Looks like I'm in big trouble here. Not finding many that hand quilt. I used to do a little on the machine...but as I am now losing my vision, I was hoping to find help with handquilting...Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Welcome to the board. What kind of help are you looking for? Are you looking for tips or someone to hand quilt for you?

Welcome and don't worry, someone here will help. I myself don't hand quilt but i am sure there are many who do.

Welcome from Ohio!

waves from OHIO...........I only hand piece and handquilt............what kind of help are you looking for???????????

Mostly looking for tips...I have bought the easy threading needles...they help alot since I cannot see the hole...lol...I am also wanting to try new easy quilts...Here is one I just done for my new granddaughter this week...Mostly ironed on pics and hand sewn the borders. Not thrilled with the outcome. Front and back view...Not the same as handquilting but the parents were happy with it.

Looking for patterns that easy to see, handle and sew. I also have RA so I cannot use small pieces in quilts.

welcome!

http://www.missouriquiltco.com/
Try this site............Video that is very helpful........
Happy Quilting.

Hello and welcome from Germany! I'm sure you will get the help you need...

This site has some good pointers for quilters with low vision. I like the one that uses tape to make your quilting lines than stitch beside it.

http://www.visionaware.org/what_woul...uilting_easier

Welcome from Ireland. We have many hand quilters here on the board. Sorry about your sight. Nine patch and rail fence are good patterns. I use masking tape to mark my quilting lines. Please ask for what you want to know. Somebody here will help you. I find the search button on the top a great help. Your quilt is beautiful.

I hand quilt all the time! Stitch in the ditch is easiest, I think.

i will disagree w/ the stitch in the ditch for hand quilting - I can't see where i've been when i stitch in the ditch. Constantly have to feel or look on the back to see where i've been. For me, it is not fun...

I like the idea of marking w/ tape - it is easy to feel w/ the needle.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!!

Invest in an Ott light that is portable. I could not do my hand work without it.

1. Get a good lamp with a bright light that sits near a comfortable chair so you can see as well as possible.
2. Be patient with yourself. Make a few small items, potholders, table runners, etc. and use them for practice.
3. I do better without any hoop. I pin, baste, or glue the project so it will not slip and just quilt in my lap, this makes it easier to get up closer to my face or nearer to the light if necessary.
4. Practice, practice. Remember it isn't necessarily the size of the stitch but how even it is that is important. That comes with practice.
5. Post what you make for us and tell us what problems you are having. Perhaps we can be of more help.
6. You can use contrasting thread if that helps you to see your work better.
I just had cataract surgeries and still can't see until I get new glasses so I can relate. I will probably be shocked to see how much cleaning I have missed around my house because I couldn't see! May not like some of my color combinations in quilt tops either when I can really see what I did! HA

Hello from Western Maryland !!

I also hand quilt. An instructor suggested I stitch in the shadow which is 1/4" from the seam. I mark it with an somelthing that can be seen but also can be erased. You might want to try that.

I do some Hand Quilting, I use the Decatur Knot when tying off my Hand Quilts. Been around for awhile, my grandmother taught me. Should be able to get instructions off internet. If not, will be willing to mail instructions to you.

What is stitch in the ditch mean?

Hello and welcome to the Quilting Board. I just joined a couple of days ago, also. The RA and vision can sure cause a problem, when trying to handquilt. Crocheting and knitting helps to keep my hands limber, so that I am able to quilt by hand. This forum is addicting, so enjoy.

Hello, I am a hand quilter too! Just enjoy it so much, just ask any questions as they arrive, since everyone here can help. I see there are several Ohio quilters here. Great!

Welcome

Stich in the ditch, hand or machine quilting along the seams of a quilt.

I hand quilt all my quilts. I've never used the tape but think it might be useful in this situation. I don't usually quilt in the ditch but usually just outline whatever pattern is in the quilt (squares, triangules, figures, etc.). I try to get 6-7 stitches per inch but this is not always the case. Rather than stitch in the ditch I try to quilt just next to the seam line as this seems to make the square or whatever more prominent.

