I like hand quilting because to me it is so relaxing..I have found when I have had a bad day or my mood is just blah..just touching my fabric, making a plan for it and than sitting down doing some hand sewing really picks me up..and especially when I see what I am doing comes together..

I'm an in-betweener. I machine piece and applique, but hand quilt. That said, my quilting isn't fancy. I much prefer a wild fabric themes as a focal point with simple block or straight line quilting. I use a lot of solids or batiks around the 4 sides to tie the design together and almost look like a framed picture.

I don't have hoops or anything to secure the layers other than lots and lots of pins. I usually make full and queen quilts, a very few twin, but mostly queen. I sit in a nice comfy chair with a huge hassock and let my quilt drape over my legs and the hassock. It's much easier to move the quilt up and down or side to side than unhooping and rehooping would be.

I like to hand quilt while I'm 'waiting'....at the Dr.'s office, while DMIL is at the beauty shop, if someone is at the hospital, & while traveling or any other time I know I will have to wait for something. If my back is hurting I will hand quilt at home, but mostly I machine piece & quilt when I'm at home. I did find out last fall that I like to hand quilt outside but with temp.s in the triple digits I think I'll stay inside!

i love to take my hand quilting or hand piecing with me too

Doesn't it keep us from worrying or pass the time calmly?
:-)