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Well. Looking at the above picture, you may not even notice the hand quilting on a few of the seams. It’s there, though. This slow and methodical stitching has been good for me. I’ve enjoyed it. The decision to hand quilt takes so much pressure off because I decided from the start this quilt was not going to be finished anytime soon. There’s no deadlines here. It seems the further I get with the hand quilting that the longer I realize this is going to take me.
If someone asked me for my initial thoughts about hand quilting, I’d say first that no one else can replicate your stitch. It’s like your hand writing. It’s something only you can do. It’s unique to you.
It’s also very rewarding and satisfying to see the progress. Yes, the progress is slow, but it’s also immediate. With every stitch, a little bit more is finished.
(In all honesty, no one may actually want to replicate my stitch because it is very wobbly and uneven.) I’m still learning…that’s for sure.
What is one immense blessing of hand quilting?
I can quilt with my family present. I can sit beside them on a couch and stitch along.
Most of the evenings in our home involve some sort of book reading. My children are all five and under and none of them read fluently. We read all sorts of picture books and always have a chapter book going. (The most recent book we read was an abridged version of Moby Dick. Have you ever read that book!?! The ending!!! I couldn’t get over it.)
All that to say, I absolutely love sitting in a the living room with my family stitching away while my husband reads.
In order to give you a bit more of an accurate vision, though, understand this peaceful picture often includes my one year old insisting upon holding my thimble and rubber needle gripper. He runs off with them constantly taking pride in capturing mommy’s possessions. Please don’t get the wrong picture that all is perfect harmony. 😉
My three year old is also always crawling under my legs making this huge quilt into a tent. I’m sure I’ll forever remember him sitting under my legs while I sew along.
At this point in time, I have NOT tried using a hoop to hand quilt. The learning curve was a bit intimidating to me. I know that my sound silly to those of you who know how to use a hoop. It’s probably simple, right?
It was easier for my mind to think about hand quilting with just a needle and thread.
The greatest resource I can point you to is this video by Suzi Quilts: https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-hand-quilt/
She gives a thorough review of a variety of hand quilting supplies, and she goes on to show us how to hand quilt without a hoop.
Pictured above are the supplies I’ve landed on thus far. The white thread is Pearle Thread. It’s white or blanc and size 8. The needles I’m using right now are Fons & Porter utility needles. The rubber needle gripper came with the needles. I use it a LOT.
I’ve enjoyed using my green Clover thimble, but it did tame me a while to learn to use it. It took me a while to get used to having a thimble on my finger. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the leather thimbles, but I have not tried them yet.
I used to hand stitch the bindings of my quilt without a thimble. I can’t imagine doing that now without one. I’ve grown so used to it and the convenience of it.
When it comes to fabrics, I have a few favorite shops these days. Morgan Kelly Quilts is becoming my new favorite shop to browse. She doesn’t carry a high selection of fabric, but what she does carry is beautiful and well curated. Some of my other favorites are Sew Organic, Kiwi Fabric, and Field and Cloth. If I’m looking for lots of yardage of basic colors or linen or something like that, I will shop from Fabric.com.
The texture of this quilt is so different than my other quilts. First off, it’s heavier. Maybe that’s the linen on the back. The back is Essex linen. It’s yarn dyed in the chambray color. I absolutely love the color and the texture it adds.
The denim on the front gives it additional variety in texture. I was growing skeptical to this quilt for a while. It wasn’t really inspired from anything I’d ever seen before, but I really like where it’s going.
Here’s a better picture of the stitching on the back.
I have absolutely no regrets about hand quilting this one. I’d do it again even with the uneven stitches.
If you have an inclination to try hand quilting, I’d highly encourage you to try. It was much easier for me to learn than many other sewing skills. Putting in a zipper was way more complicated for me than learning to hand quilt.
And, if you are an experienced hand quilter and are alarmed looking at my quilts because I’m doing something extraordinarily wrong, PLEASE TELL ME! I’m enjoying this process immensely, but I want to learn from you too!
Do you have special memories of hand quilting? Do any of you have three year olds crawling under you legs? I’ve never hand quilted with a group, but I know many ladies who join together for fellowship as they stitch together. It sounds lovely! Please share your stories.
