I quilt on a round frame, but will try a square one next time. I do both the stab stitch, and a version of the rocking stitch, not real happy with it. I also do some quilting without a frame of any kind (Lap quilting???) Doing a running stitch.
I have worked on different frames, a floor frame - No basting type - on a small round frame 14" to 16", doing mostly stab stitching.
I do not quilt any big quilts anymore.

Margarita in Auburn, CA

Amoret wrote:
Sue doesn't always have time to moniter the forums (bizzy quilting???) but I did ask her about the chair she uses. She said that she just sits "in anything that is around – a kitchen chair, a sofa, a desk chair – I just like it to be a comfy height relative to the frame!"
Like everything else in quilting....you just have to try several things and use what works for you!

I stab-stitch also and don't have a problem. I put my left hand on top so I can see what it is doing--right on bottom since I have more control of it--and away I go.

Stab-stitching. Ouch! How painful. How long would it take to do a king size quilt this way and how many quilts do you hand quilt in a year? How do you know if the needle is coming up in the correct location on the back side? I've tried all ways of hand quilting from frames to lap, stab-stitching and rocking, mostly using a bandaid for a thimble so I truly do get stabbed. I still prefer longarm quilting by checkbook and only hand quilt when absolutely necessary. That way I can get more pieced. Thanks for all of the quilting tips.

But what about seating?

I'm still a bit new to hand quilting and have mainly done quilt as you go in the lap. I like this because I can curl up on the sofa and listen to the TV. If you have a floor frame, do you have an upright chair, a typists chair or a more comfortable chair with the frame adjusted to it?

With the amount of time you spend at the frame I should think this is very important. I have chest pains and neck ache from a short time on the sewing machine let alone hovering over a frame!!

Hi all --
JoJo asked how I do my hand quilting. There are a ton of different sizes and shapes of frames that can be used, but I prefer two different frames. One is a "square" wooden frame on a stand (made by Grace) and the other is a large (about 24 x 36") PVC pipe floor frame (made by Q-Snap). I like floor frames because the frame itself sits parallel to the floor. That's important because I'm a stab-stitcher -- I insert my needle from the top with my right hand, pick it up underneath with my left hand, and push it back through to the top -- with every stitch leaving the needle totally perpendicular to the floor. As a stab stitcher, knowing what is perpendicular is important because it gives me evenly spaced stitches on both the top and the bottom. Yes, I've tried the rocking stitch and taken classes from just about every well-known teacher... and I just can't seem to get it! I equate it to choosing Macs or PCs: once you learn one, you have to have a lobotomy before you can switch and be happy. It's silly, I know, but... that's life!

I like square/rectangular frames because the quilt is not distorted by being pulled diagonally across the frame. I believe that one of the reasons my hand-quilted quilts have all turned out as flat as pancakes when done, with no warping or waving, is because the large flat frames do not distort the quilt. And I also like the large floor frames because I can quilt large, large areas without having to move the quilt (and because I stab stitch, I don't have to worry about which direction I'm quilting in, so I don't have to turn the frame around).

When I have to travel to a bee or out of town, I sometimes take a smaller (17x17") Q-Snap frame to use because it can be disassembled and easily put in a bag or suitcase -- they are not ideal for quilting, though, because the "snaps" (U-shaped tubes) are smaller and if the batting has much thickness to it, the snaps pop off once in a while.

I hope that answers a few more questions -- happy quilting, everyone!
Sue

Sue, the batting "toilet paper" was so funny! Aren't grandchildren just the greatest?!!!!! Thank you so much, too, for the lovely patterns you've given us--I've had alot of fun and enjoyment from them, and I'll get them quilted and posted one of these days. Judy Mc aka Judy in Torrance

SusanH wrote:
Sue,

On the quilts that you quilt by hand, would you please tell me your preferred method. Do you put the quilt in a floor frame, a hoop that you hold in your hand or affix to a floor holder, or quilt without any hoops/frames?

Thanks so much.

JoJo

Sue, Thanks SO much for taking the time to post your thoughts on quilting the BOM! Your insight is invaluable, and your willingness to share it with all of us is a real gift. I have requested elsewhere that our TQS techie gurus extend the bookmarking heart feature to the forum so posts like yours can be easily retrieved...I hope it's possible, because I really want to bookmark it! Thanks again for all you bring to this site! Nancy

Since I quilt on a longarm and I don't have feed dogs, I don't like stitch in the ditch (SID) very much. But I do use techniques like continuous curves and line dancing to basically do the same thing as SID.
That's really the only thing I do differently.

Sue, I went to your blog and your quilts are phenomenal! Hugs and Kisses looks a little intimidating but since I want to improve my applique, especially with points, it looks like that's the one I'm going to choose.
eileenkny

I was quilting a small wall quilt yesterday. After I had done some fancy stitches in the plain blocks, I stitched in the ditch around the central medallion, and it did make it "pop" out! I'm a believer!

Maggie in E. Central Illinois

Your thoughts on pattern choice, density, and style were valuable and a resource I will keep nearby as I continue to grow in quilting. Two years of BOM"s have improved my skills significantly and I do appreciate you taking the time to write. Dot

If you need inspiration to get started on one of the BOMs for next year, check out the photos that Sue has on her blog! The quilting is beautiful!

http://suegarman.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the tips, and the laugh, Sue.