Handquilting question

I had a friend who taught me how to quilt, but she was using a double
thread. I finally challenged her on it, and she realized that she had
always used a double thread because that was how her mother had put the
thread in the needle for her when she was little--one strand pulled through
and the ends knotted together so the needle wouldn't fall off. She now uses
just a single thread.

Betty in CT

Thank you butterfly.. I knew it was wrong but being dyslexic I couldn't work
out which was right and outlook was (as usual with a longer word) not
offering the correct word instead

--
Jessamy ( lets hope it stays in my brain for a change...)
In The Netherlands
http://www.geocities.com/jess_ayad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quilt_mystery/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you requested:
Taut / tautness--tight/tightness
taught--teach
HTH
Butterfly

I use double thread. It sounds like your needle is too thin. I use a
normal hand sewing needle. No special number or anything on it. Although
I still can not get 10-12 stitches in an inch. I get about 8. But I'm
happy with that.
Joanna

Mika wrote:

Well I finally got my 30+ year old quilt top on the quilt frame to give
handquilting a try. When I was in Vegas last month I found some straw
needles at Sandy's fabulous LQS, Quiltique. So now I'm ready to begin
quilting. In fact I tried a few stitches last night after we finished
tightening the top on the frame. My question is, how in the world do you
get 12 - 14 stitches per inch when the needle bends and the sandwich is so
pliable? I feel like I need 3 more hands. My stitches are not coming out the
way I want them to. As much as I try I cannot get the needle to pull up from
underneath close to the previous stitch the way I want it to. I need a hand
underneath to guide the needle and one on top to hold the sandwich in place
and this doesn't include the hand that holds the needle. What am I doing
wrong?

Also, I think I may have asked this awhile back but I can't remember. So I'm
going to ask again and hope that you all will forgive my short memory. When
doing hand quilting do you double the thread or use a single thread? I
started out with a single thread but I almost feel like I need a double.
Don't know why just feel that way. What do you all do?

Oh yeah, anyone who wants to come by for a visit and add a few stitches is
most welcome. I'll put on a pot of coffee and I could probably be talked
into whipping up a batch of my Chocolate Delight. ;-)

Hugs,
Mika



--
Remove Quilt to reply

Thwack me with a fat quarter if you will but I like handquilting with a
double thread. Because I don't "heavily" quilt my quilts I like the fact
that the double thread will make it a bit more sturdy. it also seems to
stand out just a tad more. I also like to sometimes use 2 strands of
embroidery thread/floss. So many colours!

--
Sharon from Melbourne Australia (who would love some Chocolate Delight but
if not just the recipe would do)
Queen of Down Under
http://www.geocities.com/shazrules/craft.html
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shazrules/my_photos
**********************
"Mika" wrote in message
et...
Well I finally got my 30+ year old quilt top on the quilt frame to give
handquilting a try. When I was in Vegas last month I found some straw
needles at Sandy's fabulous LQS, Quiltique. So now I'm ready to begin
quilting. In fact I tried a few stitches last night after we finished
tightening the top on the frame. My question is, how in the world do you
get 12 - 14 stitches per inch when the needle bends and the sandwich is so
pliable? I feel like I need 3 more hands. My stitches are not coming out
the
way I want them to. As much as I try I cannot get the needle to pull up
from
underneath close to the previous stitch the way I want it to. I need a
hand
underneath to guide the needle and one on top to hold the sandwich in
place
and this doesn't include the hand that holds the needle. What am I doing
wrong?

Also, I think I may have asked this awhile back but I can't remember. So
I'm
going to ask again and hope that you all will forgive my short memory.
When
doing hand quilting do you double the thread or use a single thread? I
started out with a single thread but I almost feel like I need a double.
Don't know why just feel that way. What do you all do?

Oh yeah, anyone who wants to come by for a visit and add a few stitches is
most welcome. I'll put on a pot of coffee and I could probably be talked
into whipping up a batch of my Chocolate Delight. ;-)

Hugs,
Mika

You're welcome : )
Butterfly (and I still can't type the correctly---ends up as teh : )
"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
Thank you butterfly.. I knew it was wrong but being dyslexic I couldn't
work out which was right and outlook was (as usual with a longer word) not
offering the correct word instead

--
Jessamy ( lets hope it stays in my brain for a change...)
In The Netherlands
http://www.geocities.com/jess_ayad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quilt_mystery/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you requested:
Taut / tautness--tight/tightness
taught--teach
HTH
Butterfly

On Fri, 5 Nov 2004 07:29:41 +1100, "Sharon Harper"
wrote:

Thwack me with a fat quarter if you will but I like handquilting with a
double thread. Because I don't "heavily" quilt my quilts I like the fact
that the double thread will make it a bit more sturdy. it also seems to
stand out just a tad more. I also like to sometimes use 2 strands of
embroidery thread/floss. So many colours!

