ptquilts

I have hand quilted for the last 30+ years. I think if I tried it on the machine it would be a disaster. When I started 30 years ago it was not common (most people were tying quilts) and I did a lot of hand quilting for other people. I still do some, but not as much since machine quilting has become more common.
For instance, I worked on pieces for a couple of quilt designers to put in their books. Nowadays the examples in books all seem to be machine quilted.
For me hand quilting is my favorite part. Me and machines don't get along well!!

roadrunr

I also handquilt and am just starting to do some machine quilting. Hand quilting takes alot of time, but it is very relaxing. Machine quilting is alot quicker, but is not as relaxing (to me at least). I don't think handquilting will ever completly disappear, people will rediscover it and see that there is nothing as beautiful as a handquilted quilt (even the most simplest hand quilting is beautiful).

KyKat

I hand quilt. Hand embroider. I have an old boss, and when he says "bring your book", I know I'm in for a session of shorthand, yep! shorthand still- (I smuggle a small recorder in my pocket, though, cuz he talks really fast). I love to hand quilt whole cloth stuff, up to king size, in a frame on my lap. Don't really care how long it takes me because I'm not doing it for the finished product, just for the process. I tried to quilt one by machine once. Fugly thing that was, lawsy me, and I didn't enjoy doing it.

luvstoquilt

I love to hand quilt..I can be with my family and still be doing something constructive...also, I love the look of it. I am at least the 4th generation of hand quilters...I do have some done by LAQ..especially if it is going to be used by little ones...to many times in the washing machine and hand quilting just doesn't hold up.

AshleyR

Add me to the list of hand-quilters. I can't sew (even tho I own lots of sewing machines!) worth a flip, tho. I would love to start machine quilting, too, but I don't see me giving up hand-quilting. My goal is to quilt something for every member of my family. My son's quilt is next. He can either get a whole-cloth or we'll buy him a top!

JuneBillie

I am hand quilting a quilt now. I also hand pieced it, and it is so relaxing to me. I know that machine quilting is so much quicker, but I personally am not interested in quicker, but more interested in relaxing, and so for me it is hand quilting. I also like the thought that a person could have no money, and still if they have some material, a needle, thread, and a pair of scissors they can sew, and quilt. I also don't worry so much about perfection, but the enjoyment of what I make to use in my home, and what keeps my family warm, and pretty things to put on our walls, etc. Both of my grandmothers hand quilted, and hand embroidered (I hand embroider also), and one of my grandmothers made braided rugs by hand, and crocheted rugs using material, and the most unique of all was when she made braided small mat rugs out of plastic bags. She was so creative. My mom quilted by hand most of her life, and loved it, and was a master quilter. She also made us girls beautiful clothes. I only recently became interested, but have the fever bad now. lol.. Have a nice day everyone.

mojo11

I totally agree. I love to hand quilt too.

wonderwoman

I'm glad you posted this. I love to hand quilt. I've been contemplating what to do with a hand appliqued quilt that my mother made and I am finishing. I've been going from hand quilting it to machine quilting but because of what you said...I am going to hand quilt it for sure. It will be a special heirloom.

ScrappyAZ

Count me in with the ladies who know shorthand! I took two years, two-hours of shorthand/transcription in high school. I was proud to get certified at 160 wpm. My shorthand teacher told us to practice our shorthand by transcribing the news because the news commentators had to speak clearly and enunciate.

When I reported to my first secretarial job after high school, my boss handed me a dictaphone and told me to type everything on it. I never used a dictaphone in high school so I transcribed everything on the tape in shorthand and typed from my shorthand notes. My boss thought I was crazy! He told me to eliminate the "middle man" and type directly from the dictaphone. After I got the hang of using the dictaphone, I never looked back. I felt bad that I never used my shorthand skills.

And yes, I enjoy hand quilting! I just wish there was someone in my area of town who hand quilts so I can see if I'm doing it right. My quilting friends prefer to machine quilt.

dlong

I'm a hand quilter also. I machine piece and have tried machine quilting. Just have a domestic machine and quilting anything very large on it is more work than pleasure. I like doing machine quilting on baby quilts though.