Hand Quilting
 

I am toying with the idea of making a baby quilt for a friend who is going to be a first time grandma soon. I love the look of the hand quilting. How do I get that thick look?? What thread is best and how many strands do you use??

I hand quilt everything> I have tried many of the expensive hand quilting thread, and have not been satisfied. I ended up back to using the Americana cotton hand quilting thread I get for 99 cents at Joannes...I run it through thread heaven to prevent a lot of tangles. The thick look would be from the thickness of your batting..For a first quilt I wouldn't advise using a high loft. I is more diffficult to sew thru the layers. I only use a single strand of the thread when quilting. I use #`10 quilting needles and try to sew smaller even stitches using a rocking motion. In the beginning it was real hard to get the small stitches, so I focused on even. In time it became neater and smaller. Good Luck with your project. I love hand quilting and find it very relaxing

By "thick look" are you talking batting loft or are you talking heavy looking stitches like the "Big Stitch" quilting? Here is a blog that has a picture of Big Stitch quilting
http://lexingtonquilter.blogspot.com...t-attempt.html

Here is tute for it:
http://www.americanpiedesigns.com/BI...G%20METHOD.pdf

what do you mean by -- 'that thick look' ???
high loft batting---or thick/heavy thread???
there are a few high loft batts on the market- they give a quilt a (puffy) look
normally for hand quilting- 1 strand of thread is used- there are lots of weights/sizes of thread-you could use a perle cotton or multiple strand embroidery thread if that is the look you are going for-

With perle cotton, #8 seems to be the most common, but I kind of like #10 or maybe it's #12...they have it at Joann's and it's thick, but not too thick...I'd use a single strand.

I mean the thick thread look. Can I get this Perle Cotton at Joann's or at a speciality store??