Handquilting

[Dawn S.]

Hi I have bought a handsewn vintage quilt top from the USA and have just decided that I might give it a go at handquilting it myself (probably regret it). I was wondering if you could please help me by letting me know what the best thread to use is. Its all vintage cotton fabrics but I'm actually going to use a fine flannel for the backing. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Erica.

[Catherine S.]

Erica, when I did hand quilting I always bought the thread made for hand quilting. It was waxed and went through the layers very easily. I have not hand quilted in several years, so I don't know what others use. Maybe Alex mentioned what she uses on one of the shows. I would try to search that. Good luck with your quilt.

[Catherine S.]

Erica, I think you might be surprised and end up really enjoying hand quilting. I just buy thread that says it's for hand quilting.

[Catherine S.]

Erica, watch show 101. It is great. Bob the thread guy talks about hand quilting. Joe Cunningham shows hand quilting. I think you will like it.

[Catherine S.]

Thanks for your advice :-)

[Catherine S.]

Thanks for your advice :-) I appreciate all your replies. I just hope i can do it.

[Jennifer D.]

I recently tried hand quilting as well (a very small lap quilt). I used Liuxin Newman's quilting thread (you can find it at www.thimblelady.com). It's pre-waxed and threads like a dream. I did try some "hand quilting" thread I purchased at a big box store - it was labeled as hand quilting thread, but it kept fraying and I got frustrated. Mabey it would have worked better had I conditioned it, but I got the other thread as a birthday gift and tried it first. Good luck!

~ Jen

[Jennifer D.]

Lorra just tried to watch Show 101, do you have to pay a fee to watch this??? Its okay if you do just checking that I have it right???

[Jennifer D.]

Hi Jen, thanks for your reply. Just wondering have you had the starters kit that they are offering on www.thimblelady.com? It seems quite expensive but wondering if it is worth getting and learning the technique they mention on that site as I have three quilts to handquilt and need to learn a good technique.

[Catherine S.]

Erica, if you are a star member, the shows are free. To be a star member, you have to pay a yearly membership fee. Sometimes they have free shows available. That is all I can tell you. Maybe someone else has more info.

[Jennifer D.]

I do have the starter's kit. The method I've been tinkering with for hand quilting is a combination of Liuxin's instructions and the more traditional motion - I do feel for the needle, but at the edge of my finger rather than on the finger pad...over time I think I will improve on this as well. If I really worked at it my stitches probably would get finer but I'm happy with the 7-9 stiches per inch I'm averaging now - much better than the 6 or less per inch that actually made it to the back of the quilt with my first attempt at hand quilting! The hoop is nice, but if I hadn't received it as a gift I don't know that I would have purchased it myself. A nice wide hoop from any local supplier would be more than sufficient. I did like trying out quilting on a sample of "good" cotton/batting and being able to know for sure how it was supposed to feel as I quilted - I think that it will save me some trial and error in the future as I will stop if I have more trouble with a certain type of batting when compared to what I used before. Really - the thimble, needles, and thread were the best part of the kit - and I do plan on re-ordering the thread and needles when I run out.

You can see video of Liuxin's technique on you-tube - it was a Simply Quilts episode with Alex many years ago. She also did an episode on TQS as well - but if you are not a star member you won't be able to view it.

~ Jen

[ANNE E.]

Hi Erica,
There is a lot on YouTube about hand quilting.
If you Google Jean Brown quilter there is a show where she is talking to Shar Jorgenson, also the Simply Quilts with Liuxin Newman.
Hope this helps.
Anne