I was talking with my father the other day and asked him how his new quilt project is going. He’s busy hand piecing the top, which he says will work out to be about 78 x 88 if all goes according to plan. When he gets it done, he’s planning on sending it to me so that I can quilt it for him.
Detail of my Dad’s Long Diamonds Quilt.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time looking at our Family Quilts. While the piecing methods varied from all hand piecing to a combination of hand and machine piecing (I don’t think any were done completely by machine), all of the quilts were quilted by hand.
Detail of hand quilting from the my Great Grandmother’s Orange Double Wedding Ring Quilt.
Some people are quilting purists. If a quilt is pieced by hand, the purists believe you are “ruining” it if you quilt it by machine. All that time spent hand piecing, wasted! Purists feel that if you hand piece, you MUST hand quilt.
So, my issue is this, if my father goes to all the trouble to hand piece a quilt, am I “ruining” it if I machine quilt it? That’s what he intends for me to do with it and he doesn’t see any problem with machine quilting it. The purist lurking in the back of my brain may not let me do that, but hand quilting 78 x 88 inches? Wow. That’s way more hand quilting than I’ve ever even considered doing for one project. My biggest hand-quilting project was 42 x 42 inches and it took me an estimated 45-50 hours to complete.
Detail of quilting on my Stacked Coins Quilt.
By the way, I think it’s totally awesome to split a quilt project like this with my dad, even though we live 2500 miles apart! Which is why I want to do the quilting myself, whichever way I decide is the way to go.
What do you think? Are you a purist and believe it should be hand quilted? Or do you think it’s okay to just go with my father’s request and machine quilt it?
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My only hand pieced quilt (2000 hexagons) is machine quilted and I love it. If it had to be hand quilted it would still be waiting. As a longarm quilter I have quilted several hand pieced quilts. Better finished than never done, after all, it isn’t a quilt until it is quilted.
A good friend of mine with a long arm, machine quilts her mother’s hand pieced quilts. I think the machine quilting strengths the potential fragile hand sewn seams. I don’t see a problem combining machine and hand work. Many people machine piece and hand quilt.
I’m anything but a purist, combining hand and machine work frequently. What matters is the soul of the quilt, the design, and what gets it done as opposed to languishing unfinished. If you are a good machine quilter then combining your work with his sounds great, it is a combination of the family’s work.
What could possibly be more important than sharing a project together? I can remember my mother and her mother quilting together on a frame of four boards dropped from the ceiling by ropes. They allowed anyone to take a turn at quilting even us children who had to take a stitch up and then a stitch down–I’m sure those stitches ruined the quilt to some! I say it’s the love in the stitches that really matters.
Just a thought….. how long has it taken him to piece it? If you want to ‘share’ the work with him, you might want to match the hours he put in. Me? it’d machine quilt it. That is, if I was good enough to not ruin it!
I don’t see a problem with machine quilting the hand-pieced quilt. Obviously, your dad enjoys the process of hand piecing. I think it’s great that this is a joint effort! And let’s be honest, there are just somethings that are done better with machine quilting.
I do think that I’d feel funny about machine quilting a hand-pieced quilt myself. (If I tried to hand quilt a large quilt, it would probably end up unfinished, though, that’s just me and the way I work–or don’t work, as the case may be.) I’ve got two unfinished handquilted quilts. However, I don’t think that means it would be wrong–particularly since the maker of the hand-pieced top wants it done that way. When we create, we get to do whatever we see fit with the project, right?
I’m no purist but I see your point. Honestly, if your dad’s intention is for you to hand quilt it when he’s finished then I don’t see the harm.
I’m not a purist about much. To me, it doesn’t have to be an imitation the family quilt of generations ago, but a representation of the current generations. They handquilted (probably because their machines couldn’t quilt as well as ours), that’s great, you machine quilt. Also great. Both can produce amazing art, and cozy quilts that will be well loved by your family.
I don’t see how the handpiecing can be wasted, except perhaps by languishing unfinished. And, in truth, even then I have my doubts since your dad obviously enjoys the process of creating that way.
Quilt it with love, care, skill and the pleasure of co-creating with your dad — that would count alot more than whether or not you use a machine to me.
*stepping off soapbox*
My first quilts were all done by hand and it’s not very productive! I now am machine piecing and quilting, but I really do enjoy hand quilting( maybe because it gives me some time with the quilt before I give it away!)
In this age of Modern Quilting, I’d say anything goes!
I have arthritis in my hands. If I had to do anything by hand, I’d be out of luck where quilting is concerned. That would be a shame because I love it so much. As I’m writing this, I have a splint on my wrist so that I can do the rotary cutting required for the new quilt I’m starting. All I can say is that “purists” must not have any hand pain or they wouldn’t be so picky.
But your question was whether you can mix the two. If it were my father doing the hand piecing, I would have no choice but to machine quilt. I don’t think hand quilting is any better than machine quilting. Each have their place in my view. Machine quilting can be artistic; conversely, hand quilting isn’t necessarily art. And mixing them? Who cares?
I get pretty tired of hand quilters putting down machine quilting. I actually prefer the look of machine quilting, and I would never criticize my hand quilting counterparts or say their work is any less than machine quilting. It’s just my preference.
But the most important thing is to recognize that where art is concerned (and quilting is art), there are NO RULES!! It’s your quilt (and his). Do what you want. If anyone complains, refer them to the “Things I Want to Punch in the Face” blog. I imagine they will find themselves listed there somewhere. If not, they should be.
I am not a purist but mainly because of time constraints. I love hand quilting but often wonder if that hand work will be appreciated when a quilt is used and abused. I guess I think of hand quilting as more art, to be preserved. I would probably follow your father’s request, but do you think your father would like to have it hand quilted and didn’t want to ask for that time commitment from you? Are you a purist? Cool conversation!
How beautiful that you can make this quilt with your father! I am not a quilt purist but I think I would have the same dilemma you have. I do not think you can ruin this quilt! You could also consider hand quilting a portion and machine quilting the rest. Can’t wait to see how it goes!
I am a hand piecer and quilter. I do it because I love the process and don’t enjoy working on a machine. Since I also work full time and have an active life, I am not very prolific! But I own quilts that were hand pieced and machine quilted and love them. The only machine quilting that I don’t like is when the quilting patterns just wander over the quilt, totally ignoring the design created by the piecing instead of working with it and enhancing it. As long as the quilting respects the piecing, the quilt will be great.
I machine piece and hand quilt. The quilting is what I enjoy most. I am not very prolific but that is not why I quilt. To each their own and what they enjoy.