Hand quilting step by step…🧵🪡🧵

It seems many want to learn to quilt but often family, work, and responsibilities just get first place as they should!!! I find that when I want to learn or start something new to me that I think about if for quit a while before I ever actually start. So, do not feel discouraged. A time will come to start just don’t give up. 

That is also true in the Lord, isn’t it!!! “Stay steady” is something the Lord has told me for a few years now. 

I am a  visual learning. In fact, I can watch someone or a video and usually just begin crocheting a new pattern or sewing an item. Practicing is what moves us along until we find we are pleased with a final product. 

So, reading, looking at videos, watching a teacher, or going to quilt stores and asking questions is a great way(s) to start. 

Remember, no one ever looks at your quilt and actually critiques it. They look at your over all product and admire it…and say “ I wish I could quilt !!!” 😂🤣😂

Let’s begin here…

You need fabric that you really like, some batting, and a backing fabric. I usually prefer all cotton for fabric and batting although poly batt or bamboo are just fine. You can shop on line, Walmart, Joann’s or Hobby Lobby. I prefer to support our local quilt shops and you also get good friendly advice when needed. You also meet the best ladies at a quilt shop. 

You really do not need a pattern. You can cut fabric in squares and just sew together to get started. Or purchased a “ charm pack” of precut 5” squares. Then press your seams. Layer your quilt with backing fabric (cut about 2-4” wider on all sides than your top) , batting appr same size as backing or a bit smaller , and lay your pieced top on the top. Thus three pieces all ready to quilt. You can then pin with large safety pins or specially curved pins for quilting ( which I prefer) , spray baste each layer, or HAND baste …..

That’s really it. Some like to machine quit their own quilts, have a professional long arm quilter do your quilting for you but the best is put that quilt in a 12” wooden hoop and start practicing those SMALL stitches with a quilting needle. Place bottom of hoop underneath and top part of hoop with screw mechanism on top , covering design to quilt. Tighten the screw but not too tight leaving the quilt real loose … then tighten screw. You can rock the needle easier and get smaller stitches with looseness in quilt between the hoop.

The last is to bind your quilt and make a label …then give to your special one. 

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Quilt thread is waxy and strong. I use YLI . Hand quilting needles are short. So go ahead and start with a # 10 or 12. Small stitches are made with short needles. A thimble is used on your middle finger to “rock” the needle and pile on two or three small stitches at a time and pull thru. IDEALLY 🤣🤣 you want 10-12 stitches per inch….well, I did say ideally! I am fortunate to get 5 or six an inch. 

Cut a 12” to 18” of thread and thread your needle. Make a knot in the end leaving about a 1/4” tail. Place the needle underneath the quilt where your design starts OR on top.  Pull the thread up and “pop” that knot BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM LAYERS…INSIDE THE BATTING. . You will hear the knot pop and may need to give it a good jerk. (Do all of this once quilt is tightened in the hoop.)

With thimble on your right middle finger, place the eye end of the needle against the flat part of the thimble and the sharp part into the top fabric. Your right hand thumb will feel the needle and your left hand will be under the hoop against the backing fabric. You will feel the needle end with your left middle finger. Then ( rock your needle) go up and down as close together as you can…getting about two or three stitches on the needle BEFORE you pull it through. Called loading your needle. 

When you finish that amount of thread, leave appr. 6-8” of thread and make a knot close to the fabric and jerk that knot into the batting just like at beginning…and clip.

🧵🪡 Repeat again and again…..

Remember , it takes practice and brings wonderful quiet head space all to yourself!!!!!!!!

It’s YOUR time…me time….it’s great ! 😉😉😉

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This is how I do it after much research, looking at books, watching some exporters and asking questions, and countless hours of practice developing my method. 

***Many people keep a sample to work on BEFORE they pick up their project to perfect the stitch but I just dig in. Like I said, NO ONE EVER looks at your stitches unless you are entering a quilt for competition and that’s a whole different topic… but a good one ,,, a learning one.

That’s it in a nutshell ….I’ll post a video soon of me hand quilting!🍿🎞🍿

Sooooooo, remember.

Just start and stay STEADY.

