Easier way for left-handed people to quilt
09-20-2007, 05:52 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 659
Same as for righties....practice, practice, practice. Trying varying your needle, longer or shorter, I like shorter for smaller stitches. Kep your fabric tension a little loose, but smooth. And use your other hand to poke from underneath to help the needle go throught the fabric for shorter stitches. Start with trying 2 sttches and work your way up to 3 or 4. Any more than that is too hard. Good luck, and happy quilting!
09-20-2007, 07:15 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Mount Vernon, Oh
Posts: 698
I also am a leftie. I use my left and to hold needle and my right hand is under material to press needle back up and get about 6 stitches on needle, then pull thread thru material. I use a short, sharp needle, and have the material smooth, but loose enough to rock the needle back and forth to get small stitches. It took me a lot of practice to get consistent, steady stitches, so do not get discouraged. I used to use long needles but kept breaking them. I also bought beeswax to coat the thread and tip of the needle when it becomes hard to push thru material. I have learned on here that needles dull fast, and replace now when the beeswax doesn't help. The sharp needles make handquilting sooooo much better!!!!!!!! keep trying, I am glad I did!!!
Deb :mrgreen:
Deb :mrgreen:
09-20-2007, 11:36 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 449
I'm a lefty too. Honestly, the only way to make it easier is to practice, practice, practice. Everything everyone has written is correct. Use a shorter needle, start out with 1 or 2 stitches, and gradually add more. When I was first learning to quilt, I quilted every day, even if only for 15 minutes. The more you do it, the better you get. Remember, you may be left-handed, but you're always in your right mind! :D :mrgreen:
Good luck!
Good luck!
09-20-2007, 02:30 PM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Posts: 223
Left-handed / right-minded...also have heard, "Everyone is born right-handed but the truly great ones overcome it." :? Not that that's a personal philosopy, being a "leftie". I prefer the left-handed / right- mided observation :wink: .
I write, use a hand saw and gardening utensils, paint, quilt, eat, use a dust rag, sew, hold a racquet ball racquet and hold my coffee cup in my left hand. NOT AT THE SAME, though! :lol: However, I swing a golf club, toss a ball, serve a volleyball, and swing a bat using my right hand.
Several years ago I taught sewing classes. I got the biggest kick out of the reactions of some of the students when they realized I was a lefty. "How can you use the sewing machine? It's set up for right-handed people?"
The best times, though, were when I would be playing racquetball and would be receiving the serve. The server thought they were serving to my backhand. I smacked (forehand) the ball into the front corner and it died there, giving me the point. I would then serve the ball using my left hand and cause the ball to "hang" on the wall to my left which was to the other's backhand...the ball would land in the back corner, "die", and I'd get the point. By the time I'd scored 4 or 5 points to their 0, they would realize that I'm a lefty...at which time they would change their serve, hoping to capitalize on my probably weak backhand. That didn't always work, either, because I had a killer backhand. I didn't always win the matches, but I sure did score some easy points! :lol:
Anyway, just practice quilting left-handed. I will be just as beautiful and satisfying...and besides, folks will wonder how you could do somehting so beautiful as a lefty. Just smile and say, "It's just natural for me." :wink:
Quiltingly from the Left Coast (CA) -- madolyn
I write, use a hand saw and gardening utensils, paint, quilt, eat, use a dust rag, sew, hold a racquet ball racquet and hold my coffee cup in my left hand. NOT AT THE SAME, though! :lol: However, I swing a golf club, toss a ball, serve a volleyball, and swing a bat using my right hand.
Several years ago I taught sewing classes. I got the biggest kick out of the reactions of some of the students when they realized I was a lefty. "How can you use the sewing machine? It's set up for right-handed people?"
The best times, though, were when I would be playing racquetball and would be receiving the serve. The server thought they were serving to my backhand. I smacked (forehand) the ball into the front corner and it died there, giving me the point. I would then serve the ball using my left hand and cause the ball to "hang" on the wall to my left which was to the other's backhand...the ball would land in the back corner, "die", and I'd get the point. By the time I'd scored 4 or 5 points to their 0, they would realize that I'm a lefty...at which time they would change their serve, hoping to capitalize on my probably weak backhand. That didn't always work, either, because I had a killer backhand. I didn't always win the matches, but I sure did score some easy points! :lol:
Anyway, just practice quilting left-handed. I will be just as beautiful and satisfying...and besides, folks will wonder how you could do somehting so beautiful as a lefty. Just smile and say, "It's just natural for me." :wink:
Quiltingly from the Left Coast (CA) -- madolyn
09-20-2007, 09:38 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Bay area CA
Posts: 887
Originally Posted by kathy
wow Nepthys that's odd, at least to me . I'm a righty but if I tried to use that needle in my left hand it would be a mess and my right hand would be full of holes!
Makes us both left brained and right braned..
I play racquetball right handed, draw on a chalk or white board right handed, throw and bat right handed, eat left handed, write left handed, and am ambidextrous when it comes to scratching my butt.
Quilting? I haven't asked the Bernina if it's right handed or left handed.
tim in san jose
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