How many of you hand quilt?
 

I did some hand quilting on our past president's (quilt guild) quilt last evening and decided I need to do more in the future. it really is relaxing. How many of you hand quilt? Seems like it is almost a dying art with all the machine quilters. I love machine quilted quilts because they are so fast and durable, but think I may just have to do more hand qork

I have never hand quilted but 2 weekends ago we were up in Michigan camping and visiting family. My other half's aunt has a double wedding ring quilt that her mother made right before her death 2 years ago. The top is completed and has been pinned to the batting and backing. She asked me if I could quilt it for her. I feel really honored that she asked me to do this for her (I really didn't think she liked me!). There were 7 children and 7 quilts distributed. Everyone else found a longarmer to send it out to. One paid over $300 to get it done. I know money isn't the issue for her. I really don't care for FMQ on my domestic machine other than SID and straight lines so I am going to try my hand at hand quilting. As it is a queen or a king size, I know this will take some time but I just feel it deserves the hand quilting. Bought my Qsnap frame, Perl cotton, needles, Tiger Tape to keep my stitches neat and tidy, and that stuff you swipe the thread thru to keep it from getting tangled this weekend!

I usually have one quilt that I'm hand quilting in between making quilt tops. I like handquilting as it is relaxing to do. I don't get all excited when I see a handquilted quilt though.

I hand quilt everything, mainly because I canb't afford a long arm, or to pay someone to do it for me..I onlly make my quilts for family, so I also like to feel they are getting something with my personal touch..I have just began using stencils to help me hand quilt moitfs..I found great prices at http://quiltingstencils.com/ I enjoy the hand quilting and find it relaxing

I don't quilt, but I did hand quilt a small wall hanging on my very first quilt. It is not finished some 20 years later, but I really did enjoy doing that. I need to get it out and finish it. It is 3/4 done. It isn't perfect by any means. My sister tried to get me to stitch tinier, but I couldn't and I kind of like the look of the bigger stitches. It's a funky kind of quilt. It has Christmas Angels and they are all kind of raggedy so my quilting goes with it. I just sold my LA table so I might try my hand at some small projects. I think what you are doing is really quite wonderful...being so big a quilt! Your Aunt will probably love your quilt the most!!!

I love to do hand quilting because it is relaxing. My only problem is the stitches may not be consistent.

There are a quite a few hand quilters on this board...and I'm one of them. :) I don't think it's a dying art, but it isn't as common as it used to be. It does take time, but I find it more enjoyable than sitting at my sewing machine.

Janet

I have hand quilted lots of large quilts. Finally finished #2 double wedding ring quilt about six months ago. I have arthritis in my hands so bad that I have learned to machine quilt as you go method and like that much better. I liked hand quilting as it was relaxing but hard on my back and hands.

I always did my quilts on machine, but for some reason, I did a scrappy quilt with a light and dark pattern, again, me too, with bad arthritis and not good at hand sewing, I decided to baste my big quilt its all log cabin blocks the more I kept basting the more I loved it, it is totally finished now, every piece of fabric and the border which is piano key style, its all hand quilted not small and neat, but I totally love it, it looks more like a old fashioned quilt thatn all my others. May be doing a lot more hand quilting in the future. Grum from N.J.

I am usually a hand quilter but last year I committed to 8 quilts by Christmas (all done in time except 2). I forced myself to learn fmq but the whole time I was tense because the machine was controlling me not the other way around, lol. I did finally learn how to do a passable meander but as long as I don't need the quilt quickly, I'll be a forever hand quilting gal!

I have never quilted by machine, my quilts are always hand quilted. It's the part I enjoy the most.

I love to hand quilt, but it is only a winter-time thing for me!! I learned how to do it when I was 28 (10 years ago) and when I was able to quilt at work, I'd knock them out!! I moved away from my quilting bee (they taught me and they let me quilt their tops) and I stopped quilting. I moved to a larger farm-house last year and started quilting again just last winter. I decided to look online for tips and stencils, etc, and I found machine quilting (FMQ) on Youtube and I just had to try it!! I love machine quilting now!
But there is just something about hand-quilting that can't be beat. I'll hand-quilt (when it's cool enough!) as long as I'm able to. I never really learned how to make a top or how to bind, tho, and I buy my tops off ebay and the few projects that I've finished, I managed to bind without being too embarrassed to give as gifts, but I need more practice!

I prefer hand quilting.....it's so much more relaxing to be able to kick back in the recliner after working all day and work on my quilt for a little while. I'm currently finishing the hand piecing of a "Lone Star" for a king size bed. Hopefully soon to start the hand quilting of it. It is very relaxing, but it does take much longer.