So I'm not the only one who thought about using floss!
Debra in VA

I can't type it correctly either.....I blame it on my right hand being
faster than my left--which is ok by me..... Mary


"Butterfly" wrote in message
...
You're welcome : )
Butterfly (and I still can't type the correctly---ends up as teh : )
"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
Thank you butterfly.. I knew it was wrong but being dyslexic I couldn't
work out which was right and outlook was (as usual with a longer word)
not
offering the correct word instead

--
Jessamy ( lets hope it stays in my brain for a change...)
In The Netherlands
http://www.geocities.com/jess_ayad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quilt_mystery/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you requested:
Taut / tautness--tight/tightness
taught--teach
HTH
Butterfly

That makes sense--but then most anything probably would today vbg
Butterfly
"MB" wrote in message
...
I can't type it correctly either.....I blame it on my right hand being
faster than my left--which is ok by me..... Mary


"Butterfly" wrote in message
...
You're welcome : )
Butterfly (and I still can't type the correctly---ends up as teh : )
"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
Thank you butterfly.. I knew it was wrong but being dyslexic I couldn't
work out which was right and outlook was (as usual with a longer word)
not
offering the correct word instead

--
Jessamy ( lets hope it stays in my brain for a change...)
In The Netherlands
http://www.geocities.com/jess_ayad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quilt_mystery/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you requested:
Taut / tautness--tight/tightness
taught--teach
HTH
Butterfly

I hadn't but now considering it when I try handquilting.

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948
"Debra" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 5 Nov 2004 07:29:41 +1100, "Sharon Harper"
wrote:

Thwack me with a fat quarter if you will but I like handquilting with a
double thread. Because I don't "heavily" quilt my quilts I like the fact
that the double thread will make it a bit more sturdy. it also seems to
stand out just a tad more. I also like to sometimes use 2 strands of
embroidery thread/floss. So many colours!

So I'm not the only one who thought about using floss!
Debra in VA

Ok you got me on the taught/taut thingy. It must have been one of those
moments that I knew what I meant and knew how to spell it but my fingers
didn't type what my brain was telling them too. And of course my spell
checker didn't know any better.

Mika who really does know the difference

"Butterfly" wrote in message
...
As you requested:
Taut / tautness--tight/tightness
taught--teach
HTH
Butterfly
"Mika" wrote in message
et...
Now I'm really going to show my ignorance on handquilting. I was just
using regular sewing thread. Guess that would make a big difference huh?!
LOL. Ok so I'll go with a different needle and thread and see how that
works. Thank you for reminding me about the quilting thread. I think I
probably do need to tighten the whole thing up on the frame a bit.
Considering this top is one I started over 30 years ago when I was still
in high school, some of the seams are not straight and there are overlaps
on some of them. So it's not going to be real taught anyway. Until I
started putting it on the frame I didn't realize just how many booboos it
had in it.

Mika

"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
You need a "between" to quilt - a size 10 does wonders! Maybe the quilt
is too loose for you in the frame.. try different taughnesses (sp?).
Also don't expect to get *that* many stitches to the inch when you
start... most start with a lot less.. even the experts started with
larger stitches
Are you using hand quilting thread? its a tad thicker than normal thread

HTH
--
Jessamy
In The Netherlands
http://www.geocities.com/jess_ayad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quilt_mystery/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well I finally got my 30+ year old quilt top on the quilt frame to give
handquilting a try. When I was in Vegas last month I found some straw
needles at Sandy's fabulous LQS, Quiltique. So now I'm ready to begin
quilting. In fact I tried a few stitches last night after we finished
tightening the top on the frame. My question is, how in the world do
you get 12 - 14 stitches per inch when the needle bends and the
sandwich is so pliable? I feel like I need 3 more hands. My stitches
are not coming out the way I want them to. As much as I try I cannot
get the needle to pull up from underneath close to the previous stitch
the way I want it to. I need a hand underneath to guide the needle and
one on top to hold the sandwich in place and this doesn't include the
hand that holds the needle. What am I doing wrong?

Also, I think I may have asked this awhile back but I can't remember.
So I'm going to ask again and hope that you all will forgive my short
memory. When doing hand quilting do you double the thread or use a
single thread? I started out with a single thread but I almost feel
like I need a double. Don't know why just feel that way. What do you
all do?

Oh yeah, anyone who wants to come by for a visit and add a few stitches
is most welcome. I'll put on a pot of coffee and I could probably be
talked into whipping up a batch of my Chocolate Delight. ;-)

Hugs,
Mika