How much would it cost to have a large quilt basted by a LongArmer?
 

I have a king-size quilt top that I plan to FMQ. I usually pin-baste, using my living room floor to lay the layers together. (I'm not too fond of spraying). But my space is just not large enough to do king size. I was thinking of finding someone who does LA (maybe from my guild) and asking them to load it up on their machine and baste it. Is that something LA'ers do very often? How much should I expect to pay for that? If I did this, could I use my own backing and batting (which I've already purchased. The backing is 108", but the quilt is just slightly larger, so I still have to piece it.)

Hmmm I've never heard of LA'ers just basting, but it can't hurt to call 'em up and ask!

I was charged $25 for a king sized that I had basted on LA.....was worth every penny

many long-armers will baste your quilt for you- just ask- i would expect to pay somewhere in the $20-$30 range.
you take the top, backing & batting to her- she loads it up- bastes it-unloads & returns.
the backing/batting need to be larger than the top.

I wouldn't be surprised if the LAer charged more for a large quilt. The quilt still has to be loaded onto the longarm, and kept square while basting, and that takes some time. If the LA doesn't have an option for making extra long basting stitches, then it's a pain to manually needle up-down all over it. OTOH, if she uses water soluble thread (in bobbin and on top) then it's easier to stitch on the LA, and easier for you to remove later, but some LAs are not happy with that type of thread, it costs more, and might have to be ordered if the LAer doesn't already have it. I do use water soluble thread (Vanish from Superior) in my Innova when I want to stabilize a quilt without making permanent stitches, but I need to go slower than usual to keep it from breaking.

I've seen a range of 25-45 dollars depending on the size of a quilt. I plan to offer this service as part of my business for dsmers and hand quilters. I'd be interested to know how someone on a dsm or someone who is handquilting would prefer it to be basted if anyone would like to comment:)

I called my local LA and she said $40 for a queen, 90 x 90, with my back and batting. I think that is very reasonable. As to the basting, I asked for a grid every 4 inches with water soluble thread, which I provide.

I paid $50 CDN for my king sized wedding quilt, but it was a very rush job and I was very, very happy to pay it.

Most L/A have a minium charge..of about $25.00 , but the cost of basting in my area is about $40.00 for a large bedsize quilt.