I started out handquilting...but for two years now I've been rushing trying to get all my kids quilts (working on the last one now) and doing a couple of giveaways. With rushing I've also been pushing to teach myself machine quilting cause it is so much faster. But I sandwiched my little dresser scarf yesterday and sat down with it last night. Oh the joy! I'm using perle cotton to quilt it doing the big stitch quilting. I sat there and quilted till 11 last night! I'm usually lights out by 9:30-10. I don't want to do anything else today but that. But I will make myself go thru my day.....get the kids school done, cleaning, and such and reward myself tonight. I can't wait to finish it but at the same time I just want to keep on working on it! I do have a wall hanging thats a ufo that I can do next and a lapquilt too. I have missed this!

I do too. Yesterday the computer was broke, so I started hand quilting a quilt for my wall. I just love hand work.

I'm glad to know there's another addict.

I'm between quilts right now, and my sewing room is temporarily being used as storage...I'm going nuts without some hand quilting to do. :(

Janet

I Love hand piecing and quilting. It is such a relaxing way to make a quilt. Ok, it takes a long time, but it gives such pride and satisfaction.

I have tried machine quilting, but I just felt a slave to the sewing machine, which I really love but don't want to sit at it all day!

Another hand quilter here! Very relaxing, and rewarding when completed. I use my machine sometimes on smaller projects...but I am basically "sewing" not "quilting"...don't really know how to do it, so all my large quilts are done by hand.
I think the end results of hand and machine quilting are very different, both beautiful and works of art.
Happy quilting!

Hand quilting is alive and well....HOURAYYYYYYY

It is the best therapy in the world! I'm like in another zone.

I'm a hand quilter too, especially if I am using reproduction fabrics like 30's prints or Civil War prints because I want to have that old fashion look. I do some machine quilting but I prefer hand quilting. It's so relaxing at the end of the day to stitch a quilt. My quilts are like a diary with everything stitched into them.

YES! And I really hope it remains like this! This wonderful craft should be continued and protected in our hectic world and I am happy to hear and see there are still hand quilters who do that.

Add my voice to the hand quilters! It is so calming, and it's rewarding when the work is done. I love starting a new project and watching it grow toward completion. Right now, though, I'm only working on hand doing the binding of my latest hand quilted project. I'll try to get pictures next week when it is presented to the lady who did the candlewicking on the original blocks.

Jan in VA

Count me in! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Me too. I love hand quilting. Making yo-yo's at present.

O.K. I'm going to use this for personal gain, if that's all right. Since I've found all you hand quilting enthusiasts, can you please tell me how to build up a callous on my under finger? I hand quilt for a couple of hours in the evening, my under finger is so sore that I can't do it for several more days, and then I have to start all over again. I've tried "NuSkin" and "Liquid Bandage", and those sticky circles, but they don't help much and sometimes make it worse. Any suggestions, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hope I didn't break any forum rules by doing this.

I think there's a couple of threads about this. I dimly remember a tool to help with the needle but I can't remember what it's called (sorry). the callus will eventually develop; just take of your fingers until then.

I love hand quilting too. I am working on one for a friend that has been so very sick. She got home from the hospital Tuesday after being there for almost 7 months. This is truly a work of love for her.

I love it as well. It is so therapeutic and I feel so proud when it is done!

I'll look for the thread on this - thanks!

I love handquilting also I do machine quilt my borders and smaller projects like wall hanging etc. I find hand quilting so relaxing it is nice to hear that there are others out there that are still handquilting. HORRAY. :)

I put a little piece of scotch tape on my finger when it gets too sore. I've read where some quilters use electrical tape, but I usually can find scotch tape, not so with electrical tape.

Janet

I think you have to be a little patient - that needs a lot of practice. I am hand quilting about 6-8 hours a day and my callous is now perfect...but it took a few month to build it up.
Now it's perfect.
I am sure the tipps here on the board will help you at the beginning!

Texas hand quilter !!! love it !!!

I'm another hand quilting fan. I also love needle turn applique, so none of my quilts get done very quickly. But I generally do "quilt as you go", so I can carry my applique and hand quilting projects around. I've quilted while waiting through an in-law's surgery, on plane trips, while watching T.V., and even at conferences (I sit near the back, because people don't "get" that I one can quilt and still be tuned in to what the conference speaker is saying.) Hand applique and quilting is like meditation.

Jane

I enjoy it too, but I'm so slow!

I'm working on a Grandmothers Flower garden right now, and I plan on hand quilting that when (hahaha!) I'm done. :)

I agree. At first my wrist hurt but now it is fine. Hand quilting is relaxing when you have to leave the machine for a while. :D

I love hand quilting, too. I always have something going that I can pick up while I also work on machine quilted projects! Some days I wander from one to the other. Love it all!

I love handquilting also! Am working on a candlemat at the moment. SOOO nice to sit in the evening by the fire and work on this. Will need to get some other projects going too so I don't run out!

I love hand quilting too. Most of my quilts are hand pieced and all are hand quilted. It's very calming for me. Having said that, I love the machine quilted ones I see here on this board. Those quilters are very talented.

Woot! Woot! :D I'm so glad there are so many hand quilters out there! I am working on my second quilt and hand appliqued it and hand quilted it! And I loved every second of it! Well, except for trying to get all those squares straight. Now I've got to do the boarder. On my first quilt, it took me two years to get that boarder on - so boring. I find all the hand stitching exciting and relaxing! Talk about therapy - it's so calming. Don't you find this when you hand quilt. (Just turning the sewing machine on and trying to make all those straight lines is enough to send me to the chiropractor to relieve the tension in my shoulders and back :cry: ) Hand quilting is my bag! When my quilt is done, I'll post it.

Hand quilting and appliqué is my favorite!!

I do a little handquilting, I really like it, but I'm very slow and not very good at it, but I figure I need to do more of it to get the practice. Fortunately, the quilts I sew are meant to be used and not shown, so I guess if the quilting is not perfect, it doesn't really matter.

I always do hand quilting no matter what the size of the project haven't got the patience to learn machine quilting!!! Its my switch off time and I can sit in a comfy chair and still be busy

I thought I gave up most tv shows for Lent but now I know its for the peace of handsewing and more beauty in my daily life.

how odd we both have the same name and like you I love needleturn applique and hand quilting in fact thats how most of my
quilts are done

Super Glue!! A dab on each of your finger tips gives you instant callouses. Just make sure they are completely dry before your finger touch each other. Really helps/ Got this tip from someone on this board but can't remember who.

Also a hand quilter and I share your enthusiasm! I absolutely love sitting on the couch with my hubby quilting away.....

It's been a while since I've done any hand quilting. There is somthing so very relaxing abou it. I lose complete track of time when hand quilting.

When I hand quilt I use a thimble on both hands, and the needle hits the bottom thimble. If you have trouble keeping it on your finger, just breathe into the thimble before you put it on your finger. The lower thimble not only protects my finger but also allows me to pop that needle right back up and makes my stitches smaller and more even!

I cannot quilt with a thimble...I've tried several. The one that comes closet to usable is the leather ones. Of course I can't find mine right now. I built up a callous pretty easy when i started this one. But when I need something on my finger I've found that a plastic bandaid works best. If i actually need a bandaid for a cut I like the fabric ones but I keep a box of plastic just for quilting now.

I hand quilt,but have to admit my tops are way ahead of me. I need to sandwich one now but cant get down on the floor to do it any longer.Trying to find and area to do this in my small area.lol

If you have any teacher friends close by... see if they have a room with tables that can be pushed together. I have to take my quilts into my friends classroom and use her tables, because I do not have a space big enough to lay out my king size quilts.