Hand Quilting Without the Stress
If there is one aspect of quilting that brings the quilt police out the most, it’s hand quilting. People seem to think that if you don’t use a hoop or a frame and if your stitches aren’t as tiny as they can possiby be, you’re doing it wrong and so you shouldn’t do it at all.
I’m here to dispel that myth!
I’ve hand quilted a few large quilts in my time, and multiple smaller projects. As I worked on my recent wonky house quilt, I knew before even finishing the top that hand quilting it was going to be the best way to make it shine!
I had to brush up on my technique, but it turns out it’s like riding a bike. I filmed a tutorial while I was at it. If you’ve wanted to try hand quilting, but were put off by how complicated it seems, just watch the tutorial and I think you’ll be inspired to just jump right in and try it!
Best Tools for Hand Quilting
You need fewer tools for hand quilting than you probably think. The bare minimum requirements are a needle and thread, and I would say, a thimble. And scissors, of course. Here are what I’ve landed on as my favorites:
Milliners needles. I find these to be the right length, strength, and eye size to be the most effective. But you can try out different needles and see what words best for you!
Thread snips. I have the little Fiskars ones and they do the job nicely.
Leather thimbles. I love these because they aren’t rigid and don’t irritate my nail with lots of use. I barely even remember I’m wearing it because it’s not cumbersome like more rigid thimbles.
Thread. This one’s trickier! I’m using 12 gauge Aurifil. I like it because it’s doesn’t get twisty, which I find suuuper annoying about other thread I’ve used with hand stitching. However, many quilters use 50 weight Aurifil, or even just the hand quilting thread you can find at the fabric store. I quilted an entire quilt with Coats & Clark hand quilting thread and that quilt is still going strong many years later.
Another option is to use something thicker like Pearl Cotton for the big stitch method of hand quilting! This is a method that allows for larger stitches that stand out as a design feature. I love how this looks and have used it on many smaller projects! I look forward to using it on an entire quilt someday.
On this tote bag, I used a denim top stitching thread I had on hand and the big stitches really add to the design.
Do You Need a Hoop or Frame for Hand Quilting?
No! You sure don’t. Many people use these tools, but lots and lots of people don’t. I’m one of the ones who don’t. So if you don’t have a hoop or frame, don’t worry, you can still hand quilt.
I hope the video tutorial was helpful for you! Don’t forget you can always start hand quilting on a mini quilt or other small project before committing to a large quilt. And don’t worry if things aren’t perfect! My stitches are definitely not as small and neat as my great grandmother probably made them, but you know what? They hold the quilt together and look pretty cute, so they’re doing their job :)
I’m halfway done with the hand quilting on this quilt and I’m very excited to see it all finished and bound! If you haven’t been following along with my wonky house quilt, you can watch the playlist of the process on YouTube. And you can purchase the Improv Houses How-To Guide too, so you can get started making some wonky houses of your own.
Cheers!
Nikki
