Hand Quilting Verses Machine Quilting

In our grandmother's day, most quilts were made completely by hand. A group of ladies would sometimes get together for a "quilting bee." Today's quilter does not always have the advantage of having that extra help in finishing her project. Most sewing machines today come with a special pressure foot to make machine quilting easier, and in most cases, using your sewing machine is faster than by hand. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. Here are some things you may want to consider when deciding which method is right for you.

The time required for hand quilting will be one of your main considerations. Hand quilting will take much more time than doing your project on your sewing machine. If you have a deadline to complete your project, hand quilting will not be the best choice.

Space is another factor to consider. If you chose to hand quilt, you will certainly not be able to complete the process in one day. You will need space to set up your frames and leave them until you have finished putting in the last stitch. Whereas, if you are using your sewing machine, and need to put it aside for a while, you can fold the quilt up without taking much storage space.

If your pieces have curves to follow, you may want to consider doing those by hand. Following any curves of the pieces with hand stitches gives a beautiful look to your quilt.

It is important to actually enjoy what you are doing if you decide to quilt by hand. If you don't, you will probably not be motivated to work on your beautiful project as often, which means it will take a lot longer to complete.

The amount of use the quilt will get is important to consider. Many quilts today are made for decoration and don't get a lot of use. Even though a hand quilting can be very durable, for a lot of use, machine quilting may be more practical.

If you want a traditional quilt that can be considered an heirloom, you will probably want to make it entirely by hand.

Your beautiful stitches will show up better on solid colors. If most of your quilt top is solid colors, hand stitching will stand out much nicer.

If you feel experienced in both methods, you can chose to use a combination of hand and machine quilting. This, of course, will depend on the pattern of the quilt top. Some patterns may be enhanced by a little of both.

Since this will be your own unique creation, it is your choice to decide if you would like to hand quilt or quilt it on your sewing machine. Of course, to own a quilt that is made completely by hand is special. However, there are times when we want to create a beautiful handmade quilt, but the process of hand quilting is too time consuming. Above all, you should personally be happy with the final project. Whether you chose to hand quilt or do your quilting on a sewing machine, your finished product will be something you are proud to own or give as a gift to a special.