Читать книгу The Weekend Quilter - Группа авторов - Страница 40

The goal in hand quilting is to form straight, even stitches with the same size space in between the stitches as the length of the stitches showing.

1 | Cut a length of thread about 18 inches (45 cm) long and tie a single knot in the end cut from the spool.

2 | To start quilting, enter the work with a flat knot about ³/₄ inch (2 cm) from where you want to start quilting, run the needle through the batting only, and come up at the starting point. Pull the thread sharply, and the knot will pop through the surface and lodge in the batting.

3 | To quilt, the needle needs to enter the fabric at a perpendicular angle. Hold the needle between your thumb and forefinger and place the point where you wish to form the first stitch. Push the needle through the quilt so that it only just pierces the undersurface, and then lodge the eye of the needle in the end of your thimble. The end of your forefinger under the quilt will just feel the tip of the needle. Some quilters like to wear a second thimble or some other protection on the finger of their underneath hand.

4 | The underneath finger pushes upward at the same time as the thimble rocks the eye end of the needle toward the surface of the quilt. The point of the needle will reappear through the top.

5 | Rock the needle with the thimble into a perpendicular position and reenter the fabric.

6 | Repeat until you have a few stitches on the needle. Pull the thread through and repeat the process.

7 | To finish off, quilt until you have about 6 inches (15 cm) of thread left. Make a knot by passing the needle around the thread to form a loop and then passing the needle through the loop. Pull the loop to the surface of the quilt and tighten to form a knot. Take one more stitch and pop the knot through the surface. Take the needle through the batting and back through the surface of the quilt, pull the thread taut, and then cut it off close to the surface.