Relaxation Found in Hand Quilting
Some quilters shy away from hand quilting and claim its too tedious and slow. Others enjoy this phase of quiltmaking and work at it alone and in groups reminiscent of the pioneer day quilting bees.
Most of the quilts I made, when I operated a quiltmaking business at home, were tied instead of hand or machine quilted. Thus I could charge prices that seemed to be in touch with the markets Id developed.
However, I did take a few orders that required hand quilting. These were older quilt tops various ladies had in their family and wanted finished. As long as I didnt have a deadline and didnt have to give up other orders, I could quilt the tops at a price that was within their budget.
I discovered I enjoyed this work and found it very relaxing. I could work at it in the evening while I chatted with my family, helped my daughter with homework, or even watched television. I also quilted these pieces on a circular lap frame instead of the large one that would have taken up much of my living room. In fact, I didnt have space in our home to set up a large frame that might have become a permanent fixture.
I still like small hand quilting projects I can take with me when I travel like pillow covers and hangings. The patchwork and appliquéd postcards my daughter has introduced me to are ideal for this, too.
What have been your experiences with hand quilting?
© 2005
(If you have questions or experiences youd like to share, e-mail me at: me.allen@juno.com and put Quilt Blog in the subject line.)
Related Stories
POSTED IN: General Quilting/Patchwork
0 opinions for Relaxation Found in Hand Quilting
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: