When you hand quilt are you a staber or a rocker? Me am a staber could never get that needle to rock. Don't know how many times I have tried to do it but never could get it. Stabbing my stiches are smaller .

I'm mostly a rocker but stab if crossing a bulky seam. :D

Ditto, but I can't use a hoop - just can't, so I hold it in my hand, then rocking is easier for me, and I stab over seams as per K3

I had the same problem and gave up on hand quilting until I discovered that I was using the wrong size needle. I tried a smaller needle, quit using a hoop and wala.......love it!

I'm a rocker. Of course for seams I will also stab. If I'm lap quilting, I don't use a hoop, but for large quilts I use a king size wooden floor frame. I did see a show on the stabbing once, and they had a needle that was sharp on both ends. Since I often stab myself as it is, this did seem a little dangerous for me! :D :D I love a small needle, size 10 or 12, and I think that makes all the difference. Now if I could just find someone to thread all of them for me! :wink: :wink:

I agree, I can rock several stiches, but at bulky seams... arghhhhhhh. I use a hoop, just don't put the sandwich too tight. That makes it hard to rock.

I guess I am a rocker. I usually only get about 3 stitches on the needle at any one time due to the fact that much of my quilting has lots of curves, but soon I will be working on "Lincoln's Legacy" my Log Cabin that I will be giving hubby for Christmas. It will have all straight lines and I can go to town on that.

I definitely rock - well, while quilting anyway! :) I use the smaller needles also - I have found large eye smaller needles - LOVE 'EM!! I stab, also, across seams when needed. I do not use a hoop - tried it, hated it. I pin baste mine and move the pins around as needed to pull the fabric smoother as I move to quilt the next section. I would LOVE to have a quilting machine but would still hand quilt most likely.

I rock and roll!! :)

I have a gracie hoop on a floor frame - the kid that turns through 360°. I also have a snap together plastic tubular frame for travelling or smaller items and I agree about not putting the quilt too tight. Sometimes I quilt very small items (eg doll quilts) frameless and also outer borders.

I rock, and for me it has to be in a hoop. Maybe I should try without the hoop and see if I can work faster. I'm really slow right now.

I do whatever it takes. For bed size quilts I use one of my floor hoops. At the senior center we have a long floor frame. It took me years to learn to do more than one stitch at a time. Now I can load up to 4 stitches depending on the fabric. I also use both hands when working on a frame. For small stuff like wallhangings etc. I use a PCP snap frame that you just hold in your hand. I was at my best when I used a size 12 needle. Since I developed an autoimmune disease 9 years ago my hands are not what they used to be. I now usally have to use at least a #9 needle.

i'm a rocker but when i use aunt becky you can't rock you let aunt becky do the work under the quilt it fun to but you quilt got to be loose in the flame and you put the needle in quilt first to pod so you can have needle stab then on to becky then keeping needle still push as you move aunt becky back and forth it fun

On the wall hangings I did , I rocked . On curves and corners I stabbed . On using pvc hand hoops , just make sure your top is very loose , looks weird but this is the way it needs to be . If you can find the Simply Quilts video with Luixin Newman [ the thimble lady ], please watch . She shows how loose your top needs to be . I think I spelled her first name right [ ? ] She may have a website , I'm not sure . She sells her thimbles . Annie

I rock. I like to quilt in a hoop b/c I can sit more comfortably. I also quilt at the frame but it is uncomfortable for my back.

Kyia

I'm a rocker. Never ever was a staber..I think it would take a little longer to complete a quilt that way.. Don-isewman1

I also rock and then stab the seams and myself once in a while. I really, really enjoy the hand quilting and I cannot use a hoop either.

After reading all of your posts, looks like I'm in the majority!

Well, I'm off to work, have a great day!!

I am a rocker also. I normally quilt in a hoop. I just like hand quilting much better than machine because I have more control and I don't have to wrestle all of that fabric and backing under the feed dogs. I haven't tried it without a hoop but maybe I will give it a shot when I do the edges for the one I am currently working on.

I tend to mostly rock, but I can't get more than 2 stitches on my needle. I may be keeping the fabric to tight.

I will stab depending on the pattern that I'm using or effect that I want. I used the stabbing method when I quilted the word "Longhorn" on a UT quilt for my Dad.

I rock, Can get 5 or 6 stitches on the needle, if I stab I am uneven. I am by no means perfect but sometimes wish my needle was longer. I also use a hoop, tired without and had uneven stitches and puckers in the quilt.

I also rock. With stabbing my stitches are all over the place in the back of the quilt.
I use an oval hoop or the pvc frame, without I had puckers. I have a Flynn frame but so far have only used it for machine quilting.

Jo

lfw045 has the right idea. The "old ladies at church" quilted with size 14 - yes, size 14 needles. My arthritic hands work best with size 9. And I'm a rocker.

I am a comb of both have tried to rock just do not seem to get it. I hand quilt alot but I do it at home. I am embrassed cause I can't do the stitch correct. My stitching is okay I have even entered my hand quilting in the fair and been judged.
Becky

Where did you find a number 10 or 12 needle with a larger eye? This is the hardest part for me, threading the needle. Even with a needles threader it is challenging as I do not have my sight much in my left eye for close work. Thanks for your help.

I am enjoying hand quilting a Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern by hand, it is such good therapy and fun to see all the colors coming together.

Have you tried the spiral eye needles. They are self-threaders. Really neat. You can find them at http://spiraleyeneedles.com/index.html

I am a rocker. For me stabbing takes way too long.

Thank you for your quick response! No, I have not tried the spiral needles nor have I ever heard of them. I think this is great idea and will probably buy them. I see they don't carry number 10 but number 8. Have you tried number 8 spiral needles for hand quilting? Thanks again!

Hello when rockin' or stabbing, I assume you are following a design. How do you put the design onto the quilt?

Cheers Ann :? :? :? :?

I use a template or I draw my own with a sewline pencil.

thank you. What is a sewline pencil??

Aewline pencil marks fabric. You can wash it out or erase it with the eraser

No I just ordered some of the needles and have yet to try them, but it looks really easy to use and to thread; you just slide the thread up the shaft of the needle to where it goes into the slot and it is threaded. Couldn't be simpler. Wish I had through of that. Might have made me a millionnaire! ha,ha

Threading was always hard for these dear ladies. We, with the younger eyes, threaded for them.

don walk me througth the steps of rocking and roll ,thank,s Don

So today I was thinking about this thread & I wondered if everyone (except me) can quilt in any direction?

I can quilt right to left, up and down but I just can't quilt left to right.

Jo

after trying stabbing I cant get my stitches underneath to look good I now rock but I cant rock in a hoop, so I dont know how thats going to work out. On smaller pieces its been fine but quilts to be used (crib size and up) I just dont know

I haven't tried it right to left, but can go a little ways up and down, and good left to right

i'm a rocker an don't use a themble i just cant get used to one of them an i have tried just about all of them on the market an some that i picked up that arejust for looks there brass

I use a rocking motion in a hoop, and it works fine. Just keep your fabric very, very loose in the hoop, not tight like embroidery.

I am a rocker, with or without a hoop. I can quilt in any direction because I quilt with other ladies in a large floor frame and we all quilt what is in front of us! So I learned how to do "my part" and keep up with them!