Whever I go a long period without handquilting, I have to practice awhile to get back into it so the huge, crooked, uneven, ugly stitches that I make for the first couple of sessions don't go on the quilt! So, I haven't hand quilted for quite some time (like 2 years) and I decided to make a practice sandwich and warm up and get back in the rhythm of it because I have a top I am dying to quilt. I've been playing with some new patterns and combining elements of different patterns, using white thread and colored thread, and generally having a good time! I love the whole "no pressure, it's just practicing on a scrap--who cares what it looks like" freedom! But reading the quilting nemesis thread made me think this morning about my handquilting nemesis....the first stitch!! No matter how hard I try, my first stitch is always larger than the rest. When I'm all in practice my stitches are (relatively) small and even, but that first one drives me nuts. I understand the reason, that with no stitches stacked on the needle there is no tension or resistence, so the needle slides in to easily and takes a bigger bite out of the sandwich, but I haven't figured out how to consistently counteract the problem. I've read in books and articles about handquilting that it is a common problem, but no one really addresses what to do about it. Jinny Beyer's book on handquilting came the closest, but all she said was make sure your needle is going in exactly perpendicular to the fabric. That hasn't helped me because as soon as I start to lay the needle back for the first stitch, it slides in to far. If I put less pressure on it, it falls out of the fabric altogether. Enough pressure to keep it in the sandwich without falling out is enough to make it take too big a stitch. What do you all do to counteract the problem? I've also noticed that the thicker the batting, the more noticeable the problem. It isn't just that a thicker batt makes larger stitches, it also makes even more unevenness in the first stitch. It is least visible on a very thin polyester batt like Mountain Mist Quilt-Lite, but this is Maine and I want warm batting!! I can deal with fewer stitches per inch in exchange for a thicker batt, but I still want the stitches even. Any ideas?
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
Don't try to rock the needle for the first stitch or three. Push the needle thru to the back, pull the thread taut, needle up exactly where you want it & pull the thread taut. When I come up from the back I angle the needle enough to have the next visible top stitch properly positioned. You may want to make two or three stitches really slow like that. That should help u get started and now you've pulled the sandwich together enough to make subsequent stitching easier. Hope that was helpful! Have fun!!!
Grishko, I have that problem too so can't give you any advice.
toryam, thanks for your suggestion. But I understood her to mean the first stitch of each needleful, not the first stitch of a whole line of quilting, which seems to be the problem you are addressing.
I've had the very same problem. I know exactly what you're talking about, but I have never found a solution for it. I'll be watching this thread closely to see if anyone else knows.
Just wanted you to know that I know what you're talking about and sympathize!
my great gran taught me to always come up from the bottom or end each needle with the down stroke so I could always come up where I wanted/needed to be and to only push my needle up and through as far/big as I wanted my next stitch to be...before loading the needle...if that makes sense...it's easier to demonstrate then type...
" Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.. "
Posts: 6805 | Location: "Across the ocean blue amongst the wildflower's & honeydews" | Registered: Aug 17, 2008
That's right pvillelou, the 1st stitch of each needleful. Since I usually load 4-5 stitches on the needle before pulling the thread through, it means every 5th or 6th stitch is longer than the others. I was thinking today that maybe if when I stab the needle in the sandwich for the first stitch, if I angle it backwards (towards the hand that is holding it) by about 45 degrees, then when I lay the needle back to come back up through the sandwich the tip will meet with more resistence from the batting and fabric as it sweeps foreward. Maybe that would be enough to keep it from sliding in to far. Have any of you tried that? Hopefully I'll have time to give it a try tonight and let you know if it helps.
Kentucky Sunshine-- You mean you are loading your needle from the back of the quilt rather than the front? I'm not sure I could do that-- I'm not that coordinated!
I've found that I have better control of that first stitch if my quilt is held very taut in the hoop, but then I don't get that good rocking motion, so stacking the stitches and the evenness of the stitches suffers. The looser the quilt is in the hoop the easier it is to stack tiny even stitches on the needle, but the harder it is to control the 1st stitch. Seems like we shouldn't have to choose the lesser of 2 evils, we should be able to have it all!
And while we're on the subject, do you find it easier to stack multiple stitches on a shorter needle like a betweens or a longer like a sharps? I've been using sharps #9, but after 4 stitches it starts to get an alarming bend when I bring it back upright to take another stitch. I'm just waiting for it to snap and hit me in the eye!! I'm wondering if a shorter needle would make it less likely to bend. I know I had a pack of betweens somewhere around here that I could experiment with, but they could be hiding anywhere in that mess of a sewing room!
