Hand sewn or sewing machine?

I am a beginner in quilting and I haven't really got to far in making one, just have my blocks cut out. Before I start putting my blocks together which is better on making a quilt, hand sewn or a sewing machine?

Reply to
sbeep
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Definitely the one you enjoy more is the better one!

Reply to
Kathy Applebaum

If you know how to hand sew very, very well, I'd say do whichever you feel like. But if you are new to hand sewing, you should probably practice on something else if for no other reason than to get the tension right (not too loose, not too tight). Handsewing incorrectly can cause the quilt to fall apart and be less durable (or one of those things that you are forever putting back together).

R> I am a beginner in quilting and I haven't really got to far in making

Reply to
Ronnie Wexler

depends on why you're quilting.

If you want a take with you hobby, then hand sewing is the way to go. If you hand sew your blocks, you can take them travelling, waiting in dr's offices, etc.

If you are taking up quilting for a relaxing, slow thing to do, again, hand piecing is your way to go.

If you want to complete your quilts at a more rapid pace, you'll have to opt for machine sewing. Using your machine, you can complete a top very quickly.

Personally, I machine sew my tops and hand quilt them but I do have a hand piecing project ( a very, very long term project) to take places.

Reply to
Marijke

Im going to say that neither is better than the other. Each has qualitys that make it better for you than the other one. A hand pieced project is a more portable project...but slower. A machine pieced project is not the one you want to take the the Doctors office to work on while you wait, but it will be made up a bit faster. ( ya, I know there are those of you who can hand piece as fast as a machine. More power to ya!) These are just some of the things you consider when deciding whether to hand or machine piece. HTH, Diana

Reply to
Diana Curtis

depends...quilt in a day....machine. quilt for a lifetime....with meaning....hand. quilt in a hurry with that hand touch...machine piece--hand quilt. I have done all of these. mostly I like my hand stitching better...as it is better for me...its my 'de-stressor' and its small and portable until you do your completion. Current project must be done in a month from now....machine piecing..hand tying, and a minimal of quilting is the way I am going to go, cuz its my daughters 'college-going' gift....something to remind her that when college is done...home awaits. she is going to school 4 hours away....that's kinda my way of saying don't go a few states away, but if you do....remember the love this thing took to make. which is why at least some of it has to be done by hand. I also made her some hand knit socks in a pattern she didn't even know she was picking out for herself...she said 'ooooooooo who's lucky enough to get those?' I said 'what you kidding....I'm not making for you, it will take forever' (which it did....but that's part of the surprise) and 56 cents. (penny for her thoughts, quarters for a call, and all of her mommy's love)

so it depends. if you are making it for love....hand it somewhere. for utilitarian purposes, ex: keeping very warm, cold winter, and low budget....machine the thing.

peepla

Reply to
Lakaya M. Peeples

Neither - they are just different!

Some people machine piece (put the blocks together) and hand quilt (the lines of stitching that hold the layers together).

Some people do as much as possible by machine (like me!). This is the way to go if you are a speed freak!

Some people do the whole thing by hand.

There are some who machine quilt some bits and hand quilt others on the same quilt...

Each to their own! :)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

Whatever satisfies you more.

*YOU* will be making it. Not me. It's absolutely none of my business to judge how you sew it.

My mother always does her quilts entirely by hand. She'd make one a year- piece all summer, quilt all winter. I like to machine piece everything but the curves or applique, and then quilt by hand. I've seen entirely machine done quilts that I've admired a great deal.

Skill is always appreciated, regardless of the method.

-georg

Reply to
georg

Piggybacking here. I used to hand sew all my quilts before I got an old machine, now I am machine piecing and hand quilting, or hand piecing and hand quiliting. Love goes in however we make the quilt. Except for my DH's quilt - it's hate going in there! Well maybe a bit of love. Just a bit.

Reply to
Sharon Harper

If you don't own a machine, then hand sewn is probably better at least until you buy one. If you have a machine, try both ways and see which you like better for your project.

I usually have several projects going, including one hand-piecing so there's something to take along on the train, to doctor appointments etc. If the block has lots of short fiddly seams (and no deadline), it's a good candidate for hand piecing. Blocks with big pieces that can be strip pieced and chain sewn are just begging to go through the machine. Roberta in D

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

I'm sorry to see people are that judgemental. This may be the way you see

*your* quilts, but because someone is a machine quilter (I am not, but that doesn't matter) doesn't mean they put any less love into their quilt than I do with my handquilting. I've made a quilt by hand that had NO love in it at all (I called it an obigation quilt) but, does it make it any better than if someone had MQed it? I doubt it. I didn't like that quilt from beginning to end, but it was hand quilted.

Quilt in a hurry if I machine piece? How about, the only way the quilt will get done if I machine piece?

As non-judgemental as possible, Marijke

Reply to
Marijke

What comes easier to you ? I personally do all machine sewing but that is only because I can't fiddle with needles for long periods of times as my left and right hand don't always want to co ordinate.

Reply to
jules

Reply to
taria

I've made lots of quilts for family, made by machine, all made with love. My hands don't allow me to do that much hand work. According to your criteria - since I made all my quilts by machine they didn't have any love in them. Not true!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to
Donna in Idaho

'college-going'

Reply to
Shelly

I will NOT quit quilting just cause I can't DO by hand (nope, not even a button). I'm just very very pleased that I can USE the SM once again : ) Seems like my 'to do for' list is longer NOW than it has ever been ; ) Do have a Pro Quilter that does my quilting--more than ONE way to do a quilt.

Butterfly (IT's a QUILT and it's f> I've made lots of quilts for family, made by machine, all made with love.

Reply to
Butterfly

Reply to
taria

You know how it is these days - time = money and money = love. At least that's what a lot of folks think these days.

R> I would think unless you walk or ride the wagon or horse into

Reply to
Ronnie Wexler

Thats the point where your DH gets to go back to the person and admit red faced that dear Wife doesnt work that cheaply after all, that he misunderstood, and if they still want a quilt it will cost them XXX dollars. DH wouldnt make same mistake twice, LOL! Diana

Reply to
Diana Curtis

No, no, youre being far to modest here. That was worthy of applause. Sniff, its so wonderful when they grow up isnt it LN? Diana, who has no quilts to send..sorry.. I dont do quilts for anything but love...

Reply to
Diana Curtis

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