The Ups and Downs of Quilting

Quilting Equipment

The best quality equipment for hand quilting isn’t expensive, but it makes a difference! Needles for hand quilting are called “betweens.” I don’t know why. The eye area of the needle is designed to withstand the constant pressure of the thimble. After you have quilted a while, you will see why this would be important. Use good needles. The Piecemakers, while not expensive, are slim and sharp. I recommend them. 

The next important item is the thimble. You need a thimble that fits comfortably, doesn’t pinch too much, but won’t fall off your hand. There are many thimbles available. I recommend the plain metal safety thimble, which sells everywhere for less than $2. If you have an antique thimble, save it for decoration. IT MUST HAVE A RIDGE AROUND THE TOP TO PREVENT THE NEEDLE FROM SLIPPING! There are leather thimbles and metal/leather combinations, plastic thimbles, and all sorts of specialty devices. I recommend that you start with a well-fitting safety thimble and experiment with others later. 

Thread is another “quality counts” item. Gutermann or a similar quality thread is MUCH easier to quilt with! Whatever brand you use, it must be quilting thread, specially designed for hand quilting. You may have heard that you can use beeswax to coat regular thread – it’s messy and stains the quilt. Don’t do it. 

Finger cots, inexpensive little things, also make a HUGE difference when quilting, especially if you are using cotton batting or don’t have a lot of strength in your fingers to grip the needle and pull it out of the quilt. 

It's nice to have a pair of thread snips to cut thread at the quilt top.

Miscellany

Position a lamp on your left side if you are right-handed and on your right if you are left-handed. Good light really helps!

If you are working on an heirloom project, you may want to wrap your wood hoop with muslin so the fabric won’t be stained. 

If you don’t have a half hoop, pin a towel to the edge of your quilt to catch the whole thing in the hoop.

If you are a beginning quilter, use print fabrics to camouflage imperfect stitches. 

Quilting stitches made on the bias of the fabric always look nicer than those on the grain.

Thread ALL your needles at once and then quilt until you are out of threaded needles. Try to do your needle threading in daylight hours!

When quilting a grid, start several lines of stitching and leave dangling threads, ready to pick up when you have moved the hoop. 

You can use a long thread and run it through halfway. Then quilt off both ends! Fewer knots! 

Throw out imperfect needles – or those that develop burrs or bend. 

Use a similar amount of quilting on all areas of the quilt.

Experienced quilters usually use shorter needles (10-12).

QUILTING NOTIONS ARE CHEAP – SAVE THE MONEY AND INVEST IN A GOOD PVC QUILTING FRAME!!!

© 1997 Catherine Timmons

If you found this article helpful, please feel free to print a copy for your personal use. If you would like to publish it in your quilt guild newsletter or share it elsewhere, please email me for permission - cathe@gloryquilts.com.

© 2004 Nyberg Network