Hand quilting over seams...

[Lynn K.]

Yes it works!

I try to plan my quilting design to miss as many seams as possible! But the needles I use (Japanese Clover Patchwork number 9) are quite long and quite strong so I can manage to rock over the seams. I use the Quilters Dream request loft batting and that is an absolute delight to quilt through. Its not easily available here in Australia but I buy it by the case load from Hancocks.
Also I keep the quilt very loose in the hoop so I can manouvre the needle easily through the seams. A finger of a rubber glove on my index finger and on my thumb helps me to pull the needle through.
As far as the finger underneath I have done the Luixin Newman (Thimblelady) class a couple of times and have almost mastered the no prick finger method but I still find I get a callouse after a long session - like now when I am trying to finish 3 quilts for our show in May.
Which reminds me - I had better get back to it!

[Lynn K.]

I purchased New Skin liquid bandage and used it last night for hand quilting (on the fingertips of hand UNDER quilttop.) Works very well!

A strange issue developed, though. My cats LOVED the smell and tried to lick my fingertips before they disappeared under the quilttop. :lol:

[Lynn K.]

I keep my tweezers handy for when I sew too many stitches in a row. It saves my sore fingers from pulling the needle through. Sometimes, when going through a seam, the tweezers help pull the needle through, too. I find that sewing one extra stitch sosmetimes keeps my stitching even (which means I now have 'too many stitches in a row'...so, out come the tweezers!)

[Lynn K.]

Have you heard of the needle puller from Holland? I took a class from Ted Storm many years ago and she said everyone in Holland used it. I'd been on the lookout for it ever since and finally found it in one of the catalogs (Clotilde??) I've got my quilting friends hooked on it. Takes a little practice but is wonderful for pulling the needle through. I can get so many more stitches on the needle now that I'm using it.

[Pam S.]

"Skin Shield " What a wonderful hint. Thank you a bunch.

For the blood spots -- rinse with some weak salt water (saline) or contact lens solution. Then, if any of the spot is left, put a drop of hydrogen peroxide on the spot (it will bubble). You may have to repeat this a couple of times. This will get out the rest of the blood. I work in a hospital lab and use it all the time to get blood out of my lab coat. Works every time.. I have not found it to lighten colors either.

[Beth A.]

It may not be the most sanitary-sounding solution, but I was always told that the best way to remove a spot of blood from your quilt is to use a dab of your own saliva -- it always dissolves the blood and removes the stain.

I have used this for years and it works.

Anyone else?

BethMI

[Lynn K.]

I just heard the same thing recently. Glad to know it works.

And, YES! Your needle puller from Clotilde is exactly like the one I have and use. It works great!

[Lynn K.]

I'm glad to hear of the Skin Shield stuff and will try it next time I hand quilt a piece. My finger tip of the underneath hand gets very rough feeling and pricked alot :!: I also have cut off fingers of rubber gloves to use on my right index finger and thumb in order to pull the needle through the material...it really works great :P My hand stitching is getting better every time, but still needs improvement for sure! But, as my family memebers say when I give them a quilt and start apologizing for the inexperienced-looking "quilting", "Hey, someone makes you something by hand and from the heart, I'm thrilled to get it...no matter what the stitching looks like!" I know I'd feel the same way, so I don't obsess anymore about making absolutely sure each and every stitch is the exact same width apart...unless a person inspects every inch of the quilt, who'll ever know :?:

[Lynn K.]

If you see the drop of blood immediately, using your saliva on it will hydrolyse the red blood cells and the stain will disappear. If the blood has dried on, it won't work. Ask me how I know.

[Lynn K.]

To get back to the original question, I took a class with Mary Stori 2 yrs. ago in Paducah and she said when you come to a seam, stitch thru the top and batting only. When you get past the seam, push the needle thru to the back and flip the quilt over, travel the needle between the layers back to the beginning and stittch thru the bottom and batting only until you get back to the end and flip the quilt back over to the top and continue quilting thru all three layers. ( You're allowed to get pretty smug at this point because only you will know. ) No one can tell you didn't stitch all the way thru and looks just like the rest of your hand quilting.

This has to be up there as one of the top tips I've learned.

Tiffany, I hope this helps you. I wish I had learned this when I started quilting 30 yrs ago.

[Lynn K.]

That is a Wah-Hoo!!! moment for me. As a hand quilter, I have asked this question on every forum and of everyone I have ever encountered who is a hand quilter. Thank you, thank you, thank you! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Lynn K.]

I have a friend who regularly gets her hand quilted quilts into the Paducah show and I asked her once about quilting through the seams and she does exactly what you do - the stab stitch! Works for her!

[Lynn K.]

Hi Bondgirl,
Does your friend enter to win or to show? Has she won?

Just curious. :?

[Lynn K.]

Having just finished a quilt where i had to cross MANY seams I found that I tended to just continue my rocking stitch over a seam and then take a small back stitch to fill in the gap if I needed. I did notice that on the back I was leaving a slightly longer stitch when I did that (I was using red thread and had a white back, so I really showed), so I also started hiding the backstitch by running through the batting just a little bit. I don't think I would have bothered if my thread matched my back though. I also stab stitch if it is a really thick seam like in some of my star centers.

[Lynn K.]

Yes your own saliva will break down a blood stain. I have used Hydrogen Peroxide before and that works, but does not bleach the fabric. I have also used oxygen type bleach products you see infomercials and it takes out a lot of stains while not damaging the fabric. So now we know our blood and sweat go into a quilt, but we need to clean that up lol. Susan