Hand quilting stitch length

[Robin G.]

Hi! I'm doing another hand quilting project, where I'm not using the background dots as my guide for my stitches, which was 3 stitches for every 7/8th of an inch. My question is, what is considered an acceptable stitch length? Right now, I'm averaging between 5-6 actual stitches per 1" with the difference being that I have less blank space between the stitches. Hope that makes sense.
Thank you, Kathy

[Robin G.]

It makes sense to me. I think what ever length you use you should try to get good enough at doing it that the stitch length is the same on the back and front. Whatever you are good at is good enough(keeping in mind that you do not want toes or little fingers to get under them ;~)).

[Dawn S.]

After sitting through a couple of hours of hand quilted quilt judging at the fair, I learned one great thing! The MAIN thing is to be consistant. All stitches should be the same length, and there should be the same distance between the stitches. 5 to 6 stitches per inch is at the larger end of the scale, but if it is consistant over all the quilt, it is acceptable. With practice you will get better. The experts can do 10 to 11 stitches per inch. Practice on a small piece first, and see if you can get up to at least 7, for now. You will be pleased with how nice it looks!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Dawn S.]

Ritzy and Dawn, thank you very much for your replies!

Ritzy, great comment about the length not so big that their little fingers or toes will get caught. Ouch!!

Dawn, thank you as well for the numbers. While I won't be putting anything into a show, I still want to have goals to work towards, so that I can continue to increase my hand quilting skills.

Take care,

Kathy in Calif

[Dawn S.]

Kathy, just a note on the number of stitches per inch. Yes, consistency is the most important thing.
But I can also tell you that the number of stitches per inch can also be influenced by the type of batting you are using as well as the thread count of the backing and top fabrics. Some battings are easier to quilt smaller stitches on. Some should be used for machine work only, or used when you are doing a "big stitch" or "utility" quilting. Personally I also find batiks harder to quilt small stitches on than I do other cottons. The more you practice on different fabrics and battings, the more you will discover your personal preferences.