I hand quilt almost all the time, very little machine quilting. I would take the quilting out and replace the batting, with a light weight cotton, poly or the best would be wool. If you go this route, I believe you will be happier with the work you have done on the piecing already. I agree full heartily that hand quilting is the way to go. Just MHO

Beautiful quilt. I too have a Hexigon quilt I need to deside how to quilt.

I hand quilt. You don't say you are dissatisfied with your quilting. It is the batting. Since most of the center is done, if it were me, I would continue quilting it going to the stab method. I have never seen a stab needle but find it very interesting. I would have a very difficult time taking out quilting stitches that I am satisfied with. Your quilt is beautiful! I use poly bats but have a wool one and a silk batting to use in the next quilts. I hear the wool is wonderful and am anxious to quilt the silk one.

Have you tried a curved needle? There have been times that I used a curved quilting needle and that really helped get the momentum through the layers

http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-3050-Cur...uilting+needle

the only batting i have ever used is Warm and Natural, so lots of hours of hand quilting it. it is the seams that is your main issue, changing out the batting isn't going to change that situation. I also bought Thimble Lady needles and her stainless thimble. i like them however. i suspect that you aren't going to load very many stitches on at once. I enjoy the English Betweens for quilting: James needles are one brand. The black ones are really SHARP. Try loading only 2-3 stitches on at once and don't quilt through the seams, go over or under them on each side. I wouldn't take out what you've done, until i'd tried the suggests given in this thread.

I don't like hand quilting with W&N either. It can be done but once you use Hobbs 80/20, wool or poly you'll never go back. With my big man hands, I can't use betweens either, I prefer sharps. Now that being said I agree that the issue with your quilt is all the seams. Not sure if I would take it all out and start again. It's not that big a quilt so I think I would just persevere. Maybe only work on it an hour a day or so. This really is a spectacular quilt and your doing a wonderful job.

If you decide to change the batting, since this is your first hand quilted quilt, I would go with wool It quilts like butter

I had a lady friend give me a GFGarden. I hand quilted 3,000-3,500 hex's. The finished size was 1 1/2". I marked a 1/4" around each hex. And my needle I used was a quilting between size 11. My ? is, what kind(type) batting are you useing.I dont think changeing the batting will make a difference. My batting I use is Quilters Dream Poly/thinnest loft. I buy it from paducah. I've used this batting for all of my quilts-machine quilting, and hand quilting.

Can't even envisage half inch hexies. After all that work I think I would get it LA'd.

Shows how different we all are .......
.......... for me, and after all that work,
I shudder at the thought of LAQ,
and feel that hand quilting is the only way to go!

As I said ...... we all have different thoughts on this and I respect you for yours.