I have been a hand quilter for over 30 yrs. Machine quilting was a no-no then unless it was a baby or utility quilt. I just finished hand quilting a king-size lone star quilt and I tho't I would NEVER get done and I hated it. It has now "rested" in a trunk for a few months and when I get it out I love it again.

When I first came back to sewing and quilting this last summer I dabbled a bit in everything. For me personally I find hand quilting wonderfully relaxing and machine quilting physically exhausting. Since I quilt for relaxation and enjoyment I have over the past few months converted to almost entirely hand sewing (piecing and quilting). I break out my machine from time to time, for quilts that I know will be well "loved", but otherwise it is needle and thread for me.

i hand quilt mostly and machine quilt- hand is much more controlled- but for wall hangings and baby quilts machine is great also-- but how about some advise- what brand of needles do you use- just got Roxanne- I tend to bend John James very quickly- what do you do at the edges - I use a hoop and a floor frame- I have attached a wast fabric for the floor frame but forgot to do on the whole cloth queen size quilt I'm doing at the present- I done 3 queens-one full - I pinned them all and that worked pretty well- but the next one I do I'm going to it the old fashion way- any advise on basting? Will any kind of thread work?

Back in the "old days" I always thread basted. Now I just pin baste. Since you will be pulling your basting threads, use up your old threads or you can buy a basting thread which is cheaper than most threads.

I have hand quilted for 20 years and have just started experimenting with FMQ. I am terrible at it. The only thing I do that looks OK is stipple. Almost done hand quiliting my avatar and will post when done. Next is a double wedding ring. It will be a lot easier than the compass. I have not done a whole cloth yet but working up the nerve after what I have seen on this great site.

I too love to hand piece and hand quilt. I believe that it is so relaxing. I take a carry along project when we go to dr as waiting at VA sometimes is long. Always enjoy the time hand piecing.

ditto....

I handquilt on a Hinterberg frame
I found on Craigslist.
Completed 4 queens last year.
J J

I also hand quilt and never consider anything else. Fingers getting old and need resting at times so then I cut fabric for next quilt! I hand quilt while watching TV in the evening using one of the Ott Lites to put light only on my work not disturbing anyone else watching. The easiest quilt to handstitch was an Irish Chain (Queen Size) - the most difficult one was a Wandering Path (or Winding Ways) (twin size because of the curves. I do not use a quilt frame (don't have the room but baste thoroughly my layers and maneuver the quilt around my lap. Each to his own on this but kudos to those who still hand quilt.

bdsmith,
I prefer the #11 of the John James brand, they work best for me. I quilt in a hoop on a stand and if necessary I bast some waste fabric strips at the edges so it is easier to put the quilt in the hoop for quilting the border patterns. For basting I use the "old fashioned way" of thread basting and I've never had any problems with it.

I love hand quilting not only because it is relaxing, portable or easy to control - I also do it and do wholecloth quilts because I feel something like a duty in me. I have the talent and the patience for it and I see this as a gift to keep an traditional craft alive in a world where many valuable human skills seem to disappear. The more quilts I can do, the more I feel somehow "born to hand quilt". Maybe that sounds extreme or over-emotional - but that is how I feel.