seams and hand quilting
 

Hi
I am currently hand quilting a bear paw quilt and it is a slow go. My biggest problem is seam allowances. It is my fault because of the way I chose to quilt it, but I thought I would ask if anyone has advise to help me through those tough areas. I wish I could post a picture, but here is a verbal description of my quilt pattern...from the center of the bear paw block I am quiltung diagonal lines radiating out. It makes an X in the very center of the block. Hope that helps to visualize the block and quilting. Anyway, what I find is at each seam allowance I have to poke and stab or else I end up w/a big stitch because I can't seem to make a small one through all the bulk. This is making my quilting a slower process, which is really bad because I am basically a novice hand quilter anyway. So, any ideas? I have read "That Perfect Stitch" and while I understand how she says to deal w/seam allowances I can't put it into practice.

Thanks!

One stitch at a time through the thick areas is what has worked for me.

I agree with bearisgray, one stitch at a time in those areas, and stab stitching really is one method for hand quilting.

I can't remember what she said to do in 'That Perfect Stitch'. Nothing works satisfactorily for me. When I stab, it looks horrible on the back. When I backstitch, it also has an uneven look; it looks better than the stabbing, but I'm not happy with it, either. Those of you who stab stitch, how exactly do you do it? Do you turn the quilt over to make sure the entry of the needle is even with the previous stitch?

I try to plan a design that doesn't go through seams.

Maybe you can look at an alternate quilt design for the other blocks. They don't have to be all the same. You have now learned that seam allowances is one of the things to take into consideration when you do choose a quilting pattern for hand quilting.

But stab stitching is about the only way I have figured out how to deal with those bulky seams. I think from your description you are crossing the seams at an angle. Just don't try to quilt parallel to the seam on the side that the seam allowance is turned.

I guess I will just keep stabbing :). I en up with large stitches on the back when I do that, but I guess I will just have to live w/it. It made me wonder though about pressing the seams open on future quilts that I plan to hand quilt, any opinions on that?

BTW, joe'smom...I sometimes use a mirror and a light to look at the back of my quilt to see how a stitch did, or if I actually made one, if I feel like I didn't. It is surprising that sometimes, even though I felt the needle prick my under finger, the needle will still slip back up and only catch the top!!! Sometimes I notice it. sometimes I don't, until it is too late to correct it.

What works for me is flipping the quilt over and putting the needle where it needs to be from the back and then flipping the quilt right side up and guiding the needle where it needs to be on the top...one stitch at a time.

I agree, the stab stitch method is about the only thing that works over those bulky seams. It is one reason that I mostly press my seams open. My personal opinion...unless you are entering this quilt in a show, don't fret about how the back looks overly much. By the time it's washed, no one is going to see/notice those oddball stitches on the back. Obviously we all strive for perfection in our stitching/quilting but I just can't make myself quite that crazy. This is supposed to be fun!

once when I was fretting over something similar a wise woman here on the board said "Perfection is a noble goal but it sucks as a standard." another one recently said "Just let it go!" reminding myself of these things and the fact that once it washed you can almost bet that even you will not be able to find the "off" stitches, enjoy it, don't let it raise your blood pressure, then it's not fun anymore.

Keep Stabbing and once the quilt is washed - if you wash it - the inconsistencies won't show up as much. I try to keep my stitches uniform but sometimes they turn and then I have to stab a few and I have just decided that whatever happens is okay. I am not putting my quilts in a show and I just like sewing. If I have to be perfect it takes the fun out of it.