I send my quilt tops out to Montana (from NY) to Butler Country Crafts, and have never had more than 3 weeks pass from mailing to receipt of the finished quilt. That being said, I've not sent any during the Christmas season. Jeanie Butler does a wonderful job. I've only had panto designs but she does do custom as well, and is reasonable even with the added postage.

Is there any reason you can't just go get the two quilts from where they are now and take them to the new quilter? If she hasn't started them yet, there should be no problem at all unless you signed a contract...and if you did, surely she's already violated it anyway. There's no reason to put up with that sort of 'put-off' stuff.

I am a long arm quilter and I think a 3 or 4 week turnaround is reasonable except at peak seasons. I know a lot of LA'er that, for lots of different reasons, take quilts out of the order in which there are received. I feel this is one of the reasons that some people have to wait such an unreasonable length of time. I just about always have a quilt that I just can't wait to get at, but fair is fair.

!$1200~!!!! I need to get my quilt frame up and running.Q!!!!!

I am a longarmer and my turn around time is usually 2 weeks. It was recently delayed between August and October because my daughter had her baby 2 months early! But, I've caught up ....until tomorrow when I have a customer bringing one in and picking up the two I just did for her.

During the holidays the turn around time is a bit longer due to my regular job work schedule giving me more hours.

As for price..... it varies with the details of the work requested as I also offer binding work so that my customers get a completed quilt when they are done. Most prefer to do their own binding, but I have one regular customer who likes me to attached the binding to the front by machine and another regular customer that likes to have completed quilts when she comes to pick them up.

I always let my customers know what the cost will be before they leave as I wouldn't want any surprises, I don't want to surprise my customers.

QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

I have waited 3 to 4 months before and found it worth the waite. That was many years ago.

My LAQ does panographs and gets her quilts done within a week. Usually I take them on Monday and they are done by Thursday or Friday. I know she is unusual with such quick turn around, but I sure like it and her work is good.

Great conversation - great info and opinions - thanks for starting it.

As a longarmer, scheduling when a top will be quilted is a good idea but I wouldn't want tops around my home for months before they are placed on the machine.

Once on the machine, in my experience, an overall edge to edge shouldn't take longer than a few hours to a day to complete. Light custom and full custom are on a schedule anywhere from days to weeks to a month to complete.

Just this past week I completed 2 edge to edge and 2 light custom various size quilts.

As far as pricing, I agree it does vary (both by the type of quilting and local quilting prices). EVERYONE I've ever talked to about longarming ALWAYS asks... "How much do you charge?" Didn't the quilter mentioned ever ask? I have NEVER heard of someone dropping off a top to be quilted and NOT getting an estimate of the charges - $1200 - WOW I'd love to see this quilt.

I believe if the time frame you're given isn't being met, maybe it's time to try a new longarmer. As a number of people have said here, quilters will SHIP their quilt tops and backings to get it quilted in a TIMELY MANNER, rather than wait and wait and wait for someone to do it locally. It's really not that expensive to ship. With today's technology, discussing your quilting needs and conveying ideas is easy... it's just like being there in person. I know, cause I've used it!

Have a wonderful quilty day!
Nan - Indiana

My last 3 I waited a year and a half! They were all queen/king size , custom quilted and total cost a little over $300.00 and well worth the wait. I wish I could figure out how to upload photos from my IPad so I could show you his work. I continue to try ang figure out how but am electronically inept:-(

I am a longarmer and have found this thread interesting. I don't "book" quilts. My experience has been that I usually end up waiting for the customer to bring it to me and it has pushed me behind. I take quilts FIFO (first-in, first-out). We have a secure place where they are hung. I use suit hangers--backing is on the slacks portion and quilt is over the other rod. They are assigned a number when taken in and logged into a book....always done in numerical order. I have two longarm machines--one for custom and one for allovers. Allovers are done within a few days to a week. Custom depends on how many are backed up. The longest custom usually takes is around three months. My "custom ladies" all know the drill and are fine with the wait on their quilts. I will not rush to get them done and I do not do rush quilts--ever. I have, however, taken the backing in for someone who is planning ahead with the understanding that the quilt top itself will arrive within a week. (Usually customers with a raffle or show quilt will do this.) I have never charged anywhere close to $1200 for a quilt--even custom. I agree that it must have been show quality! Wow! I do have a minimum charge due to the amount of time it takes to load/unload a quilt. I do not charge extra for thread. (I know some places have a thread charge on the bill...) We get quilts that are mailed in from all over the US, and they are placed in the same 'line-up'. The log we keep quilts on can be used by employees if a customer calls in to find out where we are on the quilt.

No one who charges only $300 for custom quilting three queen/king quilts is worth an 18 month wait, imho. For a wait that long, it'd have to be either Joe the Quilter or Michael James for me to put up with it (and their rates would be sky high). Glad you're happy with both the quality and the time. :)

4 weeks sounds good to me. Most LAQers here have waiting lists of about 6 mos. to a yr.

I get mine back in about 4 weeks....She is very busy but very committed to getting the job done in a timely manner.

Sounds as if she's constantly bumping your quilts, for others! :thumbdown:

We have a LAQ up here in the Thumb of Michigan whose turnaround time is usually a day-hardly time to make it back home. LOVE HER!!!

My normal turn around is 4 to 6 weeks. I do not have a computerized machine. If I don't move the machine it doesn't move. I know the computerized machines can do the work faster but they can't do the personailzed quilting so decide what type of quilting you want before you start contacting longarmers.

1-2 months here..that is another resaon I decided to do my own. I was so worried not to have my Christmas gifts done the first couple times I did it. I bought the Janome 7700, totally worth it....someday I would love to buy a long arm just no room.