AboutConnie Hester Expertise Quilting and applique expert.Can advise on the following topics:quilting, art quilts, quilt design and construction, machine and hand quilting, paper foundation piecing, machine piecing, hand piecing, raw edge applique, turned-edge applique and fiber art.
Experience Winning awards in international fiber and art competitions since 1983; http://www.conniehester.com/
BS,MS
See my work and books at http://www.conniehester.com/
Expert: Connie Hester Date: 10/1/2006 Subject: stippling and meandering
Question I am new at quilting. I found a place that will give lessons. They teach stippling and meandering. Can you explain this and tell me if it would be fairly easy to learn? Thank you
Answer Generally, stippling and meandering are the same thing, but meandering is on a larger scale and stippling is very concentrated stitching. Stitching is manually (by you) regulated in order to have equally-distanced, non-crossing (and non-touching) stitching overall.
Done on the machine, a darning foot is generally used, or some sort of bouncing foot which helps to release the needle from the quilt "sandwich" as the needle goes up in the process of stitching. It (called "free-motion quilting" when done on the sewing machine) is also done without the aid of feed dogs, so your hands are the only thing which moves the location of the quilt "sandwich" under the needle. It takes some practice, kind of like finding your balance when learning to ride a bicycle. A class will give you tips for making it easier to stabilize your movements.
Done by hand, you just use a needle and thread to produce what I wrote in the first paragraph, above.
