How to Hand Quilt (An Overview)
While I have definitely embraced the speed of the machine when it comes to patchwork piecing, hand quilting will always be my favorite method of quilting! I just love curling up on my couch while stitching away.
The first rule to hand quilting is to remember to be comfortable. Make sure you’re able to keep your shoulders relaxed and your hands comfy while stitching. Maybe you find using a thimble more comfortable (I don’t), maybe your couch works for you, or maybe you like stitching at a table, maybe a shorter needle allows you to get smaller stitches, or you like a longer one. Don’t forget that your body is not a machine and different tools will work better for you than for someone else!
Now, with that PSA out of the way, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts.
Materials
Basted quilt sandwich (I’d suggest thread basting this)
Needle (for big stitch, use a needle with an eye that will fit the thread without tearing (I like a sashiko needle)
Thread (for big stitch quilting, I like 12-wt or perle cotton thread; for traditional quilting, I like to use 50-wt or quilting thread)
Thread Snips
Beeswax/Thread Gloss (optional)
Quilting hoop (optional, just make sure it isn’t an embroidery hoop as that won’t be sturdy enough)
A note on needle and thread: the size of your needle will change depending on what kind of thread you are using. The rule of thumb with needles is that you want to use the needle that is going to create the least amount of friction. This holds true for the actual act of sewing as well as for when you are threading the needle. Aka you don’t want to force the thread through an eye of the needle that is too small. If you’re doing more traditional quilting, your best bet is a nice, short, and sharp needle. Sometimes these are labeled as “quilting needling” sometimes they’re labeled as “Betweens”. I like to think of them as a supercharged generic Sharps needle (aka the generic needle that you’d use for hand piecing, kinda like what comes in a sewing kit): the shorter length of the quilting needle allows for quick and even stitches and glides through all three layers of the quilt sandwich with minimal resistance. I usually like to use a longer Quilting needle (typically a size 7 or 8), but if I’ve been hand stitching a lot and am in good hand-quilting “shape”, I’ll use a shorter needle size 10.
Now, if you’re looking to have some fun playing with some big stitch quilting , I’d suggest picking up a needle with a larger eye to accommodate the heavier thread. An embroidery needle is one option to try. For me, I’ve found a Sashiko needle works well. It’s sharp, it’s sturdy and super stiff, and it’s easy to thread.
Working with a quilting hoop is definitely not a requirement when hand quilting but it’s my personal preference as that is how I learned to quilt. I find the hoop helps me work my way across the quilt top while keeping the tension of the quilt top uniform. And it makes it easier to work in the center of the quilt as I’m not having to deal with holding the excess bulk of the quilt.
Side note, quilting hoops are not embroidery hoops: they’re typically made of wood and are incredibly sturdy in order to manage the weight and bulk of the quilt! My go-to size is a 14” diameter hoop. And here is a embroidery hoop for comparison: you can see how much larger and heavier the quilting hoop is.
One last note about hand quilting: never leave the quilt in the hoop when you’re not working on it! If left in, it can easily crease the quilt which is something you’ll want to avoid.
If you’re curious about my favorite hand quilting tools, check out this buyer’s guide here.
How to Hand Quilt
Get comfy! I personally like to sit in the corner of my couch, with a mountain of pillows around me to support my elbows as well as the quilt. This allows me to keep my shoulders and arms nice and relaxed as I stitch, and my back is nice and supported. Find a spot that works best for you!
Cut a length of your thread (~18” or the length of your fingertips to your elbow)
If you’re using thread gloss or beeswax, now is the time to condition your thread so it glides through all three layers of the quilt. To do so, start with the end of the thread that came off the spool first and just pull the length of thread between your thumb and the tin of gloss.
Thread the needle as you normally would and knot it with a single knot (if I am working with a thinner weight thread, sometimes I will double knot it if the knot keeps popping out in the next step). I like to leave a ⅕” tail, so that if the stitching pops out down the road, I can easily make a new knot and rebury it (this hasn’t ever happened yet, but I like feeling prepared). Just don’t pull the knot super tight as it can become too small and will pop through the quilt!
Starting from the center of the quilt, you’re going to quilt outwards (I typically work in chunks spiraling out from the center). Start your stitch about an half inch to an inch away from the start of your quilting line. Do not go through all three layers, just through the top and a little bit into the batting, bringing your needle to the top where your quilting will start. Gently “pop” the knot through the top fabric. If your thread tail doesn’t go all the way through, just use your needle to gently pull it through to under the quilt top.
Stitch as normally, aiming for 3-5 stitches per inch (if you’re using heavier thread, the number of stitches you get per inch might decrease; the opposite holds true if you’re stitching with a 50-wt thread).
When it comes time to knot off, make your knot about ¼” from the end of your stitching and bury your knot at the end of your final stitch by “burying” the knot under the quilt top layer (don’t go through all three layers!) just like you did at the beginning of the thread.
Cut your thread leaving about a 1-2” tail and using your needle, pull it back into the quilt sandwich as necessary.
Continue stitching until you’ve completed your quilting pattern! Note: if I’m being very careful, sometimes I will make my final stitch on the underside so that there isn’t a “gap” between when I stop and start a thread, but that’s if I’m only being very careful! Typically I’m not too worried about someone noticing the changes between threads on the back of the quilt!
But, don’t forget to take breaks and stretch!
Note: if you’re working on a smaller piece and stitching edge to edge instead of from the center out, or once you get to the edges, you can leave your knots and thread tails topside, just make sure that they are within a ¼” of the edge of the quilt top: you’ll just hide these under the binding when you’re done!
Next Steps
Once your quilt is quilted, it’s time to finish it up: read more about how to bind your quilt, starting here.