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-   -   mixing machine and hand quilting in the same piece (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/mixing-machine-hand-quilting-same-piece-t76500.html)

Magdalena 11-15-2010 12:52 PM

I do both on the same quilt. I enjoy hand-quilting. Believe it or not, hand-quilting goes much faster than machine quilting. I think it is because I have more control with my hands.

desertrose 11-15-2010 02:55 PM


Originally Posted by woodland creature
I know that there are no quilt police, so I can go ahead and do what I want. But I would like to take advantage of the collective wisdom here and see what others have tried and what the results were.

Has anyone here mixed hand and machine quilting in the same piece? Can you comment on how that worked out?

So here is the story. I am a new quilter, and have only finished two lap-sized quilts. I had sewn garments on and off for a long time, and many of those skills transferred to the piecing part, but the quilting part is a brand new thing for me. I finished piecing a top which will be a Christmas gift for my daughter. For a variety of reasons, I do not want to have someone else do the quilting, but I really want to do that part myself as well. I plan on just straight-line quilting an overall grid for most of the quilt, which is doable given my skill level. But I wanted to quilt a small cat's paw in each of the four corners. I have been practicing FMQ and the stippling is not horrible. I am very unhappy, however, with my ability to following even the simplest stencil, such as the cat's paw that I want to do. On the other hand, my hand quilting is not nearly as horrible, so I am considering hand-quilting the paw in each corner.

Has anyone had done this and can you comment on the results?




I've always been a hand quilter, for economical reasons, and my hands are starting to go now so I'm sure I would have done the same thing you are doing. I'd save my hands for the paws and decorative stickes.

Your DD with love all the thought and love you put into her special quilt.

Andie :-D :-D :-D

sewingladydi 11-15-2010 07:08 PM

I did both machine & hand quilting on my first full size bed quilt. I intended to hand quilt the whole thing, but I didn't realize how many seams I would have to quilt across.
It was an irish chaine so I did both types of quilting & it looked fine.

littlehud 11-15-2010 08:26 PM

Sounds workable to me. Go for it.

fuail 11-15-2010 08:29 PM

It's YOUR quilt so do what is comfortable for you!

AnnieF 11-15-2010 08:31 PM

I mix hand and machine quilting all the time. Once I had a center stencil that I handquilted and then stippled the borders on a baby quilt. It all works out. Like you, I don't like to give up the control on my quilt by sending it out to be quilted by someone else. As my quilt teacher used to say "it's your quilt....do what you want with it!"

polly13 11-16-2010 09:01 AM

Combining the two styles will make it totally yours, which is the most important. Like you, piecing it then sending it off to be machine quilted by someone else just isn't the same. It will be truly loved because it's your creation.

applique 11-16-2010 03:23 PM

I used to do hand piecing and hand quilting. More often than not, I was told what beautiful machine stitching I did! Now I use the machine.....might as well!!

grandma Janice 11-16-2010 04:23 PM

I have mixed hand quilting and tied . I made a baby quilt with alternate blocks of teddy bears and 9 patch. I quilted the 9 patch and tied the bear with the bow like a ribbon around his neck. turned out real cute. I don't think you should be afraid to mix, after all that's what makes us creative.

misoop 11-30-2010 12:24 PM

Yes, I have done both in the same quilt. It works just fine....do whatever you want to do!! The ones I have done, I did hand quilting within the blocks, as they were sort of intricate, and then I did machine quilting in the sashing strips, borders, etc.


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