I like the look and the work. Nice to do of an evening.

Are you planning to quilt it with peral cotton?

We had about 250 quilts in our annual show, have over 500 members in our guild, and no catagory for hand quilting anymore. Not sure if we had a handquilted quilt in the show this year or not

I hand quilted ONE quilt, double wedding ring quilt. My problem is I have 4 children and they all want it. My other quilts have all been machine quilted. Rinding time to hand quilt is now a problem

I was wondering that too.

i was only taught to hand quilt i do all mine by hand love it

I hand quilted my first "cuddle"quilt with #5 Pearle cotton and it seemed to take forever. Although it turned out beautiful and looks more like embroidered instead of "quilted", I won't do that again...lol! I use hand quilting thread now and it is much quicker.

I thought perl cotton was what I am supposed to use. Maybe not? Should I get regular hand quilting thread?? Guess I better do some research before I jump in with both feet!

Any hand quilters in South Jersey? Would love to see your work, learn some tips. Quilting bees in the area? Michele

Yes, you want to use regular hand quilting thread. It will be easier.

Thanks! I'll return the perl cotton and get hand quilting thread!

You will be much happier, won't get discouraged and really enjoy the process! Have fun!

I have always been a hand quilter. Thought about trying to machine quilt, but never built up the nerve to try it. Hand quilting is so soothing. All of my quilts have been either queen size or baby quilts. I am making my first "couch quilt". DH asked for a small one. So I am making a small "Trip Around the World" for him. It will only be about 56"x80" when I get it completed.

I piece tops in summer and hand quilt in winter. It's how I was taught by my granny and i love it..I will do SID on baby quilts to make them durable and more washable. But if' its an heirloom or keepsake, I will always hand quilt. king size or whatever. cmaras

I hand quilt. l put my quilt in my floor frame in the guest room and quilt a little each day. Since I work fulltime the quilt I am just about to finish had taken me close to 11 months to do. I don't get in a hurry but just enjoy the process.

Just started quilting in Jan and didn't know how to machine quilt, so I hand quilt. At 60 I am finding it a little hard on the hands. I just started a mchine quilting class, we'll see how it goes. But I do love the old fashioned look of hand quilting. You can see my quilts in my profile.

I prefer to hand quilt as I find it relaxing. However if I need to finish a quilt faster then I machine quilt. Hand quilting does take longer but I do enjoy the process and look.

My girl friend brought mesome squares she started hand quilting yrs ago, its a quilt as you go so ill be learning both real soon!!

It really makes me sad to read this - but I recently made a similar experience. I was invited by a group of quilters to demonstrate hand quilting at their biannual quilt show and I always love to do that. There were around 200 quilts on display and I think only 10 or 15 were hand quilted.
I am a passionated hand quilter and I do wholecloth quilts, no piecing at all ( I only have to sew together lengths of fabric for the top and the backing and I also do this by hand). Hopefully the big quilt shows keep their categories for hand quilting in the future!

I hand piece and hand quilt. I find both very relaxing, no rush to finish, just one step at a time. My stitches aren't perfect but I try to be consistent. Just enjoy the process. If you can't enjoy without worrying about the size of the stitches, you probably need to find another hobby.

If you're getting your thread at JoAnn's - possibly look at Gutterman thread - it's a glazed cotton and goes thru the eye of the needle w/out fraying. The Coats & Clark is a poly thread and personally, I don't like it as well - it also knots easier. Although, running the thread thru the beeswax should minimize that.

Another hand-quilter....Cheaper than therapy!!! And enjoy the process!!

I am stricting a hand quilter and have done it for many many years , don't like the flatness of machine quilting or LAQ.

I enjoy hand quilting and the look of the finished piece. I don't machine quilt.

yes, I hand quilt -- fun to do while watching tv, especially ball games this time of the year

I do both handquilting and FMQ. I like both. I ALWAYS have a handquilting project going. I handquilt at night when I'm watching tv. I also have a handpiecing project that lives in my purse (for YEARS) that I work on when I'm in "waititng mode" at the Dr's office etc. It's a GMFG and I MAY be able to finish piecing it before I die...maybe. If I do finish it before I die (hopefully not soon), then I will handquilt it. I think there's room in the quilting world for both handquilting and machine quilting. It's all a matter of personal choice...as it should be.

I use YLI for hand quilting. It works really well and doesn't tangle a lot. You can probably find it at your LQS.