Needles and Pins

 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💛🧵💛