Hand Quilting Needles: Sashiko Vs. Sharps
I’ve recently discovered that I love hand quilting. Luckily, I just finished a quilt top that is calling to be hand quilted (no pattern for this…yet 😉). This is my first 100% scrappy quilt and every fabric came from my stash. I didn’t expect to love the saddle, black, yellow and blue combo so much, but I’m completely in love with the final product. And the patchwork is just calling me to hand quilt it.
One Small Tool Made the Biggest Difference
I’m going to echo each star, then echo each of the outer rings. This isn’t the first quilt I’ve hand quilted, but it is the first quilt I’ve quilted pain free. And it’s the first that I’ve been really impressed by my consistent stitch length. If you are working on your stitch length or often experience pain while hand quilting, I have one big switch you might want to make in your quilting practice.
Sashiko Needles vs Quilting Sharps
The internet and social media had me convinced that sashiko needles were the epitome of modern hand quilting. I’m here to disabuse you of that notion. I’m fully on board with quilting sharps.
First: When I switched to the sharps, my thumb and wrist pain immediately disappeared. The smaller, more flexible needle means that I’m not fighting with the metal as much. The shorter needle length means that, while I can’t fit as many stitches on the needle, I’m manipulating less fabric. So there is less material offering resistance to my little joints.
Second: My stitches are incredibly more consistent now. I’m very much a beginner hand quilter, so nothing I’m doing is perfect. But keep scrolling and let’s take a look at the difference.
Sashiko Stitches
The photos below show one star I quilted using my sashiko needles. They look just like you would expect a beginner’s stitches to look. But I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills, and when irregular stitches are combined with pain, I was not happy with the result.
Quilting Sharp Stitches
These photos show the stitches I made using the quilting sharps (honestly, I don’t know if I can just call it a sharp needle when talking about it in the singular). I’m much happier with these stitches. Pain free and more regular? Sign me up.
I’ve got a bit more progress to make on this quilt - I’ll be sure to share all the quilty texture and goodness when it’s done. If you want a fun project to try your hand at quilting echoed lines, check out the Circus Ring quilt pattern. I think this small project would look great with some hand quilting stitches that echo the patch work and curves!
