I for one am always impressed by quilts that have been quilted by hand. There is nothing like the texture of a quilt that has been hand quilted. While I admire other people's hand quilting, I have always found it to be a rather daunting task. But after reading Marianne Burr’s hand stitching techniques, I am feeling confident and may even try to hand quilt a (small) piece of my own. I hope you find these tips useful as well!

Hand stitching tips

By Marianne Burr

• Milliners needles are long with a small eye. The advantage of using them in hand stitch is that several stitches fit at once, making for a straight line of stitches. The small eye means the thread is not likely to pull out.
•  Hints for threading:
  • Waxing the thread really helps reduce tangling.  Pull the thread over the block of wax.
  • Pinch the very end of the thread between your thumb and a finger and put the needle onto the thread. Just push the needle over the thread, between your fingers, without moving your fingers
  • The needle eye is different on each side, and one side is easier to thread than the other.  If you’re having trouble, turn the needle over.
  • The thread has a twist just like a rope. One end of the thread will enable the needle to slip over it more easily than the other. If you’re having trouble, try the other end of the thread.
• If tying a knot is difficult for you, take a tiny backstitch where you want to start and where you finish. (Make one stitch, and then insert the needle behind it and come up in the same place as the first stitch.) This makes a secure loop of thread in the felt so you really don’t need a knot.

(Both images are of Marianne Burr's "At the Market" which is 63" x 50" and the photos are by Frank Ross )

Tell me... what is the most daunting thing about hand stitching in your mind?

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