Do You Big- Stitch?

Once again I am behind on blogging. I am spending most of my time working on the next book and some magazine work. That doesn't leave much to blog about. So, I thought I would do a quick post on Big Stitch quilting. I get alot of questions on this subject. I am currently working on quilting a quilt using traditional quilting methods and big stitching this quilt. I love both equally.

When I first started making quilts many moons ago, I began by hand quilting tops that were made by my grandmother. I fell in love with the process. It is so relaxing and there is something satisfying about feeling those three layers become a quilt.

Big Stitch is done in the same manner as fine quilting with just a couple of differences in supplies.

Your quilt still needs three layers basted together. I am often asked about batting- I use either Hobbs 80/20 or Hobbs Wool. (the Hobbs guy at Market got me hooked on the wool) I use a quilting hoop, size 12". 14" would be better but I am cheap. This one has served me well for 11 years and until it quits working I won't be upsizing. You use the same rocking motion for big stitch as you do for regular quilting.

I use a Roxanne thimble. I bought my thimble about 11 years ago and it is more valuable to me than my jewelry. I had a hard time finding a thimble that worked for me until I found this one. They are sized, and have an opening for your nail. Do not be put off by the price, they are worth every penny and will last for your lifetime. On my finger under the quilt I have a piece of hospital tape. I have a callus on that finger because I quilt alot but even so I use a piece of tape for extra protection. I usually quilt for hours at a time. The tape gives me that and I can still feel my needle.

I am a bit of a thread snob. I love above all others the Valdani hand dyed perle cotton. I use this for all my quilts. It comes in different sizes and is hand dyed. They have a lovely selection of colors. You can find a color to match any project and the variation of the hand dyed threads really adds to your quilting. I use a size 8 for all my quilting.

And that leaves just the needle to talk about. If you asked 5 quilters what kind of needle they use you would get 5 different answers. I have played around with needles to find what works best for me and found that what I prefer is a size 22 Chenille needle. I generally buy DMC brand as it is readily available in my area. This needle has an eye that is easy to thread with the perle cotton, is sharp and is a nice length to get consistent stitches. That is the key to good big stitch quilting- consistency.

For those of you in the mid Missouri area or within driving distance, I am in the process of setting up a 6 hour workshop on big stitching. If you are interested in more info, shoot me an email.

Happy Quilting, Dawn