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Thread: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

  1. #1
    Kazd is offline Member
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    Default Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    Hi

    Can anyone point me in the right direction. I attended a hand quilting course a week ago, doing quite well with the rock and roll method if I a) use a longer needle i.e. a quilt basting needle b) don't use a thimble, I use my nail (fortified by gel polish) to push the needle through.

    I guess I am looking for a couple of things, a needle I can hand quilt with which is longer than the standard quilting needles but not as long as the basting needle and a thimble that is not so cumbersome. The two I have are clover leather ones, one pure leather and one leather but with a shiny disc. I have also bought some of the sticky leather like dots which are quite good but probably need to wear a couple at a time to cover my fingers/thumb. (Am trying out the thumb method as well, i.e. quilting forward).

    Your thoughts please, oh and I am in the UK.

    Many thanks

  2. #2
    tortugaquilter's Avatar tortugaquilter is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    I love hand quilting and have hand quilted some very large quilts. Like you I started out with a longer needle but was told by an instructor I would get better stitches going smaller. I switch between size 10 sharps and Betweens now depending on what I am working on. I think I get better stitches with the smaller needle. You might like Straw needles as they are longer. I have a friend who quilts with straw needles and loves them, I tried them and found them to be too long for me.

    My favorite needles are Jeana Kimball's Foxglove Cottage Size 10 Betweens. Kimball's also come in Straw.

    As far as thimbles go, I think I have tried about 20 different kinds. I ended up with just the cheaper over the finger metal ones. I have 3 sizes because my fingers swell, shrink, or stay normal during a project. Sometimes during an evening my fingers will shrink and my thimble will fly off and land across the room.

    I do like the metal dot, but I kept losing it. Once you find your sweet spot on your finger they are quite nice.

    It really is just trial and error.

    Happy quilting!
    Tortugaquilter

  3. #3
    Quiltlover's Avatar Quiltlover is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    Tortugaquilter, I have a question - Where do you buy that brand of needles? I have never heard of them. I also hand quilt mostly and found that the shorter needles work best for me. My stitches are never the teensy ones that I aimed for but they suit me.

  4. #4
    tortugaquilter's Avatar tortugaquilter is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    Quote Originally Posted by Quiltlover View Post
    Tortugaquilter, I have a question - Where do you buy that brand of needles? I have never heard of them. I also hand quilt mostly and found that the shorter needles work best for me. My stitches are never the teensy ones that I aimed for but they suit me.
    Quiltlover, somtimes you can find them on Amazon, but right now they only have the Straw Needles. Here is a link to Foxglove Cottage. Between Needles at Foxglove Cottage

    I have recently tried Clover's Black Gold Needles Amazon.com: Clover Black Gold Needles Quilting Between No. 10 and I love how they glide through the fabric, but they are pricey.

    Hope this helps.
    Tortugaquilter

  5. #5
    Kazd is offline Member
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    Default Re: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    The problem with the small needles is that they are so small I cannot manipulate them. I am not overly worried about getting tiny stitches just uniform. Our tutor Barbara Chainey does not do ting stitches but her quikting was absolutely to die for.

  6. #6
    easyquilts's Avatar easyquilts is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Hand Quilting Needles - Help - UK

    Hi.... I love hand quilting' too!

    Give betweens a try..... Your stitches will be better..... I use John James and Piecemakers..... I ore fear size 12, but 11 is good, too.... My hands are pretty small.....

    Thimbles..... I love the metal cheapies..... They work well, are not bulky, and it 's not a big deal if I lose one. Dome swear by the Roxann thimbles, but I find them to be too heavy and cumbersome....

    Good luck.... Just try different things, and you will learn what your hand likes.....
    tortugaquilter likes this.


    Sandy from Cincinnati


    AKA Kermit

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