Hand Quilting

Hand Quilting

Materials:

Hoop or frame 

Thimble that fits

Quilting needles (Betweens, or whatever works for you. I recommend Roxanne's between's size 11)

Fabric—2 squares, large enough to hang out of hoop or frame on all sides. (If one is pieced, you can practice quilting around the seams.) 

Batting of your choice, slightly larger than your fabric

Quilting thread (I like YLI glazed cotton quilting thread)

Beeswax or Thread Heaven, optional

Hemostat, optional

Bag Balm or other callus-care product, needed after you've been quilting for a while.

1. Placing the quilt in the hoop or frame

• Loose

• Dealing with edges of quilt

• Using thread conditioner

• Thread loose end first, knot other end.

• Making a quilter’s knot

• Insert threaded needle about 1/2” from starting point.

• Pop knot into batting

• Burying tails

• Ending knot

• Other ways to stabilize ends of thread:

• Small first stitch, then 4-5 sts on needle, fewer on curves

• Insert needle perpendicular to fabric

• Use underneath hand to guide—index or middle finger, then thumb

• Where to make quilting stitches and how to deal with different situations.

• Traveling (Taking thread through the batting to begin at another location)

• Change direction to protect thread from stress.

• How far apart to quilt depends on batting (check label)

• Unwashed fabric, 100% cotton batting and thread will shrink, making stitches smaller.

• Fusible appliqué: Cut out inside of fusible material, so you don’t have to quilt through it.

• Before or after putting quilt together with batting and backing

• Quilt markers

• Marking templates

• Put fewer stitches on the needle around curves

• Easier on bias

• Kind to use (Regular masking tape best for hand-quilting. Save 1/4” tape for machine-quilting. Painter’s tape doesn’t stick well enough.) 

• Placement of masking tape (overlap other quilting or place further away if needed)

• Sew next to, not through

• Remove tape when done quilting

• Setting up (Good lighting, out of the way)

• Quilting with thumb (Larger thimble)

• Lighting

• Seating

• Arm rest

• Foot rest

• Glasses

• Water

• Exercise every hour: Use gestures for yes, no, maybe

• Get up and walk around

• Use Bag Balm or other skin-care product that will wash out cleanly

• Emory board, New Skin

• Blood on the quilt (Remove with saliva.)

2. Threading needle and making a knot.

3. Burying starting and ending knots in batting

a. Start in middle of thread and quilt in two directions

b. Threading through existing stitches

4. Making stitches

    a. In the ditch

    b. Across and along seam lines (stab stitch if needed)

    c. 1/4” from seam, echo quilting

5. Drawing quilting design on quilt

6. Following marked quilting design

7. Using masking tape to stitch straight lines

8. Quilting with a group—using a quilting frame

9. The quilting environment

10. Protecting your body

11. Care for quilter’s callus

Books on hand quilting and quilt marking:

That Perfect Stitch, Roxanne McElroy, The Quilt Digest Press

Loving Stitches, Jeana Kimball, That Patchwork Place

Learn To Do Hand Quilting in Just One Day, Nancy Brenan Daniel, American School of Needlework

Rx for Quilters, Susan Delaney Mech, M.D., C&T Publishing

Mastering Quilt Marking, Pepper Cory, C&T Publishing

Quilt It!, Barbara Chainey, That Patchwork Place

Choosing Quilting Designs, Jane Townswick (editor), Rodale Press