Hand quilting tutorial

I love hand quilting. It takes longer, but gives a lovely handmade look, and its much more sociable than noisy machine quilting. My technique for hand quilting is not necessarily the 'right' way, its just how I do it, and its not difficult. Its a matter of practicing and not insisting on perfection straight away. It doesn't bother me that my stitches aren't always even, otherwise I don't think I'd enjoy hand quilting much.

My tools include Perle Cotton no. 8, size 24 chenille needles, thimble with a ridge around the top and sharp scissors. I put these things in a little zippered purse and keep it with the quilt I'm working on so I can take it with me easily.

I don't use a hoop. I tried using one for my first quilt, but I just found it a pain to keep moving it around. So now I just rest the quilt on my lap (or sometimes tuck my feet up on the couch and drape the fabric over my knees) and grip the fabric with my left hand. I'm careful not to push up too much from underneath, but just try to hold it neutrally. I grip the fabric between my thumb and palm, and spread my fingers under the quilt, with my middle finger under the place I'm sewing.

For this project, I made sure I ironed my seams outwards so that I could use the shadow of the 1/4" seam allowance as a guide. That way, I didn't have to mark my quilt or use quilters tape as a guide.

Start by threading the needle with a length of cotton. It's meant to be about 18", but I must admit, I make it as long as possible, so I don't have to re-thread so often :) Tie a single knot in the end (you may need a double knot if using a thinner thread). Insert the needle about an inch away from where you want to start quilting, going through the top layer and batting (but not the backing fabric!) and bring the needle up where you want to start quilting.

Pull the thread...

until the knot pops into the batting and lodges there. I scratch the little hole it leaves to make it disappear.

To make your first stitch decide on your stitch length and hold the needle perpendicular (at a right angle) to the fabric, so the needle goes straight through (not at an angle). You will feel it prick your finger on your left hand at the back of the quilt (for me its my middle finger that I keep extended underneath the quilt). I don't wear any protection on that finger, and I've never had a problem with it getting sore or anything. I like to travel the needle along a little at the back so it makes pretty stitches on the back as well as the front (but I think I need to work on making these shorter as sometimes the stitches on the back are bigger than on the front).

Rock the needle back with your thimbled middle finger and put your thumb just in front of where the needle is to come out so that the needle comes straight through the layers.

Push your needle to the desired stitch length and then rock the needle up again so it is at a right angle to the fabric. Make your next stitch in the same manner, trying to keep your stitch length even.

Rock the needle back and forth to make a few stitches on your needle (I don't really touch my needle much, except with the end of the thimble).

When you have made a few stitches, push the needle through with your thimble...

and pull the thead so the stitches are taut but not puckered. When you start you may want to make one or two stitches at a time to try to keep your stitch length pretty even (remember it doesn't have to be perfect). Now repeat that lots and lots of times! Adjust the quilt on your lap as you go, so the part you're quilting sits flat and isn't being pulled askew.

When you're ready to finish your row of stitches (or you run out of thread), bring your needle up to where you want to finish. In the pictured example I was completing a square design, so I brought the needle up very close to the hole through which I started. This way, it will make a square on the back as well as the front of the quilt, and you wont be able to tell where you started and finished quilting.

Make a knot that sits right on top of your quilt. I hold my needle point at the hole as I pull the thread to help  the knot sit in the right place.

Now, insert your needle into the same hole that you just came out of, travel through the batting (but not backing fabric) and emerge about an inch away.

Pull the thread so the knot is pulled into and lodges in the batting. Massage the fabric so the hole disappears.

Cut the thread close to the surface (being careful not to cut the fabric), and massage the thread tip into the fabric so you can't see it.

That's it!

A cushion or a baby quilt might be a good place to start.

There are many different ways to hand quilt, and hopefully by sharing what I do, you can find what works best for you and develop your own technique. Please feel free to ask a question, or to share a tip. Happy hand quilting!