I have been a hand quilter all my life - well at least since I started quilting over 35 years ago. I have completed several quilts - both hand pieced and hand quilted, won awards at shows, and when I go to a show I prefer to see the art of hand quilting on display, which seems to be getting rarer and rarer. I'm still more into traditional pattern style quilts - not really into art quilts which seems to be the rage.

That said I am in the last years of hand quilting because my hands get too stiff and sore with the arthritis setting in, so I am in the process of teaching myself to machine quilt. I tried a baby quilt last year on my little White Jeans machine which I have used for machine piecing for years. Then I began to look in earnest for a larger-throated machine because it is a lot of work, at least for me, to shove a quilt around under a machine at a table - and on the norm I do bed quilts.

I now am doing a lot of quilting (well at least up to about my 12th donation quilt for our guild as I practice with pantographs on a Brother mid-arm (9"throat) on a floor frame and am loving it to the point of knowing that I will go to a 18-20" machine as long as I don't have to spend more than $5000 for the set up. And in the searching process also got myself a new-to-me Juki 9" throat that I really , really like for piecing... I have a couple "special" quilts to finish that I really want to finish for my family with hand quilting. Still have two in a series of 4 X'mas quilts that I've finished the first two by hand and an appliques original quilt top for my oldest d - tho I may switch up to machine quilting on that as it's been in the works for over 10 years The hand-appliqued top is completed as of last year, but haven't come up with the exact quilting design, & as I'm getting into this machine quilting, am thinking it may be one that I end up doing on the machine. I believe that machine quilting is the future for me - but at this point that seems to mean that I will also turn out a few more for my g'kids and family members than I did as my kids were growing up.

I am hand quilting one right now. I still haven't mastered the FMQ so if I am being picky about how it looks.... I do it by hand. Sure wish I had the skills to machine quilt like the other members do. Try Try Try :roll:

I would love to do hand quilting but the arthritis and numbness in my hands won't allow it.

I am so happy to see so many that still hand quilt. I only hope we can hand this wonderful art down to the next generation. I am hoping my Granddaughter will someday quilt. She sews now and before we found she had MS she was on her way to Fashion Design School. So if she quilts, it will probably be the beautiful art quilts.

Love doing it and the look it gives a quilt.

Have a calendar that says hurry up and relax, I too hurry but try and enjoy the journey.

My Mother taught me to hand quilt and I never considered doing anything else until I was faced with quilting a queen size in less than a month before Christmas. With all my other responsibilities, I knew I wouldn't be able to complete it in time so resorted to the machine, which for this particular quilt worked out just fine.

I still prefer to hand quilt small projects ... I find it relaxing and can sit comfortably and watch (or listen to) TV while I quilt. I'm happy to hear that so many people still hand quilt, as I think it's important that we carry on this tradition and talent that was passed down to us.

The advantage to machine quilting is that it is SO much faster, and I am looking forward to learning more about it, although it is a bit overwhelming. Some of the machine quilted quilts are truly beautiful, but I'm still partial to hand quilting and I enjoy the "old-fashioned" style of quilt. To me, there's nothing prettier than a hand quilted wholecloth quilt!

I do hand quilting every tuesday at church & did a baby quilt at home

I have been quilting for 38 years and do only hand quilting. That is how my grandma taught me. My DM also hand quilted, first for my quilts and then she started making her own. I haven't figured out machine quilting after all this time, so I just relax and do it by hand. Took a class with Harriet Hargrave a few months ago and she was a great inspiration to keep hand quilting.

I hand quilt and Iam even more old fashioned than that I only do hand embroidered ones.

