???? for hand quilters
 

I'm a newbie - only done 2 quilts. My sister also hand quilts and she says she quilts the middle square and then quilts the whole middle row of the quilt. I heard "somewhere" that you quilt the middle square and then quilt around them working outward until the whole thing is done. What do you do?

When hand quilting with a lap hoop, I quilt the middle and work my way out evenly in all directions.

From one relatively newbie to another. I have hand-quilted in about every way you can hand-quilt. I have lap quilted squares individually (in the car on the way to vacations) and then sewn them together. I am currently hand- quilting in sections a quilt. I did start in the middle of each individual square and now am now hand-quilting all the way around the outside edge after I machine sewed them together. It is better to move out from the middle but I can see how doing the middle and then moving out sideways in the middle would work nicely.

I try to work from the middle, but sometimes I get off course...There are times when i am worried about shifting, I quilt from one corner and down and out..So far I have had no problems, as long as I make sure to check the tautness and evenness every time I move the frame

Ditto here. At least that's what I try to do. IMO, as long as you don't get puckers, do what works best for you.

I do what feline fanatic does. Start in the center and work out. I use a 14" hoop also

I am a wholecloth quilter and I work in a hoop on a floor stand. In general I start in the middle of the quilt and work towards the edges. There is only exeption of this rule: when I do a traditional strippy quilt (the top of a strippy is pieced of stripes of fabric with 10" to 12" width on the full length)I quilt the stripe in the middle to the edges first. Next are both stripes besides it.

Im a hand quilter.ive hand quilted more than 300.
ive never used a hoop. When i was kid, couldnt afford one.
I start in the middle, sometimes the middle row like your sis.
i also quilt rows or blocks, then sew tog. Never had a prob.
i do baste very well though.
good luck,have fun. Remember, there's no rules.

I agree with Lynnie. There are no rules. It also depends on what you are using as a frame. I have an old fashioned quilting bee frame (love it), and I start on one short edge, quilt a row, roll, quilt, roll, etc. I also have a PVC frame (much like the A-snap--love it too) and I start in the middle and work my way toward the outer edges. My favorite method is to put the quilt in the PVC frame and quilt around each block, or area, until each block is done. I then take out all the pins I used to hold the layers together and quilt the block in a hoop. My hoop is about 20 inches. I have some friends who actually hand quilt, and it looks very nice, without a hoop. I personally could not do it, but they can.

I am trying to learn FMQ, and have not done much hand quilting lately, but if I've had a bad day, or if life has become the pits, it always amazes me how much better I feel if I can just quilt for 10 or 15 minutes.

You should do it however you feel most comfortable.

amh
Saskatoon SK

I have hand quilted for over 40 years and put my quilts on four boards which are clamped in the corners and is on stands and work from the outside towards the middle. I have never had any puckers on any of my quilts. that is the way I was taught and the way my mother did it. Whatever works for you is o'k.