aunt becky experience
 

Do any of you have an aunt becky that you know how to use properly? I have one and been practicing with it for a couple of weeks. although I am getting more consistent with it, I know I am doing it wrong. I have watched the video so many times, but I need to ask some questions. Here goes: In the video it shows that the needle just sits there on the fabric and the aunt becky pushes the fabric on the needle ( I got that part) then she pulls the aunt becky back and it appears the need goes down into the fabric. like going to the underside ( mine isn't doing that) , so my question is : could I not be having the fabric loose enough in the hoop or too loose? I find I have to "rock" the needle with each stitch while loading and that is completely opposite of what the video shows. I figured out when the needle comes to the aunt becky the stitch is more consistent if I let it take a stitch the length of the bend of the aunt becky. Is this correct?

I know that seems more complicated that it really is. I just have these questions and not like I can tell much from the video to answer this question so hoping someone on here has one and knows what I am asking. Thank you for the help.

Looking forward to answers to your question. I, too, purchased an Aunt Becky & have been trying to make it work. I've never hand quilted before, so no rocking habits to break ... but I still just can't figure it out. Hope some other members here have figured it out & post their experiences.

I am new to it as well. I am not good at the "rocking" part of it and my consistency well just don't exist. it is better with aunt becky , but I know I am not using it right. I am sure when others come on , we will get some answers :). We shall learn together

I watched the video. The metal Aunt Becky goes underneath the quilt? (I know, dumb question ).

Need to ask, what is a Aunt Becky?

thanks for the info, MadQuilter.

There are lots of threads on Aunt Becky. http://www.quiltingboard.com/search....rchid=13124763

One of them convinced me to buy one. I gave up....

Sharon Schambers teaches locally, I took a class from her and found her method much more to my liking. Still, it takes practice and needs to be done consistently, or at least periodically, for success!

And thanks for asking that question, daisydawg. I had no idea either.

A longer version of the video linked above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHEDYeIWz4

And another quilter with a slightly different method-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKrAHJKAwU

The lady in the second video still rocks a little.

I used a combination of these two videos to figure out how to make the Aunt Becky work for me. I just started quilting this last summer, and really wanted to learn to hand quilt. I also work a job where I can be exposed to some icky stuff (including sewage), so I really wanted to minimize any needle pricks to my finger.

The batting used can make a big difference in how it feels. For the baby quilt I did, I used warm and natural, which I've since learned is considered a hard batting to quilt through because of the scrim. At the quilt group, I've done quilting on one with a batting with a lot of loft, and I had to make my stitches bigger to get through it. Another quilt I've done has a lower loft polyester batting, and that is different than the others... I can't quite get rid of the rocking motion, and I believe my choice of batting may have something to do with that.

It took some practice to figure out how loose I needed to make the quilt in my hoop frame (I have the one Jean's husband made/makes, from Jean's impressions). My mom knows a lady who uses one just doing lap quilting without a frame. Sometimes, as I'm quilting, I still adjust how loose it is. The direction I'm quilting also has a difference, "with the grain" quilts slightly different than "against the grain".

As a new quilter, I think it was easier for me to adjust because I didn't yet have any hand quilting habits to change. Some of the women I quilt with have tried it and were never able to get it down, even after taking classes.