I am really curious but not because I am ready to do either yet,
what do you do and why would you chose one over the other?
All this reading about quilt making has more and more questions coming to mind. Thanks! :?:

I have done both but nothing fancy just very basic. I love doing both of them though.

i do them both and typically in the same quilt.

i like machine quilting for thin and dense stitching and i like hand quilting for thick and spaced stitches.

they both have a distinct look and add different texture to a project.

i can hand quilt with much thicker threads than i can thru my machine.

When I started quilting I hand quilted, because there were no machine quilters, or none that I knew of. When I wanted to start selling my quilts, I couldn't sell them for anything near what I thought they were worth. So, after wearing my fingers out, I started having the quilts machine quilted and was able to sell a few.

I prefer to hand quilt as that is how my Great Aunt did it. I am not really good at it but I like the process and the look. I am a terrible machine quilter. Can't stay in the ditch and my meandering looks primitive. I always felt I could buy a boughten quilt with machine stitching but not a hand quilted one. Nothing against people who machine quilt. I have seen beautiful quilts here done on the machine, and could never master that in hand quilting. So I guess it comes down to what you like to do. Both ways take practice.

In my humble opinion (IMHO) hand quilting looks so beautiful, but you really have to know how to do it. Practice on doll quilts! Even a beginner hand quilted quilt appeals to me more than a machine sewn quilting job. That being said, you really have to love hand quilting to devote the time to learn the craft. It sure is much easier to send our tops to a long armer. And the long arm quilters do beautiful and sturdy work. I use them a lot. Try a quilt both ways and see what you prefer. I would love to see contemporary quilters utilize both methods, depending on the quilt. And there's even a third process, machine quilting yourself. Try that too. There's no reason that your quilts can't be quilted different ways. If you evaluate what your quilt needs, you should be able to come up with a plan.

thats interesting, whenever someone mentions machine quilting i always assume their asking about doing it themselves. i never think they're talking about sending it out to be done by someone else.

Hand quilting lends an heirloom quality to a special quilt. I do hand quilting with the ladies at church and I dearly love the process. It is a special quilt that is hand quilted. I am machine quilting my wall hangings and table toppers and some ornaments because I want to get them done, and they are small enough for me to use my machine and to learn how to do FMQ. I am getting ready to machine quilt a top that I have yet to assemble.

Machine only if I ever want the quilt done. I think hand quilting is beautiful - just not for and by me.

I love hand quilting and am awed by those who do it. I am too lazy. Period.

so far all I've done is hand quilting. I am one day going to try my hand at machine quilting.....maybe on dd's quilt she has made. The ones I've done so far though are gifts that were made with blocks my grandmother did years ago..by hand so that is how I've done the ones I made and that's how I quilted them.

I am an EPP, and have done mostly handquilting. My hands are sometimes not up to it these days so am developing a closer working relationship with my sewing machine and learning to machine piece and quilt. I figured if I stuck with all handwork I would never get all the projects on my wish list started, let alone finished.

Since joining this board, I have seen so many beautiful examples both hand and machine quilted....all are exceptional in their own way...I find handquilting meditative but I am getting a real kick out of using my machine. I couldn't imagine giving up hand work as I love to embroider and embellish...so I think both are skills to hone. The main thing is do what your heart desires and keep the passion alive, whichever method you use.

I have only hand quilted or tied quilts. Any time I have tried to machine quilt, it looks terrible and I can't FMQ to save my life. It takes longer but I feel like I have more control with a needle in my hand! Now I will admit the I haven't had to do a large quilt yet so we will see what happens at that point.

Klue,

By thick stitches do you mean they're thick because of using thicker threads? What exactly do you mean by spaced stitches? Do you mean the rows are spaced farther apart than when you machine quilt? Or do you mean the stitches themselves are spaced farther apart? Just curious.

I much prefer hand quilting to machine quilting. However, I believe there is a place for each. Whenever I want a piece to be done quickly, and if I know it will be worn to death and washed a lot (like for my grandsons), then off it goes to the longarmer to be quilted.

I do not like to machine quilt myself; premarily because I do not yet have that skill, I think. I have never been taught to do this, and I also find that I do not have the skill with the machine and feet I have at my disposal. I would like to learn it, but I really do prefer the look and feel of a hand-quilted quilt. There is nothing like it.

