TUTORIAL EXTRA: LACEY’S VERTICAL FLAG WALL HANGING – PART TWO

And we’re back! In case you missed PART ONE [which includes a quick FREE TUTORIAL for creating this flag wall hanging] – you can find that HERE.

Today, we are going to talk about big stitch quilting and give an update on Lacey’s stitch progress!

BIG STITCH QUILTING

We finished up our 2nd annual FIG TREE RETREAT here in California in April, and we had the pleasure of having a special guest – LAURIE SIMPSON OF MINICK & SIMPSON – attend and give us all a tutorial on BIG STITCH QUILTING, which she is simply wonderful at. Check her out on Instagram [@minickandsimpson].

She was kind enough to share her favorite hand quilting supplies and tips, and now we are sharing them all with YOU right here on the blog!

LAURIE’S FAVORITE SUPPLIES:

• Finger Cots
  • These help to “grip” the needle as you are pulling it through the fabric layers, decreasing finger/hand fatigue.
• Thimble
  • Laurie prefers a Roxanne’s thimble and places it on her middle finger to help guide the needle up and down through the fabric layers – leaving her index and thumb available for gripping the needle to pull the thread tight.
• Edmunds 14″ German Quilt Hoop [Stock# 212 12]
  • The quilt sandwich does not need to be taut in the hoop – Laurie actually prefers a loose fit. The hoop itself isn’t really for holding the layers together…it’s more for being able to easily maneuver your quilt to a position comfortable for you to hand stitch in.
• Aurifil 12 wt. Thread
  • Choose varying colors that coordinate with your projects – Aurifil is sure to have a great color match to your quilt.
• Quilter’s Dream Cotton Batting [Request Weight – Lowest Loft] -or- any 100% Cotton or Wool by Hobbs or Tuscany
  • Do NOT use any polyester blends or Warm & Natural. Although they may be great for other types of quilting, it is almost impossible to hand quilt through these types of batting.
• John James Cotton Darners, Size 5 Needles
  • Or any assorted needle pack that has a size 5 included.

NOTE: For marking her quilts, nowadays Laurie doesn’t as often use fancy templates or marking tools. Instead, she sends her quilts to her longarm who does a very large “basting” stitch to create a grid across the quilt. No more fussing with basting on the floor…and not too costly of an expense. As she finishes within a section, she then simply removes the basting stitches from that area and moves on. Genius, right?

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TUTORIAL:

Check out the below YouTube video straight from MODA Fabrics for a fantastic visual tutorial straight from the source!

NOTE: This video is about 10 years old but is still the same basic “big stitch” quilting method Laurie uses today. Some of her supplies mentioned in the video vary from what we listed above. As Laurie continues to hand quilt, her supplies have slightly changed. Use our list above for her current favorites!

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LACEY’S PROGRESS

This is the first time Lacey has tried her hand at “big stitch” quilting and she was surprised how quick it actually goes! A few more nighttime TV sessions, and she will have a finish – just in time for 4th of July festivities!

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Happy Sewing,

-Joanna