I have a Roxanne. I like it but its so HEAVY. Yep the TJ Lane was was useless for quilting which is why it went back. she should get it tomorrow so I'm hoping I don't get a hard time about getting a credit for it. Policeann---- how do you quilt with a dot on your middle finger and your pointer finger? are you using both at the same time? I can't picture it. Thimblelady is from Australia. Was she expected to go to Paducah? She answers emails herself on her website. I ordered one of her old style thimbles and was concerned that it was so 'short'. My favorite thimble is the Clover open sided brass one and it tends to be longer. but at $11 they aren't real cheap and I tend to wear holes in them. I'm going to try to solder the hole to make it last til I find the perfect thimble! jackie

Hi Just like everyone else has said - your stitch improves with practice. I did my first hand quilting project on a quilt for my step-daughters bed (really a little ambitious for a first project). I started in the center of the quilt, and those stitches are bigger than those towards the outer edge. One thing I changed, was my quilting needle. I didn't realise that I was using an applique needle - the quilting store recommended using betweens. That made a HUGE difference. I did think "how on earth can I quilt with those", but they are stronger than I first thought. The other tip I received, was when doing the first stitch, rather than going straight down (e.g. 90 degrees), angle the needle so that the exit point is slightly closer to the preceeding stitch. For some reason this seems to close up the massive gap between stitch 1 and 2 :) I also learnt to try and avoid stitching through bulky seams. If you have to - I would do the stab stitch. While my stitch may never be perfect - I accept that the variation is what makes my quilting style. It shows time, it shows love, and makes it unique. So I figure, whatever effort you put in is absolutely sensational! :) The link below shows the final hand quilting quality on my first project. Well done - keep it up. You will get it :) Here is a link that might be useful: improved stitching over time

Patsy--a couple of thoughts for you: 1) There's no one right way to quilt. The right way is what works for you. As you get more comfortable, try using your thumb to work sideways as well. Most quilters are two-direction quilters (forward or back and left or right) and have to rotate the project to quilt in the other directions. I do think that you should try to work from the top rather than the bottom, though--I have to think that it's adding to your stress not to be able to see what your needle is doing. 2) If you are using a hoop, how much tension do you have on the quilt? I use a hoop but the quilt sits pretty loosely in it. The best description I've read is that it should look like a cat's been sleeping on it. The link you provided shows this very well. 3) Straight line quilting especially along the grain of the fabic is very difficult to do. Quilting along the bias is much easier as the fabric can give a little under the needle. Straight line quilt in general is challenging because our eye sees every little deviation from the straight, which just adds to the stress level. 4) You are just starting out, so work in short stretches. As soon as you feel yourself tightening up, STOP--don't wait until you can't breathe! Take a break, drink a cup of tea, do a load of laundry, but walk away for at least 10 minutes to give yourself time to relax again. 5) Have you considered "utility" or "big stitch" quilting? It's done with fine crochet cotton and you take larger stitches. Given your physical limitations, it might be a good compromise for you. It's really just a 1/4" long running stitch and it's actually quite a nice look on a quilt. I have a girlfriend who finishes most of her quilts this way. Annie

Always test everything before using it on your quilt. I tried the PressNSeal for hand quilting some floral designs. To draw the design onto the PNS, I tried ballpoint pen, Sharpie pen, and also some of the lighter color markers. The problem I had, even though I let them all dry for 48 hours first, the color of the marker kept rubbing off onto my thread. The thread got darker and darker. When I took it out, there were dots on the fabric. Using it as a stencil might work with removable markers, but I'm not sure if chalk would stay on the fabric when you pull off the PNS? BlueBars