As mentioned earlier, you need to use the right stitches for your quilts. Your stitches do not only depend on your skills. It also depends on the purpose of the stitches and the fabric you are using. The four important key points you need to remember on stitch lengths are the following. The smaller the stitch length number or gauge, the smaller your stitches. The longer or bigger the stitch number or gauge, the longer your stitches. If you want durability, use short stitches. For decorative purposes, use long stitches. The number of stitches in every inch has a direct effect on the length of your stitches. For machine quilting, you can select between 10 and 11 stitches per inch. This will give you a stitch length of 2.5 millimeters. Silk and Sheer Fabrics It is advisable to use a stitch length of 2 to 2.5 mm. for silk and sheer fabrics. Use the same stitch length if you want your quilt to have stronger stitches. You may do a test piece for these sizes and decide which looks better on your project. You can go for tighter stitches, but do not scale it up. Keep in mind that bigger stitches are looser Quilt Piecing When you are stitching up your fabrics, it is advisable to use a 1.8 mm. stitch length. This gives you a stronger and neater finish for your fabrics. Tinier stitches can be tricky to correct, but they are better in keeping the patches together. Basting Since basting is a temporary stitch, use the longest stitch length in your machine. Regardless of what materials you are using, basting stitches should be long and loose. This will be easier to remove once you complete your quilt. Stretchy fabrics If you are going to use stretchy fabric like the jersey, use a longer stitch length. Longer stitches will give your fabric space to stretch. This is necessary for its innate quality. Keep in mind that tight stitches will tend to pull and gather your fabric between stitches. This will give your quilt a crumpled or wrinkled look. Always do a test piece of your chosen stitch length before doing it on your quilt. Decorative Stitches If you are making a quilt for decoration like a tapestry, use longer stitches on your topstitches. Longer stitches are more visible from a distance. You may use a stitch length in the range of 2.8-3.5 mm. You may change it according to your preferred look. There is no strict ruling when it comes to stitching lengths. Your stitch length depends on how your fabric responds to it. To check whether you are using the right stitch length is to do a test piece on the same fabric. If you have a leftover of your quilting fabric, use it to test your chosen stitches. Then, decide which looks best for your project.