I need some opinions from some handquilters please...i made this quilt and decided i wanted to hand quilt it....i am doing a baptist fan all over the center of the quilt then a feather in the border. I am doing it in a liberated style as i didnt mark it...anyways just want to see if this is ok? I am using quilters dream cotton batting, YLI thread and clover black and gold quilting needles...i can get 8-10 stitches per inch...i dont know if thats ok? there are quite a few seams on this quilt and its def harder to get the smaller stitches when i get close to the seams. This is what i have accomplished in about 2 hours of work. Any advice or input would be greatly appreaciated...sorry the pics are arent the best as i took them with my cell phone.

Looking good! Keep up the good work:)

looks pretty good, I don't think I could have done that much in 2 hours.
It will be very nice when it is done.

I am impressed. 2 hours??? Good for you.

I've just started to do some PP... by hand of course, so I can appreciate the work you've done...I think it looks GREAT!!! Good for you :):):)

REALLY LOOKS GREAT - your stitches are nice & even (I've heard judges say that's more important than how many you get to the inch) & pattern is done good, especially since you didn't mark it 1st. Keep up the good work. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

All of my special quilts are handquilted. I like your "liberated style". I've been looking for a baptist fan stencil for a while. I think the feathers will contrast nicely. Your stitch length is good too. When I was first learning, a quilter told me that it doesn't matter at all how many stitches that you have to the inch if they aren't consistant. It took me a long time to get mine uniform, then I started working on smaller. Your stitching is beautiful.

If this your first handquilting, I think you are doing exceedingly well. Don't sweat too much about the seams, do the best you can, and the over-all look will be very good. Keep up the good work!

Very nice and consistent stitches. I dont think small is as important as consistent. Takes some attention to get that on seems but it comes

beautiful hand stitching, great work!

Lovely!!!! I'm very impressed with the 2 hrs. WOW!!!! I really like your quilt but I love your Baptist Fans. Your stitches are looking good.

thank you ladies....no this isnt my first handquilting...though i dont do it that often. I guess i just wanted some reassurance that i am on the right path

Looks good to me.

I like it, the pattern and the stitches. Good work!

You are on the right path! Go on with it! I am looking forward to seeing the finished quilt!

Looks great to me! Love talking with other handquilters. We're a rare find now.

Awesome job :thumbup:

i've quilted a lot of years
back in the 40's
a group of ladies at my church quilted for people.
i think we got about $ 7.00 to do a quilt.
we always did fans & i still love them.
we tyed a piece of chalk on a piece of string to mark them. we had never heard of templates .
never heard it called Baptist fans but i like that
we were a little a little country Baptist Church.
all the ladies are gone but me and my sister inlaw.
sorry folks i didn't mean to wrte a book

Beautiful quilting!

I think it looks wonderful!!

Gosh Tealfalcon, you're doing great! There are always those places where hand quilters just have to stab stitch thru the seams, I hate it but what's a girl to do?
Joe Cunningham does all his hand quilting in the 'liberated' style and his quilts are awesome too! Love your fabrics and can't wait to see the finished quilt, PLEASE post pics! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

That is so interesting! My Grandma handpieced all of her quilts but had the church ladies quilt them for her. I always wondered how she could afford it but now I see.

tealfalcon, your quilt is stunning. I think I like how you think about forgeting about marking (I hate that part) I did a Christmas quilt last year & free hand drew pine trees & snowflakes to hand quilt...I thought that was being a rebel! :lol:

Looking good. Try a single sitch at the hard seams. This might save your fingers.

yes thats what i have been doing

Gorgeous!

Are you using a hoop or anything like that?

No I have tried several different hoops and I just don't like them....i feel I have more control when I don't use a hoop

Wow!!
Your work is very good and you have my respect. Great under taking.
Marily

looks really good. i love that pattern. i did a whole quilt(king) in the fan pattern and i marked with disappearing marker and sometimes it wasn't there!!!yours looks great

Your quilting is really,really nice.

Historical comment--one of the reason the fans were so popular with the quilting groups was that they allowed the quilter to go right-to-left in sweeping lines, thus making the most efficient use of thread and the quilters' time. I believe the longest arc of the fan was designed to be quilted with the longest thread length practical, then new arcs began. Your fans are quite beautiful but I think much smaller than the quilting bee fans. The more stops and starts you have to make, the more time it will take to fill comparable areas.

Your hand work is absolutely lovely. I'm amazed that you did not mark your quilt or use a hoop and yet the pattern stitches are very uniform. I prefer not using a hoop either but I have to mark my quilt or the pattern of my stitches go wonky.