Do you have one of those quilting machines, to finish it off?

My hands gave out in my 5th month, when I was crocheting a baby blanket. I had to give up most hand work. Still today I can only hold a needle for 10 minutes or so. Some mending takes me a WEEK therefore!

I can use a mouse however, as I have one of those bars on the front edge of the little drawer on our desk where the keyboard rolls out, and also a mouse cushion if needed. I rest my arm on the bar edge and it keeps my wrist pretty straight.

No, I always hand-quilt. It is very relaxing. The kids all have special Christmas quilts that we put on at the beginning of advent, but I never made one for us. I piece on the machine, but I don't like the way machine quilting looks and feels.

My hand does cramp up if I am hand sewing and I can't really appliqué anymore but because I have a full size frame and don't have to hold the work I can quilt. Counted cross stitch makes my vision blurry in a hurry, but I seem to get away with that for a while. I am less likely to overdo it because I can't see after an hour or so!

I love crocheted lace, collect antique patterns, and it was hard to give up. I suspect knitting will be the craft that I can hold on to the longest, it seems the least stressful.

Hi Susanne, I am new here but thought I would share that I also love to handquilt. It is truly a passion of mine and I know exactly what you mean about keeping keeping one sane. I am also one that has never been good at moderation.
I am part of a group that handquilts quilt tops for other people, so the social aspect is very important to me also! I just cannot bear the thought that I may not be able to continue. But so far so good! I just push myself (although at a slower pace)to keep on doing this and am hoping for the best. I also find that it takes my mind off all of my present woes.
CeCe.

Hi CeCe! Nice to hear from a fellow quilter. Yes, it all takes so much longer. For a long time that paralyzed me, I was used to turning out projects quickly and thought "what's the use" when it took months instead of weeks to finish something. I only recently realized that I could still enjoy making things even at a snail's pace so I have recovered my enthusiasm and improved my attitude, at least for now. My hands are usually numb until the afternoon though, and I used to love quilting in the early morning watching the sun come up.