Quiltingboard Forums

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)
-   Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)
-   -   Is hand piecing really becoming extinct? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/hand-piecing-really-becoming-extinct-t66406.html)

iltoaz 09-24-2010 11:29 AM

I enjoy hand piecing. Quilt. If I want to "move" a quilt along I machine piece - but only hand quilting from this gal!

grannyQ 09-24-2010 11:52 AM

I hand pieced a double wedding ring quilt, a grandmother's fan quilt and hand quilted both of them. I had to have surgery on my right thumb & wrist so I have have to resort to doing my sewing and quilting by machine. I have since started to hand quilt another double wedding ring in a quilt frame that my son made for my mother. I also hand quilted a dresden plate for my son, but was only able to finish the other 3 children's on the sewing machine because of the surgery that took 3 years to heal and needed to get them done. Very hard to do anything for 3 years being right handed and a useless thumb.

Donna Hall 09-24-2010 01:00 PM

I have started handing piecing after taking classes from Cindy Blackburg at the Houston show and the Knoxville, and going to two of her handpiecing in the Smokies. I will be having knee surgery soon and I plan to hand piece and hand quilt. The machines will be put up for a while

teddysmom 09-24-2010 02:08 PM


Originally Posted by Donna Hall
I have started handing piecing after taking classes from Cindy Blackburg at the Houston show and the Knoxville, and going to two of her handpiecing in the Smokies. I will be having knee surgery soon and I plan to hand piece and hand quilt. The machines will be put up for a while

Hi, you might find you really like the hand work rather than the machine. It's really very relaxing! Enjoy the hand work during your recovery!

krisgray 09-24-2010 02:17 PM

I learned to piece by hand when I was a kid. When I quit my job a few years ago and decided to quilt again, I started a hand project. Now, it's not done but I work on it every time we drive 11 hours to SC or WI. I found that smaller blocks work best.

Late Bloomer 09-24-2010 02:29 PM

Hooray for the handpiecers. I did a lot of blocks doing handpiecing and started primarily as something to do on our RV trips. It is peaceful to sit outside and do my stars but the problem is that I cut out so many, that I have too many for a quilt! Now I suppose I will make runners with the extras. I have to sew them into rows now but after I finish my present hand quilting project on my rack. It is truly relaxing and enjoyable.

klgreene 09-24-2010 03:32 PM

I used to hand piece and hand quilt, but for the last year I have been doing it by machine. If you compare my old to new, I'm about ready to go back.

jitkaau 09-24-2010 03:39 PM


Originally Posted by laurieaaron
I recently visited a quilt guild where it was known that I was a hand piecer. I was very surprised when a woman came up to me and said that she was the only one of the group who handpieced, and the guild had almost 200 members! I am not suggesting a poll (that would be crazy!) but from your experience in your guilds, is handpiecing really that rare? I feel like a dinosaur, :) but a happy handpiecing one! Thank you.

Hand piecing is 'handy' if you need to travel lightly, and is also convenient for the doctor's waiting room etc, but for me, the majority of the work is done on machine now, as it is the over - all design that I want to achieve and I want to get there quickly. I often have commissions to fill and would not get so many if the clients had to wait for a long time to get the piece or pay the extra price for hand piecing. I still appreciate the beautiful work of someone such as Jinny Beyer, who does it all by hand.

SueKitten1 09-24-2010 03:52 PM

I think more people hand quilt than you think. I have done the " Grandmothers Flower Garden" myself. I do prefer machine quilting now, as it is faster.

annrook 09-24-2010 04:03 PM

1 Attachment(s)
I am currently hand piecing my 8th bed sized Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I have also hand quilted all of them. I batse fabric to paper hexagons then go from there. I find this very relaxing and it something handy to take on trips in our RV. I call then my "Law and Order" quilts and it seems I hand sew a lot while my husband sleeps through yet another re-run.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:20 PM.