How true. I find I have developed very, very thick callous on both the end of my middle LEFT hand and on my thumb of RIGHT hand and both the index and middle of RIGHT hand. They periodically get 'peeled' and are tender for a few days, then back to normal use. I find I use my nail file to 'file' my fingertips as much as my nails. They just get so rough! Maybe that's another reason to swith to machine work!

Whether you quilt in a hoop or on your lap will make a difference to the look and feel of a hand quilted peice - but the advice of of stab stitching through seams is the way to go which ever way you like to to quilt. Always protect the 'under finger' as it will become very sore and may bleed and spoil your work - don't ask how I know this.... .....you can use sticky plastic finger protectors or a thimble specially made for the job or just the one out of Grandma's sewing box - just use something! If you use a metal thimble your needle will need changing regulary as it will blunt quicker.

Haayyyy, that is a great idea also!

Sometimes, I find that a careful backstitch will help over those seams to fill in to get the even stitches. No one will ever know!

Thank you so much for the advice.....I'm surely not trying for show quality at this time, but I would like the quilting to be the best it can be at my current level of experience. Plus I don't want to practice BAD HABITS, I'm always looking to see if there is a better or easier way.

I know that hand piecing and quilting is not dying out and maybe making a comeback, but not in my area.....I have contacted every store in a two hour radius and have only found one that offers classes and/or has anyone on staff with experience. I'm going to try to put a post in my next guild newletter...maybe someone local is experienced and would like to share her/his expertise.

At this point I'm just glad everyone is willing to help and I'm working through the seams in a common/acceptable way!

My advice is don't even try to do the rocking stitch over the seams - just do the stab up and down through the seam, but try, try to make the stab stitches the same size and distance apart as your rocking stitches. They're going to look a little funny to you because they're going to "sit" on top of the fabric more, but after you've practiced a bit, they'll get better.

When I can, I plan my quilting to avoid corners where multiple seams come together - when I can't I just remember that people aren't going to examine the quilt with a magnifying glass and when I step back and look at the entire quilt I'm usually satisfied that I did my best.

Ditto.

I'm new to hand quilting...I have hand quilted on a few practice projects to improve my stitches and test batting, thread, etc. I have also completed one 12 x 12 hand pieced block that I then hand quilted.

I am just starting into my first "real" hand quilting project....a wall hanging about 30x40. I hand pieced the top and now I've started my hand quilting I love the process! However I'm having a impossible time with the rocking stitch over the seams and have gone to needle down, pull through, needle up, pull through.

Should I be able to use the rocking stitch at all time, even over the seams? Or should I have prepared my top differently for hand quilting, like maybe pressing all seams open (to limit bulk)? Or maybe all is well and that is how it is done?

Any advice would be great....