How long does it take for you to handquilt?
 

So this week I'm finally finishing up hand quilting a quilt that I have been working on day and night with for the last 4 months and I posted that I was going to quilt the boarder of the quilt. But now I feel as if I'm not going to have time. Because my thing is, it takes me a good 6-8 months to hand-quilt a full size quilt. The quilt needs to be done around the middle of May but I don't want to be hurrying and not have enough time to get it binned at the last minute. So my question is how long does it take you to hand-quilt? If you know a quilt needs to be done within a certain time what do you do?

Do you know anyone who would be willing to help you? Is it on a frame, hoop, or lap quilting? I have hand quilted two large quilts and one smaller one. I also quilt with a group around a frame every week. I have found the border is the easiest, especially if you choose a pattern that lets you quilt in long stretches so you are not constantly stopping to knot and start again. I don't know what your border is like, but if it is a strip border, there are no seams to quilt through and that goes faster. A simple pattern also takes less time to mark. It is doable to finish by May, but you are probably tired of it about now. A simple border pattern will give you a new burst of energy.

I have been trying to find someone to help me but haven't had much luck. I'm going to keep asking around my area and see if there are any hand quilters that might be able to help me. The quilt is in a hoop my house is too small to keep to be able to put it in a frame. Yes I am getting tired because it takes so much time but I know in the end I know it has a purpose. So are you saying I should keep on with my boarder? I made wavy lines with big flowers/leaves but I might change it to something else.

It takes me way too long. I would not try to hand quilt a quilt on any kind of deadline. I keep hoping to speed up, though. The Thimblelady (Liuxin Newman) says in her book that it takes her about 20 min. to quilt one length of thread. That seems like a realistic goal to shoot for.

What is your option if you don't quilt the border? It doesn't seem like leaving it unquilted is an option. Perhaps someone would machine quilt it for you. That would work. It depends on the quilt and its purpose. I still think the border could go quite quickly. Our group did a bed quilt recently. One of the ladies finished half of one side in two and a half hours. She is a faster quilter than I am, but It would take me about eight hours to do one side, with normal breaks.

The first quilt I ever hand quilted was a baby quilt (45" X 60"). I started the quilt, using blocks, and machine applique of a Sunbonnet Sue pattern. The whole quilt took me about 5 months to do, but there were lots of tiny pieces like shoes, hands, sleeves, etc. Lots of tiny, tiny pieces. But, it was the first quilt I'd ever made, so I was bound to be very slow! Good luck on finishing your quilt in time!

Jeanette

I was told once by a shop owner that if I ( stuck with it) and worked on it every day I could get a queen sized quilt done in a year....it is not a quick process. But, as others have said, a simplified pattern ( still getting the amount of quilting your batting requires) should go faster than the body took.
One of the reasons I became a longarm quilter.

If I have a deadline, I use a very simplified quilting pattern. I'm working on one now that is simply round circles with arc's in them to resemble softballs (there is a purpose/reason here). Each one takes me about 45 minutes to do. I'm using W&N batting so I'm fortunate that I don't have to quilt too closely. These are scattered randomly throughout the quilt. It's an oversize twin. I need to be done by mid-June. I only started the quilting a couple of weeks ago but feel I can manage this timeline.

Most of the quilts I do are what I refer to as 'milestone' quilts...birthdays; anniversary; graduation; and they are all bed-sized. I know those deadlines long in advance. I usually start from scratch about 9-10 months out depending on the time of year for the deadline.

The one I'm working on now is going on 1 1/2 years-for my veteran DBIL-lots of densely quilted areas-Can't wait to give it to him! Almost done!

It took me about 60 hours to do a trip around the world. My stitches are even but not tiny.

When I was doing it consistently on a daily basis I was able to do a simple cross hatch from corner to corner of 2-1/2" squares fairly quickly. However now that I pick it up at random and may work on something for less than an hour at a time (waiting on car repairs, dentist office, etc) it takes me years. Lol!

quilt straight lines rather than curves and feathers, fast and it really sets off the quilt nicely.
you can do piano key or angled, they both look good.
I use a one inch ruler and an air erase marker, just marking what I have time to quilt in that setting. You can get an amazing amount of square inches quilted that way :)

it takes me FOREVER! I enjoy watching TV and hand quilting.. but nothing ever gets done at that rate.....

I just finished hand quilting a vintage DWR double bed size quilt top. It took about 180 hours,but I also told myself that it's a utility,not a show quilt and did 6 stitches per inch. I also quilted a GMFG. With 1 1/2 hexies..around both sides of each seam..double bed size....it took over 500 hours. The time it takes is dependent on how many stitches per inch,and whether or not it's an elaborate design. I go faster if I machine baste with water soluble thread and don't put it in a hoop. I would choose a straight line grid pattern..and a good- sized one! Good luck!

Not bragging, but I have hand quilted a king size in 3 weeks or less, working on it all the time., It usually, takes me about 6 or 7 weeks, quilting every evening.

Oh wow, I wish I could do one that fast. I watch tv so ya that doesn't help but some evenings I mostly listen to stuff while quilting.

Thanks to everyone that messaged me and helped stop worrying so much about not being able to finish. I will try working on the boarder tonight.