selm

I think there's several questions to answer. How big are the tops? If smaller than bed size then you might want to have basted(or glue baste yourself) and do them on your DSM and save bigger ones for sending out.

Are all the tops calling for custom quilting(other than pantographs or stippling)? I think there are two schools of thought on quilting. If you want the piecing to stand out on the finished quilt then an overall pattern with neutral thread for the quilting will do that. If you feel the quilt calls for special quilting that will stand out, again sending out(or learning to do at home) will be the way to go. And there's actually a third way to look at it. I often do ruler work on my quilts as I feel the design will look better if I stitch around a block or motif to make the design look better overall.

Another question is how much quilting do you like? I prefer the less quilting the better for most quilts. Some prefer extensive quilting. If you like heavy quilting you might want to wait to get a longarm as the more quilting, the more expensive it will be to have it done.


So, a lot has to do with your personal preference on how the finished quilt will look.

I like to completely finish a quilt as soon as pieced but have a couple of tops that have been waiting for years now to get quilted.