Happy Quilting. You will find it so rewarding once you get the hang of it. Kepp working on it. Soon you'll be rocking that thing like nobody's business.

I also hand quilt and I get 3 -4 stitches at a time. I tried going hoopless, but it didn't feel comfortable to me even though the stitches were smaller and more even. I am afraid to machine quilt but I do machine piece. Hand quilting is my favorite part of the process and it is my therapy and it relaxes me (most of the time, when I am not so critcal and try to be perfectionist). Enjoy the process and don't worry about the speed that comes with practice.

I agree, practice makes perfect!

Keep going you will soon have more on each before pulling through. Could be done in 3 months ;-)

Like someone else said, loosen the tension of your quilt & you will be able to put more stitches on at a time. I learned this the hard way. After doing 1 quilt, I started asking questions & learned a lot.

I'm so happy for you to learn a new trick or two. I've been sewing since I was a young girl and am now 72. I've always loved it and hand stitching was part of my lessons; so I guess the hand quilting came kind of naturally, but learning to do the tiny stitches to complete the picture on my quilt, was a challenge. Once I did it though I was so proud and I'm hooked, I can't quit.

Don't worry about just two stitches! At least they are even. And if you are using a small needle (11 or 12 between) it won't hold too many stitches anyway.

You go girl!!!! Congrats to you.

Om so happy for you !! I know what an accomplishment it can be, I have yet to finish a piece by piece quilt but i did make a prepatterned baby panel into a quilt for my new granbaby, I then decided to hand quilt it. I got a die cut with hearts and got a fabric pencil and drew out the hearts and hand sewed it all. The middle was all rubber ducky's ( the theme for the baby shower and the babys room) so i free handed made a pattern and it took a long time to do but i was proud and my daughter Loved it. That lil baby is close to 5 and really has outgrown the size but its her favorite blankie still. She knows gamma hand sewed it all and its special to her. I have an idea to make a new larger quilt for her now and every few year ADD on to each end right over the finished edge till it fits her forever!

I was amazed when I read this post, Borntohandquilt, I have often admired your work and am actually blown away that you do it one stitch at a time. Wow! Congrats to BevD - hand quilting is relaxing. I have arthritis which makes it hard now for me and I get so cranky about it, because I could happily spend the rest of my life just sitting at my quilting frame and hand quilting. Borntohandquilt - you have inspired me to keep trying. BevD, would love to see pics of your quilt, I notice someone else asked too.