Quiltspiration

Hand quilting

Hand quilting is a running stitch through all three layers, made a few stitches at a time with a short needle. Beginners usually make 5 to 7 stitches an inch, counted on top; even stitches matter more than small ones.

You need hand quilting thread (a glazed cotton that doesn't tangle), a between needle in size 9 to 12, a thimble for the middle finger of your sewing hand, and a hoop or frame to hold the layers smooth but not drum-tight.

By Editorial Staff

The stitch

  1. Thread an 18" length and tie a small knot in the end. Go in through the top about 1" from where you want to start, run the needle through the batting, and come up at the start. Tug gently and the knot pops through the top and lodges in the batting, out of sight.

    Cross-section: the needle going in through the top, through the batting, and up; the knot pulled into the batting

  2. Rock the needle: push it straight down with the thimble until you feel the tip with a finger underneath, tilt it up to come back through the top, and load three or four stitches on the needle before pulling the thread through. The stitches go through all three layers and show on the back too.

    Cross-section of running stitches through the top, batting and backing

  3. To end, tie a knot close to the fabric, take one stitch into the batting, and pop the knot through as you did at the start. Clip the thread at the surface so the tail sinks in.

Mark the design first with a hera marker or a chalk pencil, or follow the seams by eye. The traditional designs are on hand quilting patterns, each with how many feet of stitching it takes.

Plan your next quilt in your own fabric

Quiltspiration draws any pattern in the fabric you own and works out the cut list for any size.