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**Bernina2** · June 8, 2016, 06:53 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

I never could get the hang of small stitches.
I saw a quilt show showing the "big" stitch.
I used black thread on my quilts and really liked
the look. I used white thread on one quilt and
didn't like it as well. I think the big stitch gave my
quilts an old fashioned look. I just concentrated on
a 1/4 inch stitch. We use the 1/4 inch in everything else
in our quilts so I just continued this size in my stitches.
Have fun and enjoy this technique, quilting a quilt
goes much quicker.

**mario1360** · June 8, 2016, 07:16 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

wow, I have to check this out, I have huge hands and having a hard time hand stitching small stitches....thanks for sharing

**Cool Breeze Quilter** · June 8, 2016, 07:44 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

I haven't tried big stitch quilting yet but LOVE the look of it!! Plus it looks so relaxing to do. From what I hear it goes pretty fast too. I enjoy hand quilting and have only started machine quilting (kid's quilts) in the past few years. I just tried to find an excellent video to share with you hear on big stitch quilting with pearl cotton. I can't remember the ladies name but it was easy to follow and understand. If I do find it I'll come back and post it here for you.

I used to believe (because that's what I heard and read) that the tiny, straight quilting stitches were what hand quilters should be aiming for. So I did. At one time I hand quilted 12-14 stitches per inch. Then I started looking closely at hand quilted quilts that were 8 or 10 stiches to the inch and I think they looked prettier. I think I just had to prove to myself I could make tiny straight stitches. I'm digressing. I think you could adjust quicker than you realize to big stitch quilting than you realize. The needles are bigger and pearl cotton thicker so it would come more naturally to you as you are quilting. I agree with you, just work on a practice piece to get the hang of it first. You'll get the hang of it.

**MissyB** · June 8, 2016, 08:40 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Keep us posted on your progress! I recently "discovered" big stitch quilting and love the look. I think I will attempt it on my next quilt so any tips you can share would be welcomed

**K. McEuen** · June 8, 2016, 12:24 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Sandy, think of hand basting when you are doing big stitch quilting. If you ever hand basted something together when you were sewing, big stitch quilting is very much like those stitches.

**stitchwishes** · June 8, 2016, 12:32 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

I adore big stitch! It can be elegant, rustic, modern, crazy artistic, anything inbetween!

You might also try different needles. I started off with whatever in my cheap disc of old needles had an eye big enough. It worked well enough, but certainly didn't glide through the fabric. That is the only requirement, to be able to thread the needle. Anything after that is personal preference. I haven't settled on the perfect needle for me yet, but I've studied big stitch and every time I see a different needle used I try and buy it. Blogs and YouTube are a pretty good source for findng out what needles people use.

**easyquilts** · June 8, 2016, 07:44 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Originally posted by stitchwishes View Post

I adore big stitch! It can be elegant, rustic, modern, crazy artistic, anything inbetween!

You might also try different needles. I started off with whatever in my cheap disc of old needles had an eye big enough. It worked well enough, but certainly didn't glide through the fabric. That is the only requirement, to be able to thread the needle. Anything after that is personal preference. I haven't settled on the perfect needle for me yet, but I've studied big stitch and every time I see a different needle used I try and buy it. Blogs and YouTube are a pretty good source for findng out what needles people use.

Some recommend embroidery needles, and others use the larger Betweens... That surprised me... I put a pack of 3/9 Betweens in my MSQC basket, to be included in my next order.

I use needs threaders, do nearly any needle works.... The big needles feel so awkward in my hand....I've used nothing but a size 11or 12 between for everything for years... I think that's part if my problem....the larger needles feel so strange to me.

But, I really want to get the Big Stitch down.... I love the look.... And, I love that Big Stitchers tend to use such beautifully colored threads... And who doesn't love colorful threads.... ?

**jjkaiser** · June 8, 2016, 08:20 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Oh yeah I love big stitch too! Just do your stitches, don't think so hard about it. After a half hour you will get into a rhythm and it will just flow. Once I finish the quilt top I am making I have a stash of 12 colors of Presencia #8 perle cotton thread to use--and the quilt will be backed with solid white so they will really show off those colors. I love the Big Stitch Quilting Needles made by Primitive Gatherings. They come in a little tiny tube, 12 needles for $6. I think I got them at FQS. The needles are longer than between and have a big eye so are easy to thread. The eye is too big for the desk needle threader but even I am able to eyeball it. You could also use wax to help get the thread through. I have even used chapstick on the end of my thread get it through the needle and that works too but smells kind of minty lol.

**sewbizzy** · June 8, 2016, 08:51 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Thanks for all the info on this thread...I am definitely going to try the Big Stitch quilting...

**snippet** · June 8, 2016, 09:37 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

I just took out some quilting in a quilt I made a year ago. I SITD the blocks, but then I also echo quilted in the stars of the block. I never liked the echo quilted part, it was a bad stitch pattern, so I spent this week taking that part out.

Now I want to try big stitch quilting for those stars. But how do you start and stop your ends? How can you hide that big thread?

**stationarymom** · June 8, 2016, 10:45 PM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Sandy have you considered marking a practice piece just to get the spacing going?

**Granny Judy** · June 9, 2016, 02:18 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

To start. your knot at the beginning should go thru the fabric. A good example is from : https://timquilts.com/2013/05/05/mor...g-and-a-video/.
He doesn't make as big a stitch as I thought it should be in this video.. but He has some good points.
AS FOR THE Ending.. hiding your stitch.. same as for other hand sewing. Hide the ends by burying them in between the fabric and batting. My Gram taught me to make a long thread in between so that when washed that thread would lock itself in the batting and not come out.

Hope this made sense and will help you.
MY BIG STITCH quilt has 1/4 inch or longer in it..
ghastlie quilting 6 2016.jpg

**easyquilts** · June 9, 2016, 07:34 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Originally posted by snippet View Post

I just took out some quilting in a quilt I made a year ago. I SITD the blocks, but then I also echo quilted in the stars of the block. I never liked the echo quilted part, it was a bad stitch pattern, so I spent this week taking that part out.

Now I want to try big stitch quilting for those stars. But how do you start and stop your ends? How can you hide that big thread?

You start and stop exactly the same way you always do... The know goes right through the fabric...

**easyquilts** · June 9, 2016, 07:35 AM

Re: Big Stitch... Need Help

Originally posted by stationarymom View Post

Sandy have you considered marking a practice piece just to get the spacing going?

I put one together last night, and will start working on it today... That's what I did when I first learned to hand quilt... Thanks for responding!

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