Browse any quilt show and you’ll find the majority of quilts are quilted by machine. But there is still an important place in the quilting world for hand quilting. But for new quilters and quilters who have only quilted on machine, it can feel very intimidating to switch to this “old school” technique.

To perfect your hand quilting, you need to put in time to build your muscle memory and become more confident in your skill. It’s a good idea to start out with a practice sandwich: a yard square quilting sandwich–2 pieces of cloth with thin batting between. Starting out, it helps to not have to contend with seams.

Mark it with parallel lines and practice a little every day. Don’t start out trying for tiny stitches; your goal is to get your stitches even. Each stitch and the space between them should be the same length. Plus, the stitches on the top of your sandwich should be the same length as the stitches on the back. Once you feel you have nice even stitches, then work on making them smaller.

There are a lot of pluses in favor of hand quilting. It’s relaxing (once you get the hang of it). It’s portable (you can take it anywhere without hauling a machine). It gives your quilts a look you can’t achieve with machine stitching. And most importantly, it’s a skill that is worth preserving for the future of quilting.

Check out this tutorial by Wendy Gratz from Shiny Happy World and practice along.