Ditto, i the nap part too!

edited
Should say I like the nap part too, one finger typing just isn't for me!

I also sew using a ladder stitch and 3/8 - 1/4" stitches. I don't worry about the time it takes. I'm just concerned with the quality of my work. But I usually try to make sure I don't have tight deadlines. I enjoy handwork so much I am going to try needle turn appliqué soon.

Nancy, get one of the Sewline needle threaders. It threads my number 11's easy peasy. I just had to learn it pokes a fold of thread through so don't just jerk the needle out :) stop and pull the thread on through.

Hand sewing takes time. I'm fairly fast, but still... it isn't going to go as quickly as sewing on a machine. But I have never seen a machine stitched binding that I liked. I've seen some that I could live with for utility quilts, but none that I could really say "Wow... isn't that lovely!" So now I try to find time to hand stitch every binding on every quilt I do.

Hand work may be time consuming but it is by far the most beautiful. I don't mind the hand work.... sewing on the binding or doing the applique. It means that I can sit in the comfy chair beside my DH and enjoy a movie with him. When I'm hand quilting or sewing at one of my machines, he's in the other room by himself. We'll soon be married 50 years and I still enjoy being next to him. You never know how much time you'll still have together so I try not to pass up a chance to share space with him.

As I have arthritic hands, I hand sew the length it takes to use up the thread I put on my needle. Sometimes on a good day I can work thru 2 lengths of thread. I keep my handsewing at my recliner and watch TV while I sew. Seems to go faster and I consider it mindless work as I don't have tax my brain doing it.

I haven't timed it - I just do my hand binding while I'm watching TV over a period of evenings.

I love hand-stitching down my binding. My greatest investment was to buy a box of the small wonder clips. I kept seeing people raving about them about a year or two ago and had no idea what they were. Wasn't completely sold on the idea, but when JoAnn's had them on sale for 50% off, I ordered a box of 50. Wow! Instead of constantly getting poked by straight pins holding my binding in place, I use the wonder clips which I feel makes the job easier and faster.

An average lap quilt takes me about 6-7 hours to bind it. Never calculated how many inches that was per minute or hour. I can usually finish a small baby quilt in one night. A larger toddler quilt might take me two short evenings. A really large quilt may take me up to 4 evenings watching TV while sewing. Since I enjoy this part so much, I don't really think about how long it takes me unless I'm working towards a deadline to get it finished and need to pace my time.

Hand sewing the binding is also my favorite of the quilting experience! I usually do it while watching TV. Baby quilts take one night, larger ones can take two or three nights depending on the shows!

The binding part to me is the grand finale of the quilt.