BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Quilting The old fashion way

I know exactly what you mean. I do not use a rotary cutter...I draw all my pieces and cut them out...I use needle and thread...I do not use any gadgets...just a thimble on my middle finger to push the needle through. My thumb is a callous...but I can't help it..I love doing it the old fashioned way..just like my grandmother and mother. I like doing the appliqued Country Heart. It is one of my favorite patterns. I am quilting for my mom now. She has made all us kids, 7 of us, a quilt with a cloth calender in the center, and rows around it to make up the quilt. She has circled all our birthdays, and printed our name on our month..I guess you could call it a birthday quilt. I have finished four of them. Sure keeps me busy.

I don't have chronic problems with my wrists, but I had started to several years ago. My job keeps me at the computer most of the day. I moved my mouse and trained myself to use my left hand for mousing. (Naturally, if you're left handed, you'd do the opposite.) The aches went away and, after all these years, I almost never end up with painful wrists.
When I'm piecing or quilting by hand I've noticed that if I remember to let my fingers and thumbs manipulate the needle and quilt instead of my whole hand, the wrist gets less of a workout and I don't end up with aches and pains. When I forget - ouch!