When you hand quilt, what are you thinking in your deep thought
 

where does your mind go....when you hand quilt?

do you dream?

do you get lost in the stitches?

does it relax your soul?

please tell me.

I am learning the blanket stitch, and I think I may have found something to ease my mind....handwork.

A repeated thought is "this is going to take FOREVER!", followed by the thoughts of joy at having something to stitch.
I always have the TV going or a movie on to occupy my mind.

i am usually watching TV, listening to radio.

It's funny though, sometimes when I pick up a quilt to work on it, my thoughts immediately go back to what I was watching the last time I was quilting on it.

I either listen to audiobooks or "watch"/listen to TV.

All of the above, sometimes the kids have to say, mom, more than a few times to get my attention. I literally get lost in the stitches. My fav. daydream is building my dream home & going room by room decorating it.

:lol:

When I use to hand quilt I did the same. Then I remember what I watched or listened to each time I use that quilt. Once I watched "Spencer's Mountain" So now when I do hand work I think about that movie.

I really do not know, I guess I get so lost. I love silence or just natural sounds,like now all I hear are the birds, breeze and my one deep tone windchime. And of course the snore of the bulldog,and my hound scracthing reminding me she needs a bath dangit. lol, the background noise of the tv makes me crazy. I will have to pay attention I guess ,I do agree it puts you into a meditative state when it is mindless sticthing.
Sometimes in the winter when the house is closed up I listen to a Native American flute CD and I do like audiobooks as well.

I am so busy concentrating on small even stitches.

Most of the time the only thing I am thinking is how I'm going to get those 8 tiny little stitches into that tiny little inch.

With that being said, I'm still new to this so it takes alot for me.

I love to hand quilt and it eases my soul immensely!!! :)
Sometimes I quilt old tops and think about the person who pieced it.

Let's see. I can lose myself in an audiobook or podcast. Or dream about the next quilt. Or just figure out what line is next. Or the everyday stuff like what is for dinner or how many mins until I anticipate the kids waking up from naptime.

Mostly in front of the TV, sometimes I zone out with whatever is on my mind at the moment, but I do enjoy it.

I haven't done any hand quilting in a long time, but I've always got some hand applique to work on while I watch tv. Sometimes, I don't even bother with the tv. Just quiet is nice.

When I'm doing hand work or machine quilting, if it's a project that doesn't require me to think, it allows me to pray. Some of my quilts have as many Hail Mary's and Our Father's and Apostles Creed's as they have seams! :D

I like to handquilt when the house is very quiet - usually after the kids go to bed. TV gets distracting because I end up watching it and can go minutes on end without taking a stitch. I like the quiet when my mind can ponder the goings on of the day and organize my thoughts about the coming days. I also use the time to pray, especially for my family, but also for the quilt recipient. And because I sometimes handquilt late into the night, it's not uncommon for me to fall asleep midstitch and dream for a while. :lol:

I sometimes watch TV and sometimes, i just think about things that have happened lately. Seems like there is always some sort of "drama" to think about.

I put on a good movie or two.

I feel like I'm in my own world, where their all makes sense, since are world keeps changing so much,
trying hard not to think about it, so hand quilting brings
Me peace,all is well, and hoping I don't drop my needle.

Listen to TV, let my mind just wonder free! Back in the day when I worked outside our home, I did cross stitch embroidery and even though I worked on the 'puter and figures and such, hand embroidery was very relaxing.

I have to have some sound in the house pretty much constantly--not for me, but for the dog. She'll bark at the tiniest sound from the neighbors. So I usually turn on a familiar TV show or movie; something I can listen to and follow along without having to really watch or pay attention. Sometimes I'll turn on music and sing along. :) I don't know that really do much thinking or contemplating, though--that's what running and walking time is for.

All of the above :D :D

I have no idea where my mind goes....but then again, I have no idea where it's at even when I'm not hand quilting.... lol...... Acually, I am not a hand quilter, just do applique by hand and love every minute of it.

