13 Comments
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Golden Hue's avatar

On a road trip yesterday I hand pieced a little rectangle using scraps and quilt as you go. Then I stitched along each seam on the top, visibly. It was fun. I’ll cut into skinny rectangles and hand bind to create 2 bookmarks.

Barbara Nelson's avatar

I took my first quilt class in the late 80’s. It was a hand piecing class. I later took a machine piecing class from the same teacher. I’ve continued to do both over the years.

Pattie Klimek's avatar

I actually get many students that hand pieced as beginners, switched to machine piecing, and just need a brush up on hand piecing skills so they can do both.

art teacher vibes's avatar

Both are satisfying in their own way

Beatrice's avatar

I absolutely adore hand stitching. I've yet to hand piece an entire quilt top, but it's something I know I'd enjoy. A sewing machine in good working order definitely has her place, 'tho!

The Embroidery Diaries's avatar

Beautiful, hand pieces is softer I think, machine pieced is more ‘perfect’ both are good and pretty but are different :)

Carol SN's avatar

Sometimes I do hand piecing. More often I use my machine. Funnily enough, the sound of the machine reminds me of my mom. It’s a happy noise.

Sharyl Klettke's avatar

I like both machine and hand work. I look for projects that require hand sewing because it’s peaceful. I also feel fulfilled by the completion of machine sewing.

Andrea's avatar

I've been hand piecing almost exclusively for many years, with a preference for paper piecing (both foundation and English), because I can't freehand a straight line to save my life. Even if I had a working machine, I don't have room to set one up in this chaotic mess of a small apartment.

I can fit hand piecing anywhere. EPP is especially portable; I can do it anywhere: on the bus, in the waiting room, even in line. I'm currently working on a Grandmother's Garden variation that will eventually be a quilt for my bed. I don't worry about when I'll finish it; I'm making it for myself, for the joy the making brings me. I also play with a bunch of other needle related crafts in semi-random rotation as the mood takes me. None of them have deadlines, because that's not the point, for me. It's just because making makes me happy.

O V Brantley's avatar

I love piecing by machine (fast) but quilting by hand (slow). I like having it all. I hope you get accepted at QuiltCon 2027. I heard a rumor it is going to be in Atlanta, my hometown.

Gail Dixon's avatar

I like this . I’m fairly new to quilting ie a few years, but still enjoy knitting and crochet too …thank you for sharing …I’m going to try it and I’ve shared your article with a friend too 😊

Pattie Klimek's avatar

Thank you Gail, I was hoping machine quilters would give hand quilting a try.

Gail Dixon's avatar

Hi Pattie, yes a lot of machine quilters enjoy the faster pace but like you I enjoy the slowing down and being peaceful/mindful while stitching. I often machine the pieces together but then hand quilt to finish . All lovely to do x