I am a traditional hand quilter. I have a beautiful full-size frame that my husband made me years ago, as well as several hoops on stands and different sizes of lap hoops. I love them all!
I also have a Pfaff Grand Quilter Hobby 1200 on a Next Generation frame that I purchased a few years ago. I love the machine, but can do without the frame. If you are interested in a frame, contact me and it could be yours! I am not a machine quilter. It’s just not who I am.
Machine quilting my quilts would certainly get them finished faster! But for me, speed is not the issue. In fact, it goes against the main reason why I quilt! I love the quiet of quilting. I enjoy sitting in my chair, taking one little stitch after another. I like to use my hands, and in doing so, my brain relaxes, along with most other muscles in my body. It is a beautiful, peaceful time to meditate or talk with my family, or listen to television or stereo or my iPod. It is “me time.” And I’m not willing to give that up for speed. It surprises many people when I tell them that most of my quilt tops are also made by hand. Not all of them, but most of them.
The hardest part about hand quilting? Finding good hand quilting supplies, and finding quilt shop owners who appreciate hand quilting, and aren’t afraid to talk about it!
If you are a hand quilter, please join the Facebook group Celebrate Hand Quilting. We have over 6,000 members from all over the world who are fun, thoughtful, helpful and oh so talented!
Thanks to Amy for hosting yet another great Blogger’s Quilt Festival, and for including hand quilters in the mix.
We are alive and kicking!
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Gorgeous quilt Caron! Thanks for all your work promoting hand quilting and being our fearless leader in the Celebrate Hand Quilting Group!
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Not only a hand quilter but an INSPIRATION to hand quilters everywhere! 🙂 Such a beautiful quilt and quilting and love the post 🙂
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wonderful! I need to get my post ready
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Beautiful quilt, Caron and a beautifully written, on point, post.
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Thank you!!! It comes from the heart…
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Nice work ! So glad we don't have to choose, and can do whichever makes us happy at the time. I adore them both….hand and machine-quilting (of course, I do admit that no quilt feels as soft as a HAND-QUILTED quilt)
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This is so beautiful! Fantastic!
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You speak for all of us hand quilters out there, Caron! Beautiful quilt as well. I've just posted my quilt … it won't compare, but I don't care … the quilt I submitted means more to me than thousands of AQS Quilt Show winners!
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You do gorgeous work and I'm glad there are some out there keeping the hand quilting art alive. I enjoy hand quilting but it takes so long so I have my larger quilts done by a long arm quilter now. I'm a former Michigander, but relocated and now a Jersey Girl.
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Beautiful work, and I completely agree with your feelings about the relaxation that hand quilting brings.
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Gorgeous work – and though I do most of my work by machine, I'd had to see handwork fall by the wayside. Please keep advocating for it!
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what beautiful quilting!
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my sentiments exactly! your quilt is beautiful!
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