I love to hand quilt small items -- wallhangings and baby quilts, etc. I do not use a hoop and use 505 spray basting. If you press the item after you get all 3 layers together, the 505 will adhere forever ;-) thus making it easier to hand quilt without everything moving around. My goal this year is to hand quilt a bigger quilt.... :roll:

You might try the blue painters tape to mark where you want to quilt. It might have enough contrast and is easy to use and won't stick to much. Outline your blocks or motifs and don't worry how many stitches an inch, just be consistant and do use a hoop. You want it loose enough that a cat would be comfy, think small hollow, and so you can feel the needle. Just rock the needle up and down and away you go.

Quilting thread is directional...as is all thread but quilting thread has gone through an extra process to add the sizing and is on the spool backwards to normal thread. So with quilting thread tie your knot before you cut it off the spool and your knot will always be at the correct end and you won't get knots in your thread as often. Regular thread you knot the end you cut off the spool. If using regular thread coat with beeswax to give it the extra strength.
And I only use English needles. They don't seem to have the burrs that US needles have in the eye area.

Hi
I am just new to quilting. As a matter of fact, I have never tried it before, but have the urge now to try it. I was wondering though if it is possible to do one for my granddaughter and have a picture of her on it, and if so, how do put the picture on it. Seeing as I never quilted before maybe I would like to try that on a Doll quilt. Thank you for any replies.

I just purchased needles, thread, and a quilt by hand book and hope to start doing some handquilting too. I wish you luck with yours and hope to see more about handquilting on the message board. Welcome to the board.

What book did you buy?

The first thing that comes to mind is the coloring of your quilt. I would not use darks, keep your colors to light to medium color range. I personally use a washable marker by Dritz. It does show up nicely on light to medium colors. If you don't necessarily need to do a pieced block, then there are many quilting stencils/patterns out there that are beautiful just done on a piece of material where you don't have seams to deal with. You could even do a whole cloth quilt and just use whatever designs you choose to.

I have a friend that has limited eye sight and she finds hand quilting and needle turn applique is easier for her to do then machine piecing. If you're interested in applique, PM me and I'll send you some sites that I frequent.

She's using a size 10 between, which is a good size for someone starting out with hand quilting.

Learn to Do Hand Quilting In Just One Day
by Nancy Brenan Daniel

[quote=gramquilter2]Learn to Do Hand Quilting In Just One Day
by Nancy Brenan Daniel

Let us know how it goes and if you like the book. I have been wanting to learn hand quilting for many years.

I have just started hand quilting.

The first little quilt is done including the binding.As you can see my stitches are not tiny. A friend who is a quilt appraiser said it is not so much the length of the stitch but uniformity of the stitches.

I used an embroidery needle for this quilt.It is smaller than the needles I use for doll making. I have started another practice quilt using a quilt needle. They are so small I am not sure how it is going to work but I am trying it.
judy j
http://hardincountykeepsakes.blogspot.com/
http://classicclothdolls.blogspot.com/

judith ann -- I think you did a VERY nicely with your first hand quilting job!! :thumbup:

Stitching "in the ditch" is quilting right along the seam. Since I hand quilt, I make sure all my seams are pressed to one side, so I can stitch next to the seam on the side where the extra fabric is not. (Stitching through the seam allowance is too thick for nice hand-made stitches.) Your stitches almost disappear when stitching in the ditch. I usually SITD when I want to bring out the patchwork design, around a quilt block, or along the seam where a border joins the quilt to make it puff up nicely. It's also good to do when you're learning to hand quilt and you don't want your stitches to show up as much.

If you wish to quilt 1/4 inch from the seams go to your friendly auto paint shop and ask for 1/4 inch masking tape. It is a lot cheaper than the quilt shop stuff and works just as well. It can even be reused several times if you are doing many seams the same length, or you can patch it if needed.

Hi, I usually hand quilt. I usually cut geometric shapes (circles, squares etc depends on quilt pattern) out of paper for my templates and pin them to the quilt. I also use embroidery thread to quilt because I like the contrast. But the white paper templates are easy to put on and see, and so is the bright embroidery thread. I am a self taught quilter so I don't go by any rules when I quilt, just do what I like.