hand quilting over seams??
08-26-2011, 10:12 AM
#11
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Maine, U.S.A.
Posts: 536
Hope this shows up ok. My camera is functional but in need of a repair, so this a bit out of focus. Any more zoomed in, it gets more blurry. Plus, I don't want you to look TOO close at my quilting! lol ;-) This is what's in my hoop at the moment. Any inconsistency is more about my skill level, than about seams, I think.
08-26-2011, 10:30 AM
#12
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,281
Originally Posted by Kristin in ME
You absolutely can handquilt over seams. I'm quilting the one in my avatar right now. Lot of seams. I'm finding that I can do about 6 stitches per inch, and have it look consistent (using Warm n Natural for batting, which I've now learned is a thicker batting, maybe you could do more stitches with a thinner or more compressable batting). I'm happy with that- the stitches don't look giant or primitive, and they are consistant (at least as consistant as my skill level enables!). Every now and then, if I run across a seam that overlaps with another- so has more layers- I stab it instead of rock it, so that the stitch won't be too big.
PS. Kristin. Just went back and saw your Log Cabin with the quilting. What beautiful quilting on a lovely quilt!
08-26-2011, 10:58 AM
#13
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Trego, WI
Posts: 1,871
Originally Posted by running1
I need your expertise! I made a scrappy quilt for my DS and didn't want edge-to-edge quilting, and I can't really afford a custom quilting job right now. I recently took a machine quilting class and still need to do a lot of practice. I've been practicing my hand quilting and love it. In fact I'd decided I would hand quilt this top... but, now that I have it out, I remember how many seams it has... every 1.5 inches is a seam. The pattern is called "Whacky Rails" and I've had it for years. Will I get in trouble trying to quilt over all the seams? Should I try to do a more primitive quilting with large stitches (haven't tried that... will it hinder my small stitching?) Should I give up thinking about hand quilting this one and start practicing on my own machine quilting?
sigh... I guess I just want my quilting friends to weigh in on this one???
sigh... I guess I just want my quilting friends to weigh in on this one???
At my level of expertise, I would probably use some type of a serpentine stitch or small zig zag along seam lines for this. The hand quilting will be very slow because of the many seams, no matter what pattern of quilting you use. BTW, I don't do any FMQ, so that could not be one of my choices.
Good luck! Be sure to show us how it comes out!
08-26-2011, 11:30 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Maine, U.S.A.
Posts: 536
Thank you very much, humbird! Btw, the quilt in your avatar is beautiful!
Just one more thing I wanted to mention- on this quilt, I seem to have picked up a new habit when I stitch through a seam. To keep the stitch from being too long, I started pressing down on the fabric in front of the tip of the needle as I rocked it back up. At first I was doing it with my thumb nail- the tip of the needle gradually wore away at my thumb nail until it got ruined and I had to cut it! Now that my thumb nail is too short, I've started doing the same thing with just my thumb, but let go of the fabric just before the tip of the needle comes to the surface. This forces the needle to come up through the fabric where I want it to.
Just one more thing I wanted to mention- on this quilt, I seem to have picked up a new habit when I stitch through a seam. To keep the stitch from being too long, I started pressing down on the fabric in front of the tip of the needle as I rocked it back up. At first I was doing it with my thumb nail- the tip of the needle gradually wore away at my thumb nail until it got ruined and I had to cut it! Now that my thumb nail is too short, I've started doing the same thing with just my thumb, but let go of the fabric just before the tip of the needle comes to the surface. This forces the needle to come up through the fabric where I want it to.
08-26-2011, 11:59 AM
#15
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Liberty Hill - Central TEXAS Hill Country
Posts: 1,040
Originally Posted by Kristin in ME
You absolutely can handquilt over seams. I'm quilting the one in my avatar right now. Lot of seams. I'm finding that I can do about 6 stitches per inch, and have it look consistent (using Warm n Natural for batting, which I've now learned is a thicker batting, maybe you could do more stitches with a thinner or more compressable batting). I'm happy with that- the stitches don't look giant or primitive, and they are consistant (at least as consistant as my skill level enables!). Every now and then, if I run across a seam that overlaps with another- so has more layers- I stab it instead of rock it, so that the stitch won't be too big.
I agree 100% Kristin - the quilting doesn't show up too well in the pic below, but I hand quilted every diamond in the star in continuous lines going over seams (& it was my 1st quilt).
So GO FOR IT - if you enjoy hand quilting (like I do) you will be happy you did it.
Good luck & have a blessed day.
Lone Star 1987
[ATTACH=CONFIG]247085[/ATTACH]
08-26-2011, 12:30 PM
#16
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Southwest
Posts: 454
I just hand quilted a top with less piecing and it was a bit hard to go over some of the seams. I agree with the other posters to stab at the seams, it makes it easier than trying to grab more than one stitch. Hand quilting is a lot of fun anyway. :-)
08-26-2011, 01:39 PM
#17
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Clinton, OK
Posts: 1,736
Thank you everyone for responding so quickly to me!! Kristin and Shirley, your quilting looks great!! I love the meandering, Kristin... Ok ... I think I've got my confidence back now... At the very least I'm going to TRY!! I'll let you know...
Happy Quilting everyone... I really appreciate everyone's responses!!!
Happy Quilting everyone... I really appreciate everyone's responses!!!
08-26-2011, 03:22 PM
#19
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 282
I also agree with Kristin. I've made this quilt a few years
back. Rhonda Dieker created that pattern, and her shop used
to be 40 minutes from me. I hand quilted mine. If I'm on a
seam and it doesn't always get the back layer on a stitch, I
don't worry about it. It doesn't happen often and is alomost impossible to find a missed stitch.
back. Rhonda Dieker created that pattern, and her shop used
to be 40 minutes from me. I hand quilted mine. If I'm on a
seam and it doesn't always get the back layer on a stitch, I
don't worry about it. It doesn't happen often and is alomost impossible to find a missed stitch.
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