Machine vs. Hand quilting
 

Hello,

I am planning on making my first baby quilt for my daughter and was ready to explore world of hand quilting. However, I am now wondering if there is a difference between the two and if hand quilting will be worth the time and effort. Is there a difference in suppleness or how it drapes? What might be some benefits of hand quilting other than its portability? Thanks!

Jean

hand quilting takes alot longer---some people would not want to put that kind of time into a childs/baby quilt that will be used and abused ---others love hand quilting---and would think the time is well worth it...it is a personal choice.
hand quilting is beautiful-... so is machine quilting.
as for suppleness and drape---that is dependant on the batting choice- not the quilting choice (other than density of quilting-which is another personal choice) if you heavily quilt by hand= it's going to be like densly quilting by machine-
so---i know it's not much help---but it's simply a personal choice- taking the time to hand quilt- or machine quilting...the quilt itself (and batting) is what dictates the loft/and drape.

For a baby quilt that is to be an heirloom, hand quilting would be a wonderful finishing touch. If it is going to be used and thrown in the washer, I would machine quilt it because I think it would hold up better.

I don't know if I can adequately answer your questions but I'll give you my thoughts. The drape will be dependant upon 1) your batting; 2) how densely you quilt the piece. Do you have the time to get the quilt done by it's desired date if you hand quilt?

I am almost exclusively a hand quilter for a variety of reasons. I like machine piecing but I also like hand work. I usually do my piecing while DH is out/working and I can do my quilting while he's home and we're just relaxing. I usually do bed-sized quilts so portability isn't really a primary concern although if I'm going away for a few days I will take it with me. Just about everyone I give a quilt to loves the fact that it is hand quilted because they see me work on others and know that I've put that amount of work into theirs as well. I enjoy the process.

All of that said, I also do some charity quilts and they require the quilts to be machine quilted. I do those as well. It's nice seeing the completed project but there's not really any of 'me' in those quilts.

Good luck with your decision and if you opt to hand quilt - enjoy the process - it's not a race!

Edited to add: Not to refute what the others have said about sturdiness of handquilting...I've made several and handquilted them all. When they've been given to the new moms for baby it's with the instructions - USE THIS QUILT. It was made to be used and loved - not just admired from afar. Haven't had one come back yet that fell apart and haven't heard about any of the other bed sized quilts that have fallen apart from washing either. Just my 2 cents.

I do a lot of hand quilting, with the occasional machine quilted project thrown in. I've found that hand quilting is just as sturdy.

However, I think I bond more with a hand quilted item than a machine quilted one - for after all, I've spent a lot more time working on the quilt. So if you think you're going to be bothered when you see your quilt used (loved!) to the point of disintegration, then maybe save the hand quilting for something else and machine quilt the baby quilt. It will be loved just as much.

Janet

I prefer machine quilting for all my quilts. Before machine quilting came along I hand quilted and didn't get any made. All 6 of my Grandkids have hand quilted quilt from me now I only machine quilt and they have never noticed the difference. At 66 YO I just want to make them fast and now I make about 18 quilts a year.
Please yourself and you will be happier.

I have only machine quilted but think hand quilting is beautiful.

i do not hand quilt entire quilts often but i make a point to on those quilts that i consider extremely special.

if i was making a baby quilt for my daughters baby i would certainly take the time to hand quilt it.

i absolutely love the artistry of machine quilting and i love when hand and machine quilting is combined in art quilts but there are some quilts that just scream for hand quilting because of the emotional factor that will be attached to the quilt.

I hand-quilted the first quilt for all my grands...after that I had to give up and get a long arm...:)

I hand quilted 2 quilts about 10 years ago and both have held up great.. I made my son a quilt last Christmas and it was handquilted.. He washes it all the time and it looks like it did the day I finished it.
I do think a baby quilt would be wash alot.. However I agree if you want it to end up as more of an heirloom I would hand quilt it. I quilt pretty loosely so they drape alot and I have always used warm and natural but I think next time I will try Hobbs 80/20 I hear great things about it.
I really suck at machine quilting even with aton of practice.. (I like to blame it on the machine) I actually prefer hand quilting things. I think they look so much nicer..

Thanks everyone for your insight! I really appreciate hearing everyone's wealth of knowledge and experience. Hope to be here one day sharing mine :) I probably will hand quilt this one since I have some time. I think it will a special time for me quilting it by hand. Thanks again.

How about combining both, as many quilters do? Machine quilt in the ditch and maybe for straight-line quilting, hand quilt the free-form motifs. Sturdy and with the extra special touch of hand quilting.

I think you'll be glad that you are going to hand-quilt it - makes it just extra-special!

Amen, I hand quilt also, to me I put my love in hand quilting. I have made and finished 6 bed sized quilts this year, plus 6 crazy 8 stars and 2 queen size quilts and the year isn't over. I do my hand quilting at night while watching TV with my DH. I too always tell the reciprocates that if they don't use the quilt, they have to return it, as quilts are made to be used and loved, not put away in drawers

I have been hand-piecing and hand-quilting for about 20 years. I enjoy the process, but it is time-consuming....more so than a machine project. (I too finally broke down and bought a LA so I can finish up a stack of hand-pieced tops). I agree with several of the comments above that both methods are acceptable for durability. However, there is a special significance to hand-work. I am curious....is this baby quilt for your own child...your daughter?....or for your daughter's baby? If this is your 'first' and you opt for hand-quilting, you could be tying your self to a future of hand-quilting for all those babies yet to be...:) Whatever your decision, the quilt will be a family treasure!

Hand and Machine quilting are two different crafts, each valuable and to be appreciated. I would do whichever one I wanted to...there is no right or wrong choice...but...here's my 2 cents... I ALWAYS make baby quilts on the machine just because they are going to be loved and drug and dirtied more than any other project you will ever make. My sons both stood and stared at the washer and dryer till their quilt was done and back in their hands when they were toddlers. The machine stitching is simply so much stronger that the quilt will look nicer much longer. For that same reason I do not tend toward the pale pastels for my baby gifts...red, navy, deep green, dark combinations...many times for little boys, I try to find a dark plaid and use the colors in it to choose the coordinating pcs...they will just look better after little boys make a fort, play tug-of-war with the dog, shut it in the door as they drag it outside, eat their lunch on it under the nearest tree, splash it a bit in an irresistible puddle while wearing it as a cape and then take their nap on it in the middle of the living room floor. You understand this is all one morning, right? I never had any experience with little girls, maybe they are kinder to their blankies....but this was a pretty tame morning for my boys!

I always have one handquilting project in progress. I also do FMQ on quilt as you go projects. If I want it machine quilted and it isn't something that wouldn't work well or look good as a QAYG, I send it out to be LA'd. I just can't get the hang of maneuvering a large project under my domestic machine.

I'm with you on the hand-quilting choice. If it's a very personal piece, like for a grandchild (should I ever have any) I hand-quilt, because I'm investing more of "me" into it, and, like you said, there's a bonding involved. I have also machine quilted on my domestic, when it's a less personal project. I know all quilts are personal, but some more than others :)

Thanks for your input. This will be my daughter's quilt and my first baby quilt ever. I finally have all my fabrics and can't wait to start on it.

I machine quilt, but belong to a quilting group that hand quilts. I save my really "important" quilts for the time when they get around to my name on the really long list.