I do 100% of my quilting by hand, and I imagine I break some of the
"rules", but I get rather spectacular results. First, I make my own
templates using plastic sheets with 1/4" grid marks. And rather than
make templates to draw around, I make the plastic sheets into stencils,
so I can drag my pencil in the inside of the holes -- much easier!
Also, I cut the stencil holes the size of the finished pieces, so I am
actually marking seam lines and not cutting lines. By placing the
stencil holes 1/2" apart and cutting the fabric between the seam lines,
I have cut pieces marked for stitiching. I have template sheets
covered with 2" squares, template sheets with 1" squares, etc, so I can
mark quite a few pieces at once. And I always save those sheets for
use on later quilts.

When I design a quilt, with a little arithmetic I can very easily
figure how much of each fabric I will need, and add a wee bit more for
errors in cutting, etc.

When I cut the fabric, I already know how many of each piece of each
size and fabric I need, and cut it all at once. Then I lay out all the
little piles of cut and marked pieces of each size and fabric, and then
re-arrange them into little piles of the fabric pieces needed for each
block. Each pile for a block is put into its own envelope (I use
regular mailing envelopes) with the flap tucked in but not sealed.
Being a cheapskate I re-use all those envelopes, and have them numbered
in the corner, so when I'm opening envelope #26, for example, I know I
have already stitched 25. I can take envelopes with me when I travel,
along with my small plastic box of stitching stuff -- threads,
scissors, needles, thimbles, etc -- in a tote bag. As each block is
finished I fold it, slip it back into its envelope, and begin another.


As to the quilting itself, I break a major "rule" by not using a frame
or hoop at all! Instead, when I assemble the quilt 'sandwich' I put in
quite a few pins so I can move the sandwich from the floor to the
dining room table (which is very carefully covered with pads, table
cloth, and finally a plastic picnic-style cloth or shower curtain
liner). Then, beginning at the center and working out, I baste rather
closely (stitches about 1"), using up a lot of leftover or junky
thread. A closely-basted sandwich doesn't shift, so I simply
lap-quilt, which I find comfortable, convenient, and conducive to the
very tiny stitches I use. Since I don't drag the quilt around a lot or
let people manhandle it I don't need to baste a scrap binding on it,
although if I were planning to take it on a trip to my niece's house
with both toddlers and dogs I probably would.

Once I was working on some whole cloth quilting while covering phones
at the church office, and it was the day the quilters came in to work
on the current quilt at the church. A couple of the very old, very
opinionated, very excellent quilters stopped by the office, saw what I
was doing, and very firmly told me it was simply NOT RIGHT and that to
quilt without a hoop or frame was sure to get horrible results. I
flipped the piece over (it was a Christmas tree skirt) to show them,
and they were very impressed, apologised for being critical, and told
me to keep on doing what I was doing because it was excellent.
However, they did tell me that I really need to learn to do fine
stitching with a frame so I could join a proper quilting group, and
offered to teach me to quilt properly with a frame so I could join them
every Tuesday afternoon. These ladies have a lot to teach, and I have
a lot to learn, so I am planning to join them.

Anyhow, the bottom line is to do what you enjoy and get good results
with, and don't worry too much about the "rules", because there are,
after all, no Quilt Police!


Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:
So, having tried my hand at handpiecing (going quite well, if I say so
myself), I'm now thinking more seriously about learning handquilting too.

Where I live there aren't many classes etc, but so far I've learnt from
books, web, you guys etc more than from classes.

Regardless, I need to get some stuff, right? For space and financial
reasons, a hoop seems like a good place to start for me, and I've found
some that look nice that I can easily get when visiting my parents in a
months time. I was thinking to just get the hoop, this guy also does
floor stands and gizmos that attaches the hoop to the table. If needed I
could get one of those later?

But do I need some sort of stand to even get started? And if not, then
how do you balance everything (hoop and using both hands for quilting).

And what about a thimble? I use a nimble thimble for hand stitching, but
I gather that is not suitable for quilting (no little holes for the
needle to sit in).


Hanne in London
PS. The handpieced 9-patches have generally straight seams, but the eye
balling of 1/4" is still work in progress. But as someone kindly said
last week, it is easier to fudge than when machine piecing :-)