I concur. Keep the fabric loose so you have room to work. I also practiced trying to move the needle straight down and straight up while stitching when I started out to get the rocking down. I tried out a lot of different thimbles and the best is the pink plastic one mentioned above. It's just perfect for quilting. I keep a few spares in case I lose one! I'm only get about 7 or 8 per inch though, but that's how I like it. :)

LOL. It keeps me off the streets and out of trouble. :)

Janet

The only differences I have from the above mentioned tips are that I never use a hoop - just a great big pile of quilt basted 3-4 inches apart in my lap. And my thimble is one I found in my Great Aunt's sewing things when she died. It was really ugly and tarnished but it fit perfectly. Many years later, I am still using it. And it is beautiful! 24 carat gold with delicate engraving around it. I think of it as my lucky charm!

so, how many stitches per inch should be achieved with the warm and natural battings?

That means each stitch is less than 1/24th of an inch long!! How do you even see it? wow!!

Scrim is a very thin, net-like sheet of synthetic fibres that gives stability to the batting. While producing the batting with needlepunching the scrim is woven together with the batting fibres and makes it very strong and hard to tear - but it also makes it harder to hand quilt trough.

Everything I could say regarding your question has already been said. If you are interested to see how I quilt you can look at the thread I have posted recently:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-142087-1.htm

But you will see I have a different technique to yours: no thimble, no rocking stitch, no stab-stitching. I only do wholecloth, so I (almost) don't have seams to cross! I can reach 12-14 stitches per inch (sometimes even more), only counted on the top of the quilt. Take your time to find out which method works best for you - there are no written rules you have to follow. The result is what counts!

:)

Maybe we're defining rocking differently, but I watched your tutorial, and you do "rock" (maybe that's not the right word)-- i.e., your needle goes down through the fabric from the top, then back up again in the same motion. (as opposed to stabbing all the way down, and then bringing the needle and thread back up in a separate motion with the second hand).

I took my quilt off the hoop and it's easier. My # of stitches is increasing, and it definitely improves when I'm not going through a seam allowance.

Does the batting packaging indicate if its batting has scrim or not?

Thanks for all the great responses.

-- Jillaine

You are right, this seems to be a matter of definition - I've learned "rocking stitch" means to put several stitches on the needle, not only one. Otherwise it's possible that I understood it wrong because I am not a native speaker in English!

:)

I know that a Hobbs batting indicates on the package that it has a scrim but I don't know if Warm & Natural also does it.

the only way to achieve the small stitches you aspire to achive is PRACTICE- that's how everyone does it.
finding the right needle for you is important too- but the best needles and the best thread will only go so far- it just takes practice.

I would love to try hand quilting but don't think that I have the patience. I don't have a long arm machine, would not know how to use it and cannot afford to have someone quilt for me. Does anyone ever hand tie their quilts anymore or am I the only one? Would love to hear about this.