Rob

Thanks Jannie. That is a good tip. My hands have thicker skin cause of working outside but I tell ya, in the short time I got back to this Sat and Sun, I said ouch a few times (and maybe a few other words too)!

And thanks for the nice words racnquilter. I tend to be impatient and want to do well fast but you are right. I mean....I never really sewed before by hand (sewed on buttons and never by machine) and I sewed all the squares, a border, backing and I feel so proud of that.

I am going to roll it out and post a pic in the next few days.

Rob

I posted pics this evening anyway under the Pictures forum.

Shemjo

Instead of pins, there are quilters safety pins, although any safety pins will work. I have used them with a floor frame. I have also used different thimbles to enable me to quilt away from me. There is a hand held thimble thingy that works well to push the needle when quilting away from your body. Also check with churches in your area for hand quilters where you might be able to sit in and pick brains! That's what i did!

mpspeedy

Hi,

I'm a handquilter for hire so I do it in all kinds of ways. If I am using a handheld frame I just turn the frame quilt and all to a more comfortable position.

I have two floor frames. Both are about the widith of a chair. I usually baste with safety pins or have a long armer baste it for me. One thing that works really well for me is to have lots of needles going at the same time. If I am cross hatching I might have a needle in each row. When they are all completed from edge to edge of the frame I either turn the hoop to allow me to go the other way or unhoop and move the whole quilt. I also learned long ago to use both hands. It makes it much easier to reach. Any one who played the paino or even is used to typing should be able to master both hands fairly easily. It just takes a little practice. I do use a thimble on my left thumb as I push with the thumb when I am using my left hand. They make a little short black leather one I prefer for my thumb. I use the longer deer skin one on my right middle finger.

lfw045

Yep, that's the way I use my thimbles too........good idea having more than one needle going........thanks......

lyndawn

I only do handquilting. It's how I learned and all I know (for now). I only quilt towards myself and move the hoop around a lot. I didn't like the bunching it cause, so I started quilting around the "squares" or larger areas that I could do up, down, and sideways on the floor frame. Then I take the quilt off the floor frame and use a hoop for detail work.

Lynette

Barb M

Hey Rob, i am going through the same growing pains! lol I'm trying to hand quilt a project, and have been picking a few peoples brains. What i've found out is some like a frame and some don't, some like a thimble and some don't. And so i've been alternating back and forth between hand held frame and no frame, thimble and no thimble! Driving myself crazy, because each way has it's plusses and minuses. When i use a hand held frame, it's so easy to turn in another direction, but my stitches come out really big in a frame because i can't rock it up and down enough. Without a frame, i'm continually trying to scrunch fabric up in my hand. And of course, i have trouble sitting for very long or i get leg cramps! lol So i find myself with the quilt over the back of an arm chair, and me standing and doing it! But, i keep learning so much from everyone here. I hadn't heard of having the fabric loose in the frame to make the rocking easier, so i'm sooo glad i just saw that, and i'm gonna give the hoop another try lol lol At the same time, i've just bought a darning foot for my machine, so im gonna see who wins this battle, the hand quilting or the machine :)