I also do admire a well-done machine quilt. But they lay differently and hang differently. There is more a stiffness to them, in my opinion.

This is a good question, especially as we all do different things and have different skills.

I do only machine quilting and do it on my sewing machine. It's all about time to me, I don't have the patience for hand quilting, as beautiful as I think it is.

yes, when i say thick i mean i can use thicker threads even embroidery floss.

when i say "spacing" i referring to the distance between each stitch.

when you machine stitch each stitch is right next to the one behind it and the one in front of it.

when you hand stitch thats not the case, you can leave a space in between each stitch. the distance between each stitch is totally up to you.

i'll do many rows of this type of hand stitching. its great from providing texture and shading in a design.

I have only hand quilted, and I love doing it. In fact I think I will always have something in the process of being hand quilted. The problem is time. There are so many more quilts I want to make than what I would have time to hand quilt. I am getting ready to take a quilt to a long armer for the first time, I'm a little nervous about turning it over to someone else. I only recently discovered that my old (23 years old) bernina will actually work to quilt. It has a darning foot and the feed dogs will drop. So I have played around with FMQ a little bit, but with the little bed that it has I doubt that I will ever do much more than a baby size quilt on it.

Thanks, Klue. I appreciate your clarification. I like the idea of using both machine and hand quilting in the same quilt.

I only do machine quilting, my hands just can't take doing it by hand... I love the look of hand quilting and I am very envious of those who do it :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I love handquilting best but I handquilted a quilt a year ago for the very last time. I had about 60 hours into it. And probably a good 55 of those hours were painful. My arm for some reason just can't take it anymore. So I now only do machine, which by the way I am terrible at!!!

I've always hand quilted until recently when I got a machine that'll drop it's dogs so have done a bit of FMQ now. I love the speed of machine quilting and it can be beautiful - look at the work of some on here (Patti, Jaquemoe, Katrine etc...) And we're talking regular machines, not long Arms. I know there are some machines that have an antique stitch which leaves the spaces KLue mentions. But of course, the stitches are uniform; I love the process of hand quilting and agree that it gives a different 'feel' to a quilt. I think each have their place and one is not better than the other - just a different process. :D

If your project is small: hand quilting is easy and fun . 4 big quilt, thin batting ,patient: machine is okay to me Good luck

Ditto, amma.

I like to hand quilt, but it takes me forever. I have been working on a queen size quilt for about 4 months now. I am getting done, but it does take a while. I like hand quilting, because if there are friends who like to quilt, you can set up a quilting bee.

I did do my first machine quilted quilt for a friends baby. I wanted to get it done, so I machine quilted it. I have not taken any classes, but have taught myself through reading books. I had the feet that were needed, because the sewing machine was given to me from my parents. I like both, and I will continue to work on my machine quilting skills.

I enjoy hand quilting but wish I did a nicer job of it. Practice, practice, practice. Both have a place. I machine quilt the ones for the kids that will not be "respected" for the time I've put into hand quilting. I do not like the machine quilting with its own design. My opinion is that quilting should compliment the piecing or design of the quilt, not ignore it with another design. What really bothers me is a beautifully embroidered quilt that has taken many, many hours and then machine quilted. If you care enough to spend that kind of time on the embroidery, then follow suit and hand quilt it! Sometimes it is easier to hand quilt than to stuff all of that fabric under the presser foot if I'm doing a bed-sized quilt.

Hi,
Recently finished King size quilt for Daughter-in-law. Designed my own quilt and pattern. Made baskets, hand appl handles of baskets on, added corners to blocks, then decided to hand embrodery heart designs around corners, then added same color pink/burgandy as in basket, for shashing, then added border in white then the same pink/burgandy color about 10 inch finished border. Tried "hand look" quilting, would take forever, took out, did 1/4" seam quilting, didn't like, tried hand quilting, not good with that, finally did in the ditch by machine, took a while used walking foot and started in center then out to outer borders. Worked out beautiful and did not bunch or pucker. Practice and Patience was the key to regular walking foot, machine quilting for me, used table and iron board to help "hold" quilt level while working on it. Beautiful. Quilted since little girl, I'm now a great Grandmother. I am a Quiltaholic!

