Bevkay

Have never used a longarm quilter and don't know how to take my quilt top to her. It has been suggested to me that I let someone do the quilting of the 2 quilt tops that I have finished. Do I stack the layers and baste them, or does the LAquilter put the stack together with me supplying the backing? I have only done stitch in the ditch, but want something nicer for these quilt tops call for it. What is a reasonable price to have this done? Each quilt top is for a queen sized bed. Thanks for your time to answer this.

alleyoop1

The long arm quilter I used wanted each part, top & backing ironed and hanging on separate hangers. Also wanted batting hanging on hanger. DON'T baste your quilt! The quilt will be loaded on the long arm machine as three separate parts. Best idea is to talk with the person who will be quilting your quilt and see what their requirements are before you bring it to them. Also ask to see some of their work - after all, you want your quilt to be gorgeous!

alleyoop1

Oops! Missed your price question. I paid around $180 for a king size quilt. Most long arm quilters charge by the inch or give you one price per size. It's not cheap! But if you put all that work into a quilt and you can't quilt it yourself, it's worth the expense.

There are a few long arm quilters on this board who do amazing work. Check out the "pictures" page and see who does work you admire. Contact them to see if they do quilting for others.

Tartan

I am not a LA but from reading on QB some of the basics are....Trim all the loose threads on the back, make sure all the seams lay flat, make sure the backing fabric is 4-6 inches larger than the top(someLA like even more) no seam in the back or the seam running crosswise not lengthwise.
Ask to see samples of their work or pictures. Ask the prices for pantograph(basic) or custom quilting. Ask for time frame for pick up. Some LA prefer to supply the batt and thread and some don't. If you can visit where your quilt will be quilted. Is it pet free and smoke free if you have allergies? That last time I got a basic queen size quilt done it was $150 and that was over 5 years ago. Some of the LA from QB may give you some more pointers. You can find people on QB who do quilts in your area on the main board list.

M.I.Late

A lot of the time the long armer will tell you exactly what they want. If you're shipping it to someone not as near home, remember to insure it

leatheflea

http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...s-t169702.html


Heres a list of longarmers here on the board. If you scroll down you'll see a section for Texas. I'm sure one of these ladies would be glad to help you.

ghostrider

If you've already found a longarmer that you're going to use, ask her how she wants the quilt prepared.

If you haven't found someone yet, there are several questions you should ask before making a decision to avoid possible heartbreak later on.

• ask to see samples of her work
• ask for names and numbers of references you can call
• ask how long she's been professionally quilting on the machine she uses now
• ask if she has insurance to cover your quilt while it's in her studio
• ask if her studio is smoke and pet free (if that matters to you)
• ask if you will be able to approve the quilting pattern and thread color before she starts
• ask what her turn around time is
• if mailing, ask if she insures the returning package

Once you have satisfactory answers to those items, ask for specifics on price and prep details. When you've made a decision who to go with, get a written agreement before you turn your quilt over to them.

jcrow

I take my quilts to my LQS and she has several LAers that we select from. I always make sure my quilt is ironed and has no loose threads, I have the back sewed together and ironed (the LAers I use don't care which way my back seam goes) and I usually bring my wool batting or buy batting from the store. I always ask the shop owner for help in choosing who to use for each quilt. If it's custom, I use Tracy; if it's a pantogram, we go through the books from the different LAers and select a design that WE think will look good. I like input from the shop owner. She is really good at this part of the quilting and I always take her advice and have been extremely happy with the outcome. Maybe you have a LQS that you could go to and see if they use LAers to do their customers quilting. I usually fold my quilt top and back separately. I put the batting in the bag also. I buy bags at the dollar store that are cotton and have a pocket on the outside and work perfect for taking your quilt to the LAers.

ckcowl

the long-arm quilter will tell you how to prepare your quilt- it is loaded one piece at a time-so definitly DO NOT BASTE IT TOGETHER! the backing and batting need to be larger than the top and each long-armer has her own policies on how much larger (i ask for 5" all the way around- meaning if the top measures 60"x70" the batting & backing should be 70" x 80" ...or larger)
there is a wide range of pricing- some charge by the square inch=some by the pattern= some by the over-all measurements---call the long-armer you are interested in using (or if doing it long distance start communicating) and make sure you like the type of quilting she/he does- everyone has their own (style) some use panto's, some free hand everything- some have templates...and everyone has their own fees, turn around time, and policies.