SO I have only to put the border on my DH's quilt, and then I can sandwich and start hand quilting. I bought the needle and thread and chalk and a pattern and the batting. SOOO excited and anxious. This will be my first attempt at hand quilting but I have done binding and small table runners by hand. Any tips before I get started.. what to do what not to do? Oh and I bought those little leather thingys to go on my fingertips so they dont bleed on my pretty quilt lol. :)

You will definatly need a leather thimble. did you get the one called a coin thimble????? they last longer then the plain leather. other then that jump in and have fun I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to hand quilt that is all I do. good luck

Don't forget to pin, baste or use spray basting to get that sucker straight and pucker free before you begin. And hang on, 'cause you're gonna love it!! :D :D

Oh, and if you do bleed on the quilt, rub a little bit of your spit on it and it will come right out..... :D You imagine how I know this :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote=sewjoyce

Oh, and if you do bleed on the quilt, rub a little bit of your spit on it and it will come right out..... :D You imagine how I know this :lol: :lol: :lol:[/quote]

OH GROSSSSSSSSSSSS don't ever make a quilt for me!!!!

[quote=trupeach]
Wonder you rather have one that's got dark red spots on it???

My only piece of advise is not to try to get too many stitches on the needle at a time. Doesn't go so well. :lol: I've only hand quilted, too chicken to try to machine quilt yet. Actually, I did try stitch in the ditch and even that didn't go so well. :oops: Don't know if you have a hoop or not but I've tried both ways and prefer the hoop, keeps things where Iwant them better. Have fun!

[quote=sewjoyce]JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYCE that's gross too!!!!!!!!! LOL

Hahaha you are all too funny LOL.

I enjoy hand quilting too. I have always used frames but I would like to try a hoop. It would be a bit more portable from room to room that way.

I agree to use good thimbles. I have a hard time with thimbles and I prick my fingers a lot. I also use my spit to clean up any blood, but then the quilt is washed before giving it to anyone.

Enjoy and have fun.

I prefer an English thimble to a leather one; they last longer. An English thimble is metal and has a nice ridge around the top edge. I've worn holes through leather thimbles very quickly. But it all depends on how you quilt. If you start with leather, a little trick you might want to try is to take the tab from a pop can (the old type with the ring attached, which you remove first) and place it over the tip ofyour finger,under the leather thimble. This will give you the security of not having the needle pierce the leather and stick you.

I also like to keep a pair of tweezers nearby. Put some clear nail polish on the tips in a fairly thick layer. Let it dry. When you have trouble grasping the needle to pull it through with too many stitches on it (or, if your fingers are fat like mine and it's hard to grasp the needle and pull), this little gizmo will help grab the needle and pull it through with less stress on the fingertips and joints.

enjoy your experience. take your time. and understand that no one is perfect right away. you are bound to have some "toe-hookers" (big stitches), but with practice they will get better and more even. there's nothing like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you are hand quilting a piece, especially if it's a gift made with lots of love for someone you love.

Great tip!! when you decide to hand quilt, you will eventually get a drop of blood on it somewhere, and this really works. Just part of being a hand quilter :lol: :lol:

There is a chemical reaction between the owners spit and thier blood that makes it come out. Doesn't work with someone elses spit or blood...
Cold water works too....but such a hassle to use... ;D

[quote=trupeach]

You're going to love it. There's something so relaxing about hand quilting and I wish I was able to do more myself. My stitches aren't perfect, but there's such a feeling of accomplishing something beautiful that it's addictive.

Granted, I'm absolutely hopeless with using thimbles and have collected quite a few over the years, and some are now residing in my thimble display cabinate. The best thing and only thing I've come across that works for me is... sticking plasters.
Before I start any quilting I wrap a few strips round my 'sewing' fingers with the padded gauze squares on top of each other. It's not the ideal solution, but it's comfortable, pain free and I won't lose it/them.

[quote=sewjoyce]Sewjoyce it makes perfect sense to me. You can make me a quilt anytime. (sans little red spots)

i hand quilt all time and use a 14 inch round hoop or an oval (good for the borders). I have never used a thimble. Seems to awkward to me, of course, i can not walk and chew gum at the same time. lol Have fun with the hand quilting!

I can't wait to see your handquilting :D:D:D

Odessa-
Thanks for the tweezer tip (no pun intended). I'll have to try that!
lots2do

I have hand quilted 24 quilts and gave it up - machine quilting is the only way to go for me. I have loads and loads of fabric and wanting to make quilts very fast, so I might have a chance to get lots of the fabrics I have made into quilts. Just me personally.

I usually hang my tweezers on a safety pin that is there basting the layers together. Makes it easier to find. I keep trying to remember to send it in to Fons & Porter to see if I get a subscription to their magazine...perhaps I shouldn't have put it out here until after I sent it to them??? :wink:

WElcome to the world of handquilting. I personally love it. The only things I machie quilt are items for people I know don't know how to care for a quilt properly or small children. I do like the decorative stitches on my machines and use them as often as possible. But when it comes to qulting there is nothing like handquilting. I use a leather thimble and I have also taught myself to use both hands. If you are a touch typer or play the piano it makes it easier to quilt in both directions as your hands are already trained to work equally. When I quilt with my left hand I use a shorter leather thimble on my thumb and push with it. If I am not using a stationary frame like my floor hoops but a lap PBC frame I only use the right hand and just turn the item being quilted around to go the other direction.

Good Luck

I am a professional longarm quilter and believe me that little tip about your own saliva (sounds better than spit LOL) removing a spot of my blood on fabric has saved me a number of times..when I'm loading and unloaded the quilt I often stick my fingers when pinning on the leaders..
It's a quick fix that really works!!
Anne

If you don't want to spit on your quilt :lol: try keeping a small cup of cold water and a child's paintbrush beside you. This also works well for removing blue marks from a water soluble marker.

Such wonderful tips. I'm a dental hygienist and "spit" doesn't bother me at all. lol :)

I'm not sure it does have to be your own.. I think it works best as you do it immediately when it happens.. There is an enzyme in saliva that starts the digestive process.. that it what helps break down the blood molecules.

I love to hand quilt, I've been at it for over 20 years. I have only used metal thimbles and I too have gotten little blood spots that I use my spit to remove. come on ladies, It is readily available and so easy, you can always get some water later and go over it but I've never had anyone even know I did it. I love my oval hoop to do my quilting. just remember to start in the middle and work evenly around out to the edge.It is adictive.

One thing I would suggest is getting in the habit of loosening your frame at the end of the day. It lets the fabric relax, so you don't have hoop marks. I use a leather thimble on one hand, and a metal one on the other.

Nothing drapes as well as hand quilting, but machines are so quick.