Now there's a thought. Maybe a stab stitch, as Tartan suggested, would make it a little easier.

I've seen stab stitch needles, or two-sided needles. They're kind of bizarre-looking until you understand what they're for. There's a point at both ends, and the eye is in the center. When you use these needles for quilting, you have one hand above the quilt, and one hand below the quilt. You push the needle through the top and grab it with your bottom hand, and since it has points on both ends, you don't need to turn it. You simply grab it with your bottom hand and stab upwards in your next stitch.

http://www.colonialneedle.com/files/TwinStab_art.jpg

It's a combination of the seams w/ a heavier batting. It takes me 4 or 5 hours to baste a quilt - depending on size, so undoing things wouldn't be on my agenda...LOL!! The seams are your bigger culprit, so changing the batting could be a wash.

That's a great suggestion about the stab stitch needle.

A real beauty.

Your quilt is breathtaking! I would try the different needles before I started removing stitches, since it looks to me like you are more than 1/3 the way done.............but you have to do what makes YOU happy........

What a beautiful quilt. I admire your perseverance!! I hand quilt but have only done two quilts and neither was hexie. Wish I had some sage advice for you but I don't. Good luck though! It is gorgeous.

I LOVE YOUR QUILT! Whatever you do it will be beautiful. Hand stitching is easier to take out if you DON'T BACKSTITCH occasionally. And I do backstitch. It is so beautiful, I would be tempted to start over.

Thank you, everyone.

Tartan--I actualy saw that tutorial when I was researching on here the other day. I am so anti-quilt police, but I sure fell prey this time. I had it set in my mind if you were doing one stitch at a time, then you weren't quilting. What a big dummy. Derrrrr :shock: Or Grrrrr :mad:

Since I am also anti-do over :D I think I will try the single stitch method and see how that goes.

Thanks again, everyone!
fingers crossed!!

I love my Thimble Lady thimble so much that once I had my size in the plastic one, I ordered the stainless version. I am working on my first hand quilted quilt. It's twin size. I have it on a frame rather than in a hoop. I am just now getting to the point I can use a "quilting needle" without breaking it. I ended up using rather dull regular sewing needles to get the technique down. Much easier on the fingers haha. It may work for you with the W&N batting as they tend to be thicker and longer. I know it's not the "normal" way of doing it but for me it has allowed me to concentrate on stitching rather than dodging sharp flying objects!!

That is a beautiful top and I have never done much hand quilting, but do what makes you THINK would satisfy you. Then you will be satisfied. It would be a shame to not be as proud as you can be of such a beautiful top. I am so impressed with your dedication. The lady who does hand quilting for me doesn't even like the 80/20 much. She would prefer total poly, I am sure.

That quilt is beautiful! I admire your patience! Such tiny pieces!

Jeanette Frantz