I love to hand quilt. I broke right wrist in Feb and of I am really right handed. Have made 2 quilts and small wall hanging since, but started hand quilting 2 weeks ago. I am so thankful, that at my age the wrist is all I broke. Still kinda stiff but it is wonderful to use it again to do the quilting!

Hand quilting has always brought me to a meditative state where I am unaware of anything except the line my needle is following. It is the most relaxing thing in my life and is better than any vacation I can possibly imagine. I always come away from a session of hand quilting totally relaxed and reknewed.

I love saying prayers for the person for whom I'm making the quilt. Then when they snuggle in it they really are "covered" in prayer!

I solve all the world's problems. If only they would do it this or that way, things would be much better. I spend a lot of time talking to God then.

Hand quilting gives me an excuse to listen to audiobooks!!!

Hand quilting is....relaxing....therapeutic....tranquil....shoul d do more of it!!!

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Any background noise. I think when you do handwork, your mind just wanders.

I don't hand quilt but when I sew on the binding I have SO many thoughts! If i'm alone there is usually no noise in the house. I worked in a very loud enviroment many years ago and I love the peacefulness of silence. My thoughts are I hate hand sewing, I'm not good at it, can't wait to finish. next quilt I will ask my friend to bind because she likes to do it!

The reason I love hand quilting is because I don't think of anything except hand quilting. How many things completely put you somewhere else? It's like a mini vacation.

When I'm making a gift, I spend a lot of my stitching time thinking about the person I'm making it for.

All of the above. It depends on what's going on around me, how many of the kids are home and what they're doing, what's going on in my life. It's mostly a meditative exercise, and I daydream. I write sappy historical romance novels, and quilting is a good time for the characters to tell me their story. Also contemplate what deep theological questions my students could possibly throw at me on Sunday and prepare.

I am one of those who cannot just sit and watch tv. I need to have my hands busy, so I have found that hand quilting my table toppers is perfect for me. then I can stop a moment if something on the boob tube demands my full attention and then back to listening and stitching.
:D :-D

I'm so glad a took the time to read all the replies. I just received my license to be a Lay Worship Leader for my church and my quilting time for the past winter / spring season has been spent iin discussion with God about my fitness for this call He's been pressing on me for the last 20 years. NOw my quilting time has been spent either praying for my family or building a church service or sermon. Building a quilt seems to go well with constructing a sermon and worship experience... fitting all the pieces together :-)

I spend that time to pray for those I begin thinking about. :-D People along with conversations, etc. always come to mind and it is a good time for me to bring it to God. :-D

I'm sorry, but when I used to try to hand quilt, all I thought was "ouch!". I've never, & yes, I've tried almost evry one, been able to use a thimble. The hand quilting almost made me give up quilting. That's how I became a piecer, and happily sent them off to help the economy for the LAQ's.
But, even piecing or planning can produce "flow" - that sense of being so caught up in the moment, everything else disappers. It's a good thing.

If I am making a prayer quilt, I think about the person it is intended for.

Sometimes I sit with my husband while he watches tv and listen to the show, other times I like the quiet and daydream. Also, I think about the person that I am making it for and pray for them. Some quilts have a lot prayers stitched into beacuse my hand quilting is slow. But I enjoy every minute. :)

I like to have something to keep my hands busy, so I hand stitch or hand quilt, knit, crochet, tat, or whatever when DH and I watch TV together. I also turn on the TV just for the company. My thoughts do drift away to whatever is going on in my world. Hand work does give me peace and contentment.

I really don't hand quilt that much but when I did or when I do any kind of needle work my DH will have TV on but I do think about almost everything depending on what is going on in my life. I also have gotten so relaxed that I have dozed off with the needle in my hand. :):):)

After I stick myself way too many times (just kidding) ... I usually listen and sing along with the radio ... oldies/moldies are the best for me. Hopefully the a/c is on so I don't scare all the neighbors!