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
Have you tried Georgia Bonesteel's instructions in lap quilting?? She has some good instructions. When I hand quilt, I do not worry about my stitches being even. I am also not making a quilt for the purpose of entering it in some contest. I like quilting because it brings me peace of mind. When you give a guilt that you have made to someone, they do not go through it to find your mistakes......well at least the people I give my quilts to don't do that. Maybe a quilt diva might!! LOL. To me quilting is not an art of perfection....but there are those who have to have it perfect....I do not. I think an imperfect piece that YOU stitched is art in itself...regardless of what you think isn't right. Sometimes your flops turn out better than you think......to others!! I lap quilt, using 100% cotton batting because, to me, it is warmer than polyester. I do not use a hoop. I baste and then quilt. Most people, when seeing your work are just amazed at what you have done!!
Posts: 29 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: Jan 03, 2013
A woman in my quilt guild just wrote a hand quilting book...stab stitching. She has taught many of us in private. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-...Stitch/dp/0982688164 It is an excellent book and the process and hints she teaches are great.
I just remembered something that one of my aunts did to avoid this problem. She would put the needle down behind where it came up last then when that first stitch was too long it would be coming up right where she wanted it. I've tried to do this but I get a couple of stitches that are too close together (the last one from the previous needleful and the first of the new needleful). I suppose we need to try every suggestion we can find to see what works for each of us - or just accept the fact that we will have one stitch out of every 5 or 6 that is longer.
ssw50, I totally agree with what you are saying - but I still have a tendency to want my stitching to improve.
Well, this quilt won't be for a contest, it is for my daughter who would love it even if it were held together with staples. I just want to address the uneven stitch issue for ME, not for anyone else. I find quilting very peaceful and relaxing, but I get additional happiness from it if I feel I did a good job, or at least feel as though I am always learning and improving. Anyone looking at the sloppy points in the quilt would know that I'm not exactly a great perfectionist, but I would like to improve in areas where I can. After making more than half the blocks on this quilt I figured out how to make my points better, but I didn't go back and redo the first half. I like to feel that with each project I learn something new or improve on something. It is part of the appeal for me. To each his/her own!
I've never tried lap quilting without a hoop or frame. I have a friend who did that with a quilt and really liked it, but I haven't tried it yet. Maybe on the next one!
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
pvillelou, that sounds like a good idea to try. As long as I'm just playing, I might as well try several things!
I found my package of betweens-- it was actually were it belonged! That practically NEVER happens at my house! So I think I'll play around with that too.
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
Thanks Irish, that book looks good. I sometimes stab stitch when I go over bulky seams, but I wouldn't say I was good at it. I really like the Amazon "peek inside" feature. I loved the white wholecloth quilt she has on the back cover of the book!
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
I always use a between. Number 12 if I can get the thread through the eye or number 10 otherwise. (I've been known to bend even those little needles!)
I think you might be starting too far away from your initial thread pull-through. You only want to start your stitching 2 or 3 threads ahead of where your thread exits the fabric. And be sure your top is loose enough in the hoop so you can really rock that needle.
Sometimes I laugh so hard tears run down my leg! Lois
I agree with Lois. I try to position my needle a stitch length away. My problem is the space between the first and second stitch. To counteract that, I put my needle in at an angle, so the needlepoint is going towards the stitches I've already made. I keep the tension fairly loose so I can rock, and I use my thumb to create a hill of fabric.
And if that doesn't work, I stop worrying about it. Most of the time no one but me notices anyway.
I have done a couple quilts by hand and have done the uneven "big stitch quilting". And ya know, they are everyone's favorite quilts. I have one that hangs on the wall in my living room and no one has said a negative thing about the quilting.
I agree, unless it is for a contest, let it go and go at it!
Something else that occurred to me was that you might try a different needle, particularly since you're using a sharp. I use betweens, and I find that some needles are easier for me to use than others. The good ones make me feel like I'm in control of the needle, the bad ones slip through the sandwich and into my finger!
Originally posted by stillsuzzz: I have done a couple quilts by hand and have done the uneven "big stitch quilting". And ya know, they are everyone's favorite quilts. I have one that hangs on the wall in my living room and no one has said a negative thing about the quilting.
I agree, unless it is for a contest, let it go and go at it!