I guess I should have been more clear. 😊 When you say that you “quilted/sewn by hand …”, do you mean that EVERYTHING was sewn by hand, NO sewing on a machine occurred at all?
I’m just asking because when my grandmother made a quilt every little stitch that was on the quilt was done by hand. A lot of times today, people use a machine to put all the pieces together; make a quilt sandwich, and THEN hand stitch all the layers.
Sorry if I’m confusing you! I think I was confusing “the quilting aspect” with the actual sewing together of the pieces to make the top/pretty side of the quilt.
Everything you’ve posted is absolutely beautiful and one can tell part of you is in each piece. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
Vickie
Ah, I understand, Vickie. And your grandmother is a very admirable women with patience and a skill I will likely never accomplish. I have never pieced a quilt by hand…only hand quilted it. 🙂
I admit I’m tempted to someday piece a quilt by hand, but I’m not sure I have the perseverance yet.
I hope you still have some of your grandmother’s quilts.
So obviously I came late to this party, haha. Did you piece every triangle and piece of fabric together first, to make 1 large square and then piece the individual squares together to make the front side of the quilt, or did you machine sew those pieces together and then quilt around each individual piece? I was just wondering because the seams where all the little pieces come together look soooo nice! I’ve quilted before and mine never look that nice! If you did actually hand sew each little piece together, what is your secret? I need to learn it! Thanks so much!
Vickie
Vicki, you’re not late to the party. 🙂 Did I piece every triangle and piece of fabric together first? This quilt is made of half square triangles. I create the square with two triangles. Then I sew all the squares together. Here are two other posts that may be helpful for understanding a bit more of the quilting process.
https://www.thewillowmarket.com/how-to-sew-a-quilt-everything-you-need-to-know-about-quilting-packed-into-a-simple-coaster-tutorial/
https://www.thewillowmarket.com/how-to-sew-a-half-square-triangle/
my mother taught me the basics of hand quilting. she was a master quilter and I will treasure her works forever. I also was so lucky to be invited into her churches quilt group and learned so much from those amazing women. I hand quilt all my quilts and do lap quilting. i do have quilt frame for the larger ones but rarely use it. I love taking the old quilt pattern designs and giving them a modern twist with batiks and lots of color. I have a high stress job and my quilting is my therapy and stress release. I love your story and thank you for sharing. Hand quilter forever!
Such lovely and inspiring stories. They are comforting to read during what has become a very stressful time. I am unable to sleep thinking about pandemic preparations, so am now going to pull out some mending after reading your words and those of your commenters. Thank you.
I love to hand quilt. Very pleased to see use of the Perle cotton. I started in ’98 with my son’s baby quilt. I had sewn but never quilted. My mother inlaw taught me to quilt. I found a silver thimble made by an Australian that hooked me. It had a round trip and was open at the nail. I miss it! I gave it to my daughter to use on her first quilt. I use a Roxanne thimble now with Sew Sassy 12 WT. Thread by Superior. The needle is a #9 Between Also from Roxanne. It has a large eye to accommodate the heavy thread. Best needles I have found as they are strong. Quilting “in the ditch” is a look I can’t get away from. I’d like a #10 or #11 but the eyes get smaller. I wrap my thumb with Vet wrap or Co Flex to give it grip. Oh and for my birthday my family gave me a mahogany 18″ Barnett’s hoop. Take a look at http://www.laptophoops.com it’s a bit large for me but works great for big blocks. Now I have an excuse to order a smaller one. Keep quilting!!!!
Hi Tami, so many recommendations you gave! Thank you! I will have to check out the Roxanne needles as I do find my needles bending sometimes. Thank you for your insight!
Hi! I learned how to quilt in the 1980s by a co-worker and everything I did was by hand. My kids are all grown now and I’m finding time to quilt again. I have machine quilted one quilt. I personally think I do better hand-quilting. I’m too clumsy to handle such weight with a sewing machine. I like the look of hand-quilting better anyway. So glad to come across your post. Thanks!!
Hi Lisa! I’m thankful you have some time to sew again! I go back and forth between machine quilting and hand quilting, but I must say, I’m still thoroughly enjoying the hand quilting. It may be slow, but there are so many rewards in the process.
I am Anita from India and I have started a project where women come on alternate days from the village and make quilts together.We sell these quilts which are a source of livelihood and empower women too.
This is the second year and I must say we look forward to bond,work and share our personal stories.We sign off by singing songs.I must say it is great fun!
Anita, what a beautiful way to spend time sewing and quilting. The time you spend with the ladies sounds lovely and INSPIRING! Thank you for sharing!
Hand quilting gives you the incomparable feeling of fabric becoming a quilt! I recently machine quilted a quilt using a pantographs and it was so impersonal following the laser light on the pantograph and not really connecting with the quilt until I needed to roll it up.
Nancy, I think I can relate. The more I hand quilt, the harder it is to go back to machine quilting. There is something so satisfying and personal about hand quilting.
I started quilted a year ago. I’m a former crocheted, however, due to carpal tunnel I’m no longer able to crochet. I make lap quilts for Veterans in Hospice in Wichita Falls. I’ve hand quilted a few baby quilts and it is quite relaxing. I will continue to practice and perfect hand quitting. Thanks for the encouragement and knowledge. Hapi Quliting🤗
Hi Nzinga! Wow, it sounds like you are so generous with your quilt making! I hope you enjoy the journey of hand quilting. 🙂
However you quilt is ‘just right’!
Love your depiction of reading, kids, quilting.
I am 74, arthritis prevents my hand quilting. Still doing cross stitch. I started quilting in 1976. So many wonderful memories and quilts.
You are my hero. Keep it up.
Such a sweet comment, Marge! I bet you have many memories stored away in quilts and cross stitch projects. 🙂
Ps…I also use Pearl cotton but leather fingers for my hand quilting
I am a quilter that mostly ties the main quilt and hand quilts almost every quilt in one of the borders. I am self taught and have been quilting since 1996, I assemble my quilts on my machine but most are finished with my hand quilted borders. I often hand bind them as well. I too have developed a uniform stitch length that works, not the smallest but looks great to my clients, friends and relatives. I am now retired and quilting more than ever. My biggest enjoyment of the process is my handwork in the evenings, sitting with my husband and our dog, watching some Tv and producing an heirloom. I have just finished repairing a quilt from 2001 that I made for a friends bed and breakfast….tedious work but again rewarding. I most always have 2 quilts in work, one at my machine and one for my lap! I am now making another quilt for this same friend for her bedroom. The hand quilting process is soothing and rewarding, keep it up, you will only get better with time. If interested I am on Facebook under Perry Mountain quilts and on Etsy under PerryMountainQuilts…some of my hand quilting is pictured! Good luck! You are doing fine!
So good to meet you Sue! I can completely relate with the blessing of sitting with your husband watching TV in the evenings. It’s something that just can’t be done sitting at a sewing machine. Thank you for your encouragement! I am still thoroughly enjoying the process of hand quilting my projects. 🙂
I don’t have a story to share, but I can share the most valuable tip I read when learning to hand quilt, which was to “find your own stitch length.” This helped me immensely. Instead of trying to make those perfect tiny stitches, I just did what was comfortable. It didn’t take long for my stitches to become even. They’re not perfect, but good enough!
Thanks so much for you tip! It takes the pressure off of the perfection, but then you kind of find perfection as you go with what’s natural and comfortable…just like you said! I will keep that in mind as I keep stitching!
I commend you on your decision to hand quilt. I’ve become a hand quilter by accident. My grandmother and mother were supposed to have taught me, but I grew up and moved away, and they passed away. Last year my father decided to sell the family home and all I could think about was finding my mother’s hand made quilts. Thank God I found them, and now like you, I spend my evenings mending my mother’s old quilts. I agree with you that it’s very satisfying. No, my stitches are not always uniform, but I am putting my love into something my mother lovingly made herself. With each quilt I see the scraps from a dress, or skirt, or coat she made for me or my siblings. Hopefully one day your sons will have these same fond memories.
I love that Sharon. It sounds so precious to me! I’m thankful you are giving her quilts longer life and using them in your home. I’m sure she put a lot of time into those quilts!