How many of you quilt your own quilts?
 

I always send my quilts to be LA quilted. I have a sewing machine and (not set up) LA table, but have never tried to quilt my own quilts. I haven't even tried to quilt with just my machine alone. It looks like it would take me forever to actually quilt one. I really like piecing and appliqueing and I think if I were to try to quilt, I wouldn't have time to make any new ones. Do most people quilt their own or do they send them out like I do?

I quilt my own, with the exception of one special quilt that I couldn't fit in my machine. It was just to huge. I got lucky, Charismah from the board quilted it and I am piecing her two tops in trade. I've only done one that has free motion in it and everthing else is straight line quilting. I keep one hand quilting project going at all times to.

I usually do my own, unless it is too big (I'm going to start a super King size - that will be too big) OR it is super special - those I send to my LAQ.

My first quilts were all tied, many years ago. More recently, due to arthritis in my hands, tying became too difficult, so I switched to placing bar tacks instead of ties. Next came my embroidery machine, but because of the limited area it would do at one time, it is very tedious to do an entire quilt this way. For my DGKs, I placed redwork designs randomly across the quilts in addition to tying/tacking. I also sent some quilts to be LA quilted, but it is rather expensive to do this. Finally, last year I got a used 15" Bailey.

I am still in the learning stage with the Bailey, but I like being able to finish my own quilts. Budget permitting, I hope to attend the Machine Quilting Expo in Portland, in October.

I do all my own quilting - that's why I make tops. Most of mine are hand quilted, with a few done by machine.

Janet

I have always done my own, can't afford a LA. First hand quilting, now by machine. I just use my regular sewing machines and have done up to king size. I now have a frame but it has domestic machine on it. I like it for the no pinning or basting. Someday I may be lucky enough to be able to afford a used long arm.

I taught myself to fmq on my very first quilt with my Janome 6600, I wanted the project to be all mine! I made cutouts of leaves with freezer paper and sewed around them. I'm now on my 21st quilt and have done all but 2 myself. The first was a queen size that just plain intimidated me, so I sent it to my very fantastic LA Quilter and then I made a King for my bed and had her do that one as well. I've since purchased an HQ Sweet Sixteen and will soon be using that for the first time on a real quilt.

I used to send them out, but gave fmq a try and love it! I now do all my own, and even tho they aren't nearly as pretty or professional looking, the recipients love them!

I quilt the ones that are small, but the big ones go to the lady with the long arm quilting machine!