KellyPA

you have no idea how you will quilt it? I have done only one large quilt....queen size and I'm still struggling to quilt it. It was a gift for my hubby that I started 5 or 6 years ago and it still isn't finished :-(

I have always wanted to make a quilt for my bed, but I have avoided even thinking of starting it because I don't know how I would ever quilt it. I know there are some extremely talented long-arm quilters, but finances keep that from being an option.

Do any of you only create smaller pieces for that reason?

raptureready

Nope, as hard as they are to finish I do big ones because I think most smaller things are useless. I like to do QAYG or strip quilting, sometimes (especially for couch throws) I like to tie them.

I apologize to all the wall hanging, table runner, quilted artworks, etc., creators out there. They're beautiful and if that's what you enjoy that's fine with me, I just prefer making bed quilts.

mygirl66

I like to make large quilts, and wall hangings. The large quilts do take alot of time, I hand quilt, so I understand the frustration. But if you quilt it out for even 30 min a day, you will notice how good it looks, and be inspired to keep at it till its done!

merridancer

I don't have the space for anything larger than a twin size, (besides, I get bored), so mine are used as covers when watching TV.

Lori S

I was stuck in small projects for years . I had done large quilts but HATED the machine quilting. My world changed when I found longarm quilters. I am a dedicated piecer , and make tops that my long arm person turns into quilts.
I found that once relieved of the thought of" how will I ever get this quilted" .. I took on more challenging piecing projects.
It can get to be pricey ... but have found that working with the same long arm person I can get some discounts ...and not every quilt is the high end custom work.
You may want to see if you can rent time on a longarm machine to do some of your own work, it is a cheaper way to go.

Janie Q

I made 1 king size quilt and it will be the last. I felt like I was drowning in fabric by the time I got the borders on. I'm short and have athritis in my shoulders its just too hard to manage something that big. I make twin to small queen sizes.

mswordwiz

I learned make the top, send to long arm lady.....

sueisallaboutquilts

Good topic. I am finishing up a King size quilt for our bed and that thing is huge!! I decided to have it machine quilted b/c it's just too big for me to tackle. I hand quilt up to full size but that's it. I never thought I would get anything machine quilted but I've changed. There are so many beauties and I also have more time for more projects! :D
A little tip though for finishing one that you started: try to set aside a bit of time every day if possible to quilt- even if it's 15 minutes.. I've done this and little bits add up to a lot of quilting. Then you realize you're almost done!!
I also make smaller sizes but mostly bed quilts.
Since I joined this board I'm gaining confidence to tackle some machine quilting on my own but that big one is going out!!! lol
Good luck!

Butterflyblue

I have only started one queen size quilt for exactly that reason. Generally I make throw size quilts to give as gifts, or baby quilts, or wallhangings. I like the self-sufficiency of doing my own quilts from start to finish, and usually I don't have enough money to pay someone to quilt mine on a longarm anyway.

My queen size quilt will be done using quilt-as-you go techniques, and so will any future large quilts I have planned. There are a variety of QAYG techniques. There's a book by Sharon Pederson, "Reversible Quilts" that I've used, and a book by Marti Mitchell called "Quilting in Sections" that details several different techniques. I consider any money spent on these types of quilting books an investment since it means I won't have to pay much much more to have someone else quilt my quilts.

I made wall-hangings and baby quilts to test out some of the different QAYG techniques and figure out which one would be best for my intended project. Each one has its limitations.

There are also several websites that have QAYG instructions for free.

Edited to add: I don't hand-quilt, I quilt on my home machine. I do admire some of the work that Longarm quilters do, and maybe someday I'd have a really special quilt done that way.

Grinster

After ignoring a block of the month quilt I bought several years ago at JoAnne Fabric I am finally completing it. I forgot how much fabric is in a queen size quilt. I have been doing mostly baby quilts. OMG-hope to get the top done this weekend and then have no idea if I will try to do the quilting myself or not.