Quilting: Hand vs Machine

So this week is the lesson that our teacher had told us to be wary of since the very beginning. For those of us who were dreading hand applique, she said for sure we would not like this. It's hand quilting. And, she was right. One woman in class even just abandoned the lesson all together and went with her own technique for quilting with a needle in thread.

You'd think you just go up and down with the needle...in and out, in and out. Oh, no. Of course not. Quilters have figured out a way to make even this seemingly simple task difficult. Quilters use a rock and roll hand quilting technique that allows them to get more stitches done faster. The problem for beginners is that it's very difficult to get them all spaced perfectly each and every time.

Here's how I did with it...

Hand quilting over a stencil.

See the stitches on the "wings" at the top?? Yea. That took me an hour. No bueno.

Wanna see what it looks like when it's done right??

Hand quilting by Andi Perejda.

Freaking stunning, right?

So, all in all I'd say that learning (and perfecting) and hand quilting technique would be worth it if you have the time and patience. This girl (pointing at myself) does not!

Thankfully, next week we'll be tackling machine quilting which is much more my speed (pun intended).

Stay tuned for next week's blog, too, as I'll have my entire quilt top completely done! Eek! I've got a lot of measuring and cutting to do, but I can't wait to see it all done. Oh, and I also changed my sashing...again. But, this time I'm truly in love!

Hope Chest Floral. $10.90/yard

This is the Hope Chest Floral by Blend Fabrics. It's hard to tell on it's on but you have to trust me that it looks amazing as a back drop for the rest of my blocks. You'll just have to check back next week to see it all together.

Need to catch up on the whole series? Check out previous posts by clicking on the titles below.

Week One: Beginner Quilting
Week Two: Stripping and Half-square Triangles
Week Three: Hand Applique
Week Four: Final Two Blocks