The smaller quilts (like lap quilts and wall hangings, I'll machine quilt. It really stresses me out, though. The larger ones I send to a lady who lives close by and I pay her to use her long arm. I don't think I'd have the patience to hand quilt and especially keep all the stitches straight and consistant. Maybe someday. A few years ago I said I'd never be able to learn how to quilt anything. See how things change...

I exclusively machine quilt. My hand sewing leaves much to be desired. My large man hands tire very easily sewing by hand.

Any special quilts I do are hand quilted. If I want to get it done in a hurry I will machine quilt.

I also machine quilt with my longarm, special quilts that need hand quilting, I send to a church group to hand quilt, and they do a nice job. I would never have time to hand quilt, because I love to piece. I also got a new Bernina machine in April and am learning to machine quilt on there. It is different then the longarm.

Hi Joan of PA,

Your question is great, since I do almost everything by hand and the truth is the sewing machine makes me nervous I have no idea why because it makes the process so much quicker. I will piece with the machine and have quilted by machine, I get very tense and then my neck and shoulders pay the price. Hand quilting is how I relax and I have no earthly idea what I'm thinking about when I'm doing it, I just know that I love it. Hand quilting is quite an art although, machine quilting takes a lot of time and practice too and is just as beautiful. Try some small pieces and see what you enjoy the most.

dsj

While we are on the subject of aching backs from quilting. A few weeks ago I was in one of those "dollar stores" and by the cashier there was a wire mesh sort of contraption that can be put in a chair to lean back against. The gal said she had one in every computer chair she uses. I bought one to put on the sofa while I'm quilting and it is WONDERFUL! Lots better than a pillow. I move it to my sewing chair, too, but I usually am not leaning back when at the machine.

AI am a hand quilter. It is just the way i enjoy quilting. I am also in the market for a machine to do some quilting on, for small projects. I love making the tops, but sitting down at my frame to hand quilt is the best part for me. I love choosing a pattern and watching it come to life. Having said that, i have seen beautiful quilts here, done by machine or by longarm, that i would be proud to have done. i think it is just a choice, and that you can do both.

I know that I would be no good with machine quilting with a regular machine or even with the special long arm. BUT that is not why I prefer hand quilting. I like to do it because I feel it makes the quilt more ME. I don't know if that makes sense. I like how people react when they see something that I have made.

The beauty of your question is that it allows all of us to look at our choices in relation to others. I was very surprised at how many quilters responded that they love hand quilting. I have been afraid to even admit that today in this world of beautiful machine quilting results. I love to experience both and usually have one of each in progress. My end results are not perfect by any means, but it is the warm feelings that I receive because I did it myself. When I give my items as gifts it is always with the statement that they don't have to love my end product. It just gives me great love in the giving. They are free to pass it on to someone who they think may enjoy it more than they would.

The beauty of your question is that it allows all of us to look at our choices in relation to others. I was very surprised at how many quilters responded that they love hand quilting. I have been afraid to even admit that today in this world of beautiful machine quilting results. I love to experience both and usually have one of each in progress. My end results are not perfect by any means, but it is the warm feelings that I receive because I did it myself. When I give my items as gifts it is always with the statement that they don't have to love my end product. It just gives me great pleasure in the giving. They are free to pass it on to someone who they think may enjoy it more than they would.

I prefer to hand quilt but due to time constraints and the fact that my arthritis in my hands is slowly getting worse, I've begun learning to machine quilt. I hand quilt the quilts that are special to me, those I want to keep or that I want to do exceptionally well at a show or the fair. If it is for a baby, is a wall hanging, or for something that is going to be used like a quilted tablecloth, then I machine quilt it. Machine quilting is also great if you have a lot of projects that you need to get done. If it weren't for machine quilting I would still have over 100 UFOs instead of the measely 90 I have now. (I know, I know, that's still a horrid amount but it's at least going down now instead of increasing!)

Here is a handy tip for those who get back aches while sitting at your sewing machine. If you can't afford to go buy a new chair or all the fancy gadgets out there, try this - Suck in your stomach. I know it sounds simply and a bit silly but it gives added support to your lower back and really helps. My problem is that I can't ever seem to remember to keep it tucked in. I'll be sewing along and suddenly realize my back hurts and I've no idea when I relaxed my stomach muscles. :roll: