Hand quilting with a hoop..
 

Need some suggestions. I'm going to be taking a class on hand quilting. The instructor asked me if I wanted to lap quilt using a large hoop. Let me hear from those of you who use the hoop and let me know the size you prefer, it is on a stand, does it sit in your lap. I used to embroider with a hoop but it seems this would be different since there are 3 layers instead of just the one. Please share with me your experiences--good and bad.

For the class I took I used one that I could prop on the edge of the kitchen table and reach around and under with one hand. I took the two thimble class so one hand underneath was necessary. I didn't want too large a hoop or it would be difficult to have one hand on top and one underneath.

See if you can try it out first then go from there. neighbor hand quilts and she has different hoops and stands. She says depends on where she is as to what is comfortable in the moment. She also has a couple "Aunt Beckys" she can't do without.

What is an Aunt Becky?

An embroidery hoop and a quilting hoop are two different things.
1. The quilting hoop is 'thicker', about an inch wide instead of the narrow 1/4" - 1/2" of the other hoop
2. It is also usually larger - usually 14-16" in circumference.
3. If it is free of a stand, it sometimes helps to be able to lean the top edge against something.....your knee, the arm of the chair, a table surface, a stand brought up against your chair.
4. The fabric of the quilt - all 3 layers - is kept in the hoop with less tension than an embroidery piece would be. This allows for the rocking motion of the quilting needle and ease of making the stitch.

My personal preference is a hoop that is 16" round, with smooth edges that do not stress the fabric....not all hoops are smooth but you could sand them a bit at home. Quilt shops usually carry better quality ones than the chain stores.

Jan in VA

Here is one like I mention:
http://server.nancyellenquilts.com/c...hoop/wood-hoop

I do all my quilting by hand, tried out a hoop but found it much easier without, have done from wall hangings to king size. You should definitely try one before you buy

How do you keep the right tension?

I have quilted many quilts on a large hoop in my lap! I really like to use a large plastic hoop ( they hold up better than the wooden ones) but are hard to find. I have had the hoop in the floor stand but was bending forward to quilt and I found it to be hard on my back and shoulders. With the hoop I'm my lap I was able to sit comfortably in my chair. Two years ago I purchased a long arm and I have not quilted I'm my lap since then!

Thanks for telling me about your experience with the floor stand. Makes sense to me that it would be harder on our back.

I prefer a lap hoop. It is not hard on the back, it is easy to adjust to suit your preferred quilting direction, it is stable, and it leaves both hands free. My favorite lap hoop swivels on a wooden ball but is no longer sold. The closest thing to it is the Grace lap hoop: http://www.graceframe.com/site/hoops . There are some reviews of it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Company-...dp/B003AJZVIY/

Advantages of a lap hoop over a floor hoop is that the lap hoop is easier to move around, more compact for storage, and (for me, anyway) easier on the back.

I hand quilted my first quilt on a Q-snap floor frame, but it is definitely not good for someone with a bad back. Had to give mine away. Before that, I started out with a regular round quilting hoop (no stand), but found it awkward to always have to balance the hoop in order to quilt with one hand underneath and one hand on top. I also tried quilting without a hoop. My stitches were much less even, especially on the underneath side.

I lap hoop is about 13" across. I have never used a floor frame of any type for the reason mentioned above...think it would be very uncomfortable. I can sit however I like in my comfy chair and quilt until my fingers bleed! I have done from baby to king size quilts in my hoop. Sometimes I use no hoop at all but actually prefer it as it makes it easier to find where I've left off quilting! As Jan in VA mentioned, there is no tension used in a quilting hoop so you can do a 'rocking' stitch - your sandwich is quite loose in the hoop unlike embroidery.

Another item you'll need to test drive is a thimble. Most commercially available thimbles have a recessed top with very shallow dimples. You push with the top of your finger. I use a Thimblelady (www.thimblelady.com) thimble. Cone shaped; open top; deep dimples on the side so that you are pushing with the pad/side of your finger. I find this more comfortable than pushing with the top of my finger.

And then there are needles. My preference is Roxanne #11 betweens. Find they stay sharp; don't bend easily; allow me to get nice, small, even stitches.

Others will weigh in with their preferences I'm sure. All of these elements are personal preference. Find the combo that works best for you.

I like an 18 inch round hoop for hand quilting. There's a balance to be found between too big and bulky for easy management and too small to get going on a motif or line before having to reposition the fabric. For me, the 18 inch is it.

One thing to remember in learning hand quilting is that you don't have to go for the smallest stitches ever right at the first-- it's better to get consistently sized and spaced stitches. Over time and with experience, you can work toward the ideal tiny stitches.

Another tip I find essential -- wax your threads. Saves so much frustration in tangled and fraying thread.

:) I like an oval hoop because I can turn it easily -- have a bit of trouble reaching around with a big round one!! -- this is another of whatever-works-for-you situations -- good luck!!

I have hand quilted many quilts .. and have used different sizes depending on the quilt. I think the size I go to most often is the 20" or maybe its 24".

I would second RST's suggestion about waxing your thread. I have used thread magic (little blue box) and it helps dramatically.

I have never used a hoop on a stand. I hoop the quilt up and sit on the couch watchin TV. I did find some needles that were bent into an almost U shap and some quilts those helped to get the needle through the layers.

I use both personally and in classes the No Slip hoop in 14" size. Can get it at Joann's. When adjusted will stay.
Is plastic. I also use the Americana hand quilting thread (99 cents) from Joanns

It's a bent piece of metal that you use in the hand under the quilt. This video shows one lady using it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeSSyueipPw You can purchase one from Connecting Threads - http://www.connectingthreads.com/too...+_TD80688.html. It's more than a finger saver - people who use it say that it really helps them with the quilting.

i use a 14" round plastic hoop. i quilt in my lap, and i have found that it presents enough of a surface area for about 3 hours worth of quilting. that's a long time to sit still in one position doing the work.

and i second the thimble comment. a good thimble that is comfortable to wear for a long time is absolutely essential. i have about 6 different ones that i have tried, but always come back to the simple metal one that just seems to fit better than the others. for this perle cotton quilting i have had to switch to the clover leather thimble. i don't like it nearly as well, but because of the extra force needed to push the embroidery needle through the layers my metal one started to hurt my hands.

i am on the lookout for a fancier open front one like this one:

https://www.crimsontate.com/artisan-...le-bee/dp/1106

but i'm not about to spend $100 on it at this point. maybe soon though...never quilted with one like that so it seems a stiff price to pay if it joins the dusty collection at the bottom of the thread box!

aileen
aileen

The quilt must be smooth and flat, but loose in the frame. It should look a bit saggy, like a cat napped on it. That's so you can manipulate it as well as manipulating the needle.

I started out with a large, old fashioned floor frame. After one quilt I decided to move to a lap hoop. l then decided that I could do just as well basting and quilting without a hoop. Eureka! Best for me.

I have a 14 in. wooden hoop, that has the board at the bottom, it sits on my lap while I quilt. I can sit anywhere comfortably, and I love it. Have used it for years.

I quilt a queen sized quilt with a 17" square Q Snap frame that I held in my lap and it worked very well. Only a couple of things to mention...the frame is a bit tight to get the quilt snapped into and it can catch seams and stretch the fabric and also, I would not leave the quilt in the frame I.e. Only have it snapped in while quilting, otherwise it could and probably would distort your quilt. It was a good RV travel alternative to be able to quilt without my floor frame.

Lots of good advice. I use a 14 or 16 inch round hoop BUT when I get to the edges I have a half circle hoop. It is hinged to open up and has a strip of fabric that you can pin the straight edge of your quilt to. I will try to find one online and post the details. I have had this half hoop for a long time so don't know for sure if they are still available.

Thanks. I'll be looking for your post.

Lots of good advice. I use a 14 or 16 inch round hoop BUT when I get to the edges I have a half circle hoop. It is hinged to open up and has a strip of fabric that you can pin the straight edge of your quilt to. I will try to find one online and post the details. I have had this half hoop for a long time so don't know for sure if they are still available.
Look at this site and you will see what I am talking about. http://www.amazon.com/s?rh=n%3A262646011

Sorry for the double post!! But try that link.

I have the white plastic snap together square about 12". I really like this because I felt with the round one I was constantly rehooping and had a lot of already quilted area in my hoop. With a square you don't get that as much. I also made sleeves to go on 2 sides so when I get to the edge or the corner, I just pin the quilt to these sleeves and I can quilt all the way to the edge. It pulls apart and I can carry it along very easily. If the quilt get loose, I just roll the clips to the back and it's tighter.

I hand quilt with a hoop on my lap. I have a large oval wooden one and a medium oval wooden one for smaller work. I like to be able to sit back in a comfy chair, so no stand for me.

I used a 14" round wooden hoop after trying various sizes, this one worked best for me. I rested it up on a coffee table in front of me with most of it in my lap and turned it easily as I went along. I no longer hand quilt due to an injury and I miss it terribly.

I have the floor variety frame and used it for several years until a nationally recognized quilter commented that she did all of her quilts in a round hoop. Have never gotten the big frame out since!! I use a 14" hoop that I purchased in the quilting section at JoAnn's. (I have smaller ones for little projects.) Set up the card table, which can hold all the "stuff" and help support the hoop on my lap. I love this for the convenience that I can simply take everything down if company is coming or I need the space while getting a quilt done. As to thimble--I never learned to use one because I can't feel where the needle is but it's a necessity when quilting. I have tried a lot of them but the one I really, really like is a leather thimble with metal that goes over the tip of the finger. I think they call it a nickel thimble?? It, too, is at JoAnn's. It's flexible so fits well but gives some protection from the end of the needle. Aching back--go to Dollar Tree and ask for a lumbar support backrest. It's a mesh sort of thing on a flexible frame and is a lot nicer on your back than a pillow. Some of their stores don't carry them though.

I don't use a hoop at all. Just baste and quilt in my lap. Quite a few years ago I made a pretty useful floor frame by taking the top off an old card table and wrapping the metal top frames with fabric so I could clamp my quilt to it. It worked fine but now that I have severe back problems I can't use it any more. Lately my daughter has taken up machine quilting and does such a beautiful job that I am sending all my quilts to her.

An Aunt Becky, to answer your question, is a bent piece of metal which fits over the tip of your underneath quilting finger and catches the needle as it comes from the top and helps you to turn it round to go back into the fabric, and head back to the top. It takes a while to learn how to use it, but it surely helps save your finger tips. I use a large, wide hoop to quilt in. I have a hoop with a stand also and use it sometimes. And, I have quilted using just the quilt in my lap; it just depends on the back and how it feels that day.

I have a good plastic hoop with a wing nut to tighten. It is, I believe 14 inches across. I love it. It sometimes is a bit tough to maneuver when the quilt a fairly large one, but I just put most of the weight on a table and everything is fine. I have tightened it to the extreme with no lasting effects on the fabric.

I have really enjoyed all the information on this thread as after Christmas I plan to try hand quilting. Good luck with your class, teddy'smom:)

I'm really encouraged by all the positive remarks. Believe I'll be able to master the quilting hoop and I'm excited about getting started. My class begins on the 3rd Thurs in Jan running from 10 - 3. So should be able to learn a lot and have time to practice while the "teacher" is still there.

I must admit that I do not do a lot of hand quilting because of my wrists, however, when I quilted my daughter's full size quilt, I used a 14" hoop, but I quilted it at my old, very large kitchen table. The quilt was supported, taking some of the strain off my arms, and although I was leaning forward slightly, I found it to be as comfortable as sewing. Plus my large table held the bulk of the quilt, and Mischief (our kitty at the time) would lie on the quilt to watch me and occasionally try to catch the needle, although he only did that a couple of times. I know some of you might be aghast at letting a cat lie on the quilt, however, when my daughter used the quilt her cat slept on her bed, and no one in the family was allergic then.

I use a 16" round hoop but I also use an oval hoop for borders for all my hand quilting, I use a hoop with a lap stand if the quilt is larger than a lap quilt to take the weight off my legs. the difference between quilting and embroidering with a hoop is that you keep a hand under the hoop to make sure the needle goes thru all layers, that's why I prefer a smaller hoop.

I use both a floor and a lap hoop. My floor hoop tilts so that I don't have to bend way over on it and has all kind of adjustments to make it comfortable for me. But I love sitting on the couch with a quilt on my lap and quilting. I use a
14 in lap hoop and a 16 in floor hoop. Shop around a little to see what's out there. You may end up buying a couple of hoops before you find one that you really like. Be patient!

Once, when I was working on my floor hoop and the quilt was large and the over hang was laying on the carpet, my two corgi puppies were taking a nap on the part of the quilt that was on the floor which they frequently did. After a while, I thought "boy, those puppies have been asleep a long time." When I looked, they weren't asleep. They were quietly taking my quilt sandwich apart. I think this is what caused their life long addiction to ripping batting out of the stuffed toys they get.

Aunt Becky is a metal piece used on the under side of the quilt

sort of an under thimble (it saves your finger tip when you catch the needle.

I have the Grace lap hoop in the 14" size. I love that it sits in my lap and pivots any direction on a ball. I can lean back into the sofa back and don't have to lean over and stress my back. I took a class with the Thimblelady and use her techniques and thimbles, but I also use the stick-on pads called thimble-it for sewing on binding and such hand work.