I was taught from the beginning to finish my quilt by hand-quilting it. The machine quilting way is fine, but it is just not the way I enjoy to work on a quilt.My grandma told me that whatever way I made a quilt to always put good thoughts into it and do it with love.Each person has their own way of making and finishing a quilt,and that's why I personally think quilt-making will always be around.I was bored the other night and traced quilt-making back to the Vikings with fur skins. So quilters have been around that long, and maybe longer.I got hungry and stopped tracing. If you want to look it up just go to: www.historyofquiltmaking.com

I like to do both It is harder to do now because I have difficult time threading needles and the easy thread needles tend to make my thread break so machine quilting is easier for me now.

I only hand quilt. It was the way I learned, I haven't gotten the knack for quilting on the machine.

Your quilting is beautiful! The kitties are the perrrrrfect touch :lol:
I hand quilt most of the time,and usually finish my quilts by machine.
Stephanie Clark

I hand quilt. I've only made two quilts so far and they are both hand quilted. I timed how long it took for me to do one 16" square and it took me 6 hours for the one square alone. There are 25 16" squares. The squares are all quilted, but I haven't worked on the borders yet. I haven't decided what design I want to do, but it will be hand quilted no matter what I decide. I admire the beauty of the designs in machine quilting.....just not interested in quilting by machine for myself.

I find it is best not to time myself. I don't even look to see how much I have left to do until I feel I am REALLY getting close to being finished. It just takes a long time, so enjoy what you are doing while you are doing it.

I do some handquilting but as my hands age it is getting more difficult. :-)

I hand quilt and up until a year or two ago, I hand pieced. I still do hand piecing on some difficult patterns. all the piecing except for the long seams on my avitar are hand pieced.

oh yes, I hand quilt.. I love to hand quilt. I don't always quilt by hand, I probably do more machine quilting than hand quilting. I am in the process of hand quilting all the quilt tops I have from my grandmother, and I also have one in line that was pieced by my MIL... Those all deserve to be hand quilted, they are very special.

I have MS and my neurologist told me that my handquilting was helping to keep the muscles in my arms and hands from drawing up. So I guess my love of handquilting is good for my health as well as my heart.

I hand quilt. I don't think it is as rare as you think it is. It is nice to develop new skills and to have options too.

The best part about this thread on handquilting is that it shows that all quilters truly love quilting.I haven't been on here that long,but no one competes with each other or is rude to each other. There's nothing but encouragement,advice,and good thoughts toward one another.I think quilt making is one of the friendliest and most helpful crafts of any.

Yesterday I put a quilt in my frames and will begin quilting it today. I think it is hard for some people to spend that much time on one thing, especially if you have a huge stash waiting. It is a hurry up world.

I tried it but found it tedious and I'm not very good at it. I admire it and wish I could do it. But I do hand peice when I am on the go and I like that.

I believe that whether hand or machine quilted, each quilt is a work of heart. ^.^

My favorite winter pastime, saves a lot on heating doesn't it?

I have MS too and still do a lot of handquilting, only in winter though, can't handle the extra heat in summer, so summers are spent hand piecing and hand appliqeing and some machine quilting aswell.

I went to that website but it said it couldnot be found. Did you give the right website address?.
I to love to hand quilt and do it all the time. I make many quilts during the year.

Hand quilting is very lovely, but arthritis prevents me from doing it anymore.

OK-I have challenged my brain long enough! What is IMHO?

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

In my humble opinion IMHO

Thanks!! IN all my wildest imaginative vocabulary I would have never guessed it! Good one!

I do handquilting - not perfect but I find it relaxing - I also do some machine quilting on small projects. Both are nice it is just what your time limit is and what you prefer.

never machine, hand quilting is so relaxing and fulfilling AND can sit by the woodburner in recliner whilst I do it!!!

I just love to hand quilt. It is so relaxing and looks so pretty when completed.

I am handquilting my very first. I am in learning mode and the stitches are not as neat and tiny as I might like but have been told by others on this board it will happen with practice and time. I actually am impressed that I can do it at all.

I am from the old school it doesn't seem like a quilt unless it is hand done.

In My Humble Opinion

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-93366-1.htm
this is one borntohandquilt just posted. gorgeous as usual!