I agree, Big Stitch is so forgiving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." -Confucius ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ https://picasaweb.google.com/home
My Big Stitch keeps getting smaller and smaller! I'm finally doing a stitch that's 1/2way inbetween...bigger on the top than the back. Even though it's chunky, it's even. I haven't mastered the rocking thing yet. Isn't there a master quilter book out there where she does something with her thumb and toward her, rather than away? More control?
I usually just take off my glasses and muddle through. i feel grateful I just got something together for a change.
"It's bad to supress laughter. It goes back down and spreads to your hips."
Posts: 7519 | Location: California | Registered: Sep 02, 2003
That is exactly my problem Janet, I guess I was unclear. The part that is too long is the space between. I have no problem putting my needle in the fabric in the correct place, but when I angle the eye of the needle back in order for the pointy part to come back up through the sandwich, THAT's when it slides in too far. So instead of the needle coming up where you want it so that the stitches and the spaces are the same length, the first space is too long. Looking from the back of the quilt, the thread length is too long. On the top it looks like this - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I guess I called it the first stitch because whether the thread shows on the top of the quilt or the back, it is still a stitch. But I can see how that made it confusing. Sorry!!
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
I don't know if these things work, but I've just bought an Under Thimble and pads. It sticks on the fingertip of the under-quilt hand. I'm hoping it will help to push the needle point back up before it goes too far along.
She mentions the problem of getting a too big first stitch, and she tries to correct it by taking a half stitch instead of a full stitch. Then she uses an Aunt Becky finger protector to place the next stitches on the needle.
Grishko, I wish I could sit with you and see what you're doing. I think if you keep the sandwich tension a little loose and try some different needles you might be happier with the results. This is supposed to be fun and relaxing, and I'll bet your stitches are really fine - we're always our own worst critics.
For anyone who loves hand quilting, there is a blog called "Celebrate Hand Quiling," http://celebratehandquilting.blogspot.com/ There is a very active Facebook group associated with it - lots of fun and pictures.
Very interesting/timely topic as I've got a project to hand quilt.
Have only done one sampler, using betweens (as taught at the LQS) - tried stabbing (didn't know that was an actual quilting term - thought it was something I just did to try for a better stitch/space length ) and the stacking/rocking method; used a lap hoop, a stand hoop, and no hoop. Couldn't find a comfortable way to do that sampler - so can't predict what's going to happen with a large quilt.
Know there have been discussions on this in the past and everytime I learn something. Now if only I could put it into practice! Just watched the Winning Stitches video - WOW - what stitches!
Um, really like that hoop that stands up off the lap - think that would make a BIG difference in handling the quilt. See a purchase coming up.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Elainetoo,
Posts: 7495 | Location: Northeast | Registered: Nov 18, 2005
I never tried Milliner's needles for quilting. I know the size 11 bend when I use them for applique; I use a size 10 for applique. I think the size 8 or 9 would be sturdy enough not to bend. If you use a thimble on your middle finger to push the end of the needle, the length of the milliner's needles might be a problem.
Posts: 4134 | Location: Maryland | Registered: Jun 14, 2006
I think the Thimblelady in Australia uses longer than usual needles. Her work is incredible, and the key is that she puts virtually no tension on the quilt sandwich.
I thought my sandwich was plenty loose in the hoop, but I decided to try loosening it even more than usual and switched from a #9 sharps to a #11 betweens and went from 7-8 stitches per inch to 10 stitches per inch in the first 5 minutes!! I am a happy girl!! The stitches are now small enough that the longer space is hardly noticable. I also switched from Coats glazed cotton quilting thread to YLI glazed cotton quilting thread. The owner of the quilt store said that Mark Lipinsky had recommended it for handquilting and she had a lot of quilters switch based on that. She said that most of them reported liking it better. I don't know that it helped improve the stitching, but it sure is easier to thread that itty bitty needle! That was on Mountain Mist Quilt-Lite poly batt. Today I'm going to try the new needle and looser hoop on the Quilter's Dream cotton batt and see how it looks. The batt is thin and soft, but feels more dense that the Quilt-Lite.
I did find it more difficult to pull the smaller needle through the sandwich after the stitches were stacked. I couldn't get a good grip on it because it was so short. I had to use the round rubber needle puller thingy.
Posts: 771 | Location: Central Maine | Registered: Oct 09, 2006
I'm glad things are going better. I usually need that rubber disk when I pull my needle through. I also use Lickety Grip on the fingers I use to pull the needle - that helps me get a grip when I don't grab the rubber thingy first.
I've used the YLI for a long time. It helps to cut it at an angle when threading the needle.