Blessings all,

Kathy💛🧵💛

 Memorial weekend, family, and reading, and quilting…

We are at home for the weekend but some steak and watermelon will make it special . When we lived on the NC coast, we left on holidays to avoid the crowds and usually asked friends down so they could enjoy the beach. Now, we still like to avoid the crowds . My sister and brother-in-law are visiting on Saturday. They live in a neighboring small town where we hope to move before long. Family is important to us and every one who was here when we moved back home has since died or moved. Now it’s just us… 😎  At 66 and 75 we are up to a move!!!

I’m enjoying rereading “ Unlikely” an autobiography by Rick Renner. He and his family live in Russia as Christian missionaries and are doing a wonderful job spreading the good news. He and his wife, Denise, and two of their sons and families are presently feeding hot meals and providing food boxes to those in need during this horrible crises in that area of our world. Here is more about their ministry. You can also follow on FaceBook where he teaches every week night at 8 ( Home Group).

https://renner.org/

I’m still moving along leisurely on my DWR quilt …will show more pics as I progress. I don’t want to bore you with every stitch. 🤣

For wherever you go, I will go.

Wherever you live, I will live.

Your people will become my people,

and your God will become my God

                                                                                          Ruth 1: 17

Blessings all,

Kathy 💛🇺🇸

 Smallest garden ever…

We are moving but not sure just when so I only planted a few items this year. Our best gardens ever were when Cliff would hoe up a 4’ X 20’ space in our back yard and I’d mix in lime and 10-10-10 fertilizer and water away. Sunflowers 🌻with yellow gold finches flying all around to get those seeds, corn 🌽, tomatoes 🍅, eggplant 🍆, peppers🫑, and “ colored “ butter beans as we call them in the South but many call them speckled butter beans and are my favorite. Lots of herbs, zinnias and gladiolus.

This year I planned two heirloom tomatoes, cayenne peppers, one cherry tomato, dill, camomile, basil, and parsley. Everything in my raised bed on legs but the two tomatoes  and scattered sunflowers… one little area of zinnias and 8 Dollar Tree “glads”, as my grandmother called them.

I’ve already had to start daily watering as it was 90 here today in Eastern NC. 

Saw the first snake 🐍yesterday but it was on the small side and I think it was a garden/good snake. Beside Cliff is our snake killer and he’s not up to doing that right now so I had to just let it go on its way. I do plan on going to Lowes and getting some “ Snake Begone” next week to sprinkle around the edge of the carport. That will make me feel safer getting in the car. I know we need them so I really do not like killing them if they just move on…

So, how’s your gardening going? 

I am still working on my hand quilting but I will be for some time. I kinda enjoy spreading it out and picking it up most days. 

Blessings all,

Kathy

Prices rising…

Gas, eggs, bacon…my goodness. My mama talked to her lady friends about a penny or later a nickel as they would shop at different local grocery stores to save. We’ll, I just mostly stick with Piggly Wiggly ( who has bag boys/girls who take my groceries to the car… 😋) and Aldi for a few favorites, paper towels, garbage bags, extra virgin olive oil, can stewed tomatoes ( yummy), frozen ravioli, chips, butter, sour cream, and salsa which saves a lot. 

Gas in Eastern NC is now $4.38 but I’m full so I try to just “ top off” every few days. 

The Bible tells us that the Lord will take care of His children so I am assured we will be just fine. No matter what the future brings…

So, let us 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to our own understanding. In all our ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths.

Proverbs 3:5-7

Blessings all,

Kathy 

 Feed my sheep… John 21:17

Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep and I’ve been meditating on this for a while. 

1. What does this say to me?

2. How can I do this, more?

3. I need to listen daily to hear .

4. Where are the sheep He places in my life?

I’ll have to report later on this area of growth in my life.

✝️ 🌸✝️ 🌸✝️ 🌸✝️🌸

More progress today on my DWR quilt…

By no means the best piecing ( not sure why I did not try to match better?) or hand quilting, 

But practice does make one better. Also it is humbling to share not so perfect work .

I’m trying to be still and quilt some every evening.

Blessings all,

Kathy 🥰

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

It has been a while since I made a post! Years…

 I am working on a lovey Double Wedding Ring quilt for me. I used Moda’s Summer Breeze V. I’m a lover of blue and yellow so these fabrics are perfect. The greens add a nice touch from nature. On my morning short walk I often marvel at God’s handiwork using shades of these colors.

I pieced it about a year ago and am now hand quilting with a 12” lap frame. 

Hoping to get back more often now …will keep you posted on the progress. But for now, I’m going to enjoy my quilt.

Kathy 💛😋🧵🪡