantly is that I don't make enough quilts to justify keeping this machine. And what I enjoy most about quilting is the selection of fabric and piecing! I really did not enjoy working with my long arm. Can't see having my money tied up in that machine when I could be enjoying it in so many other ways. It is a beautiful machine for the right individual. Not me. But thanks again for your kind words of encouragement. I wish you lived closer so that you could give my HQ Sixteen a new home. Nita

Here in Spain, we don´t have many long arm quilters around so quite a few at our club free motion designs with their machine, but I know of at least 4 in our group who hand quilt and I am going to have a try on my next quilt as I get so stressed trying to get it through the machine. So that is my new thing to try.

Elle

Hi all,

I will be a handquilter until my hands don't work anymore. It is actually easier on me physically to handquilt than machine quilt. I do machine quilt items that I know will go to those who do not know how to care for handwork. I make a lot of Linus quilts so I do a good bit of machine quilting but just basic stuff. I love the new quilting stencils that are "continiuos" line. They work great for handquilting even though they were created for machine quilting. My hardest task is getting the sandwhich basted together so I can handquilt. A friend who is a longarmer is going to baste a kingsize top for me so I can get started on it.
I love the panels. They make great gifts and only take me a week or so to quilt. I am just finishing up the ones I made for my 4 best quilting buddies as Christmas gifts.
I have friends who are long armers who do fantastic work. While I appreciate their expertise I still prefer the drap and feel of handquilting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janeen

The nice thing about quilting is - There are no rules - and therefore, should be no quilt police....

Everybody is assured and reassured that they can 'do their own thing'... therefore:

if you want to cut out each piece by scissors - you can

if you want to use a rotary cutter and stacks of fabric - you can

if you want to do all your piecing by hand - you can

if you want to only use a machine to piece and do it assembly line fashion - you can

if you want to tie a quilt sandwich - you can

if you want to sew baste, or pin baste or tack baste - you can

if you want to do all your quilting by hand - you can

if you want to 'quilt as you go' - you can

if you want to do all the binding by machine - you can

if you want your binding done partly by machine and partly by hand - you can

if you want to do machine quilting by using a regular machine - you can

and finally if you want your quilt done by a longarm method, yourself or another, guess what? - you can

Nobody should take it upon themselves to make someone else feel as if their quilt wasn't quite good enough or elaborate enough or precious enough because if was partly or totally done 'by machine'....
and you shouldn't be made to feel "old-fashioned" because you prefer doing your quilts by hand....

Quilting as no other is a 'do your own thing' kinda craft! :mrgreen:

I'm going to print this off and put it up in my crafting room. Totally love this list. You're a doll.

I think both are pretty. Personally, I like to hand quilt. It makes the quilt a little more "me".

Janeen's post of "no rules" reminds me of cake baking. I consider "from scratch" using a cake mix. Some consider "from scratch" combining the eggs, flour, etc. And SOME would consider baking a frozen item cooking from scratch. There are no rules when you're in your own kitchen. So it goes with anything, huh.

Loved your post. :lol:

I have only made about 6 quilts and wall hangings, but they were all tied or hand quilted. I don't know how to machine quilt. Mostly because I can't figure out how to put the walking foot on.