Sister Ruth Mattingly says quilting is very relaxing for her.

“No one is pressuring you to hurry up,” she said.

As she shows me a quilt she’s currently working on, she gives me some basic tips for hand quilting:

Tip one: Use a size 5 needle. You don’t want the needle size too big. Small needles help you make very small stitches which look better. She uses “Between Quilting” brand for hand quilting.

Tip two: She uses 100^th white thread from Coats and Clark. You need to make sure you have quilting thread instead of sewing thread. Quilting thread is thicker than sewing thread and more durable. She says there are lots of different colors.

Tip three: Do real small stitches because they look prettier!

 

Tip four: Make two or three stitches before you pull the needle through.

Tip five: Go all the way across, then pull it back through so it doesn’t show.

Tip six: Be sure to start your stitches in the middle and then work your way out (figure out why).

She said even though she doesn’t feel rushed, her current quilt does have a deadline though. It’s for a baby that’s due in March!