MarthaT

I find it easiest to hand quilt on a simple floor frame my husband made for me. I posted pictures of it earlier. http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...me-t81725.html It is easy to adjust the tension on the fabric by simply loosening a clamp and sliding the board just a tad tighter or looser. Tension makes all the difference in the world for ease of quilting. When I first learned to hand quilt my grandmother said, "Just make sure the stitches are even and small enough that you can't catch your toes in them." Great advice! :-)

ladydukes

Where I live in the Tri-Cities, WA area, there's a regular quilt guild and a quilting guild for those who want to quilt by short arm, long arm, or hand quilt. Some of the members belong to both guilds.

carolynjo

Some good hints here! Use Roxanne needles, about size 10. Practice for a few minutes every time before you start quilting on your quilt. Keep a looser tension in your hoop;, don't try to bounce a quarter on it. I use a thimble made by Tommie Lane which I love. Understand that when most of us start quilting by hand, our stitches are larger. The size of your stitch doesn't matter so much as the consistency of the stitches. Ami Sims did a book on hand quilting some years ago and it is still a good resource. Good luck. Hang in there.

gram2five

My sentiments exactly. I struggled with the rocking motion, and finally decided to try one stich at a time. Works for me! My stiches are much more consistent. I use an Ultra Thimble on my under finger.

maryjane13

Kellyer21..I too had trouble with the back getting pushed into creases..After much sewing and taking out..I had always used safety pins to hold the pieces together..I found out It just does not work well with the big quilts if u have a quilt pattern that moves all over..It is fine if u have a pattern that travels in one direction most of the time..Also I do a square at a time sort of quilting if I have a pattern that moves all over..I do free motion quilting..U can use a darning foot for that or a free motion foot..I have a small space to quilt in..So I bunch my quilt around the machine..So there is no pull on it from the weight..Also u can make it easier by quilting half the quilt or a fourth..Then after quilting sew them together ..Then put the borders on..also u can keep the quilt top whole..and just put the batting into half the quilt..This makes holding the backing tighter ..Easier..also depending on what u have u can use a big hoop and quilt sections that way on the machine..I have tried many ways..But the main thing is they have to be basted .Sewed or glued..The reason being..There is too much movement of the quilt when using a home machine ..also the batting makes a difference too..Some slide .More than others..It is just a try and learn .then pick what works for u..I have picked out yards of quilting so I understand where u are coming from..But don't give up on the machine quilting..There are all kinds of videos out there to watch also.They are always good for hints..

maryjane13

also forgot Kellyer..when hand stitching..U can use it as a decorate stitch..This way u can make bigger stitches..Say u have a 4x4 square..U can picked a colored thread if u like..and make a x in the square..with say 1/4 th stitches..a diamond or anything..after u have done this for a quilt..U will be more at ease with a needle..then u can start with the smaller stitches on the next quilt if u like..and it won't be so hard for u to scale down the size after getting the feel of your rhythm from the other quilt..B th way I have seen some rally great quilts with the bigger stitches ..unless u plan to show your quilts it is not a have to be the size o a stitch..It all take practice.

AZ Jane

Patience, practice and time!! Here is my first hand quilting and my current. I do hoopless hand quilting.
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tessagin

Go to YouTube. Many videos on handquilting. Make sure you have thimbles that feel good on your fingers. I have approximately 20+ thimbles. Just bought couple more. I like the adjustable.

tessagin

Love your hand quilting! I counted 11-12 stitches per inch. WOW!!

MargeD

When hand quilting in a hoop, keep the quilt loose, not taut like you would with embroidery. Also, when I first started hand quilting, (totally self taught through books and videos) I stitched one stitch at a time, always checking to see that my stitches weren't crooked on the back. It took me a while to learn how to quilt using the rocking motion; however, when I took a class held by my quilt guild, the instructor said the most important thing was not how tiny you make the stitches, but making them the same size, regardless of the stitch length.