I don't make any large stitches on quilts. I am too afraid the threads would get caught on something or would come undone. I donate quilts to foster kids in my county.

What a wonderful way to share your time and ability. These foster kids need something that they can call their own. Quilts can be such a cuddly comfort for kids like this who need comfort and something that is their and hasn't been passed down because someone doesn't want it anymore.

Thanks for this posting. I was debating how I wanted to quilt my latest project and I had just about decided to send it out for quilting which I rarely do and then I read this post. I watched the demo on You Tube and I have decided that is what I'm going to do for this quilt. I have already ordered pearl cotton size 8.

I did a queen size quilt with the big stitch, using two stands of embroidery floss in a contrasting color. It won a handquilting catagory at a local show. A few older quilters there did not consider it "hand quilting" and were very vocal about it. They acted like it was my fault for winning. LOL I think I won because it was something different and not seen by most before.

I have a quilt that I've been working on for awhile and I'm, "big stitching," it. I love the look! It's taken me awhile because it is too hot in the summer to have the quilt laying on my lap while I quilt and it's too dark in the winter to see clearly. Never the less, it's almost done. I just have to quilt the borders.

I do worry that those stitches will catch on something and break the string, or tear the quilt. I'm going to have to keep it away from my cat, who could get his claws easily caught up in the string.

~ C

I have only used it on the one hand pieced scrappy blue hexie quilt I made, I used Perle cotton as well and enjoyed it.

Thanks for this topic! I'm making an art quilt with Dresden plates and am going to quilt around them by hand instead of machine. I couldn't face doing all of those points in different directions on my machine and I'm not good enough to do a good job on the longarm. I'd forgotten what a pleasure it is to do handwork. And it's actually a shortcut.

QuiltinGranny2-Thank you for the information on the supplies you used for big stitching. I may have to try this out.

I put my queen quilt on three fold out tables so it was flat. I sat in a chair and went edge to edge with the big stitch starting in the middle and rolling the quilt up as I went. It was fast to do. My stitches were about 1/8 inch long, not consistent and not all in a perfect straight line. I did the cross hatching design. If I do another one I'll use the size 8 thread on the spool and not floss. The floss was a hassle. The quilt pattern was a Thimbleberries design so it had a folk look to it and the big stitch was perfectly suited.

Glad I could be of help. You'll love how the big stitches just seem to pop out and give the quilt a whole new dimension.