How should I mail the baby quilt wallhanging? It's scary; I worked so hard on it just for those twins in Idaho. They are due in about 6 weeks but I want it there in time for the baby shower sometime before that.

After I get the rod sleeve attached and the binding handsewn on back, I'll take photos and post one on the Pictures section, hopefully next week.

I'd appreciate any advice about packing and mailing.

No definate answer , but whatever you choose I would make sure that there is tracking availbale. Fedex and UPS all have it included, the USPS has it with an additional charge (.60 I think). The company I work for has found the tracking info very useful when trying to locate a missing package. Someone else just posted a chart on packages lost chart, maybe use the search button and see if that makes your answer any easier . http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/23705.page

went and found it for you Good Luck
Sharon

Who ever you choose to ship with, write your address and the recipients on a piece of paper and fold it up with the quilt. If the outside addresses get unreadable for any reason, they will look inside.
Definently make sure there is a tracking number like Sharon posted...they don't seem to get "lost" as often with that...
You can also request that the receiver has to sign for the package, that way that can't just drop it at the front door.

I am of the same mind of the
ladies above. I have mailed
many of my sewing projects
and luckily so far, no problems.
Good Luck with you mailing!!
:D :D :D :D :D :D

I would just mail it either First Class or Priority.
You can use a Flat Rate Box.
Pay the extra little bit for insurance and tracking.

I've mailed out almost all quilts I have made in the past 5 years and none have been lost.

Be sure to put your quilt in a sealable plastic bag to protect it from rain in case the envelope gets wet. There are padded envelopes with plastic inside that are really cheap.

I use priority everyday and never any problems.

You can't TRULY get package tracking with USPS (Post Office) unless you're sending it via Express Mail. Otherwise, the package number that you get is a delivery confirmation number. All you will typically see is that it has entered the USPS system... and then that it has been delivered. Uhhh... and ... that doesn't necessarily mean that it was delivered to the right place, just that is was delivered somewhere.

Don't get me wrong, I love USPS for its more economical pricing. But mistakes can and do happen with them.

If you LOVE this quilt - and don't want to have to worry - then do yourself a big favor and send it with UPS or FedEx. It's well worth the money, when your're sending a treasure.

After all, it's hard to purchase enough insurance to cover the value "priceless"!

I agree with Favorite Fabric, but personally I prefer FedEx. If you use ground shipping it gets there sooner than USPS for sure. I have used FedEx many many times over the years and have never had any problems and the cost isn't any more than the post office.

When I'd sell a quilt on Ebay, I mailed parcel post. I always put them in garbage bag just in case the box got wet. It takes maybe a week to ten days for Parcel Post.

You can go to usps.com to check costs for that, and also for Priority rate. You can get the free Priority boxes from the post office, or if you have time, they'll mail them to you. Priority is a lot quicker, but Parcel Post is cheaper.

I agree, always get a tracking number, and use lots of packing tape to make sure the package can't come open.

If you need a box for it, you might want to ask at an auto body shop. They always have good clean boxes.
:-)

Agree with all the above and I put the packing tape over the addresses so that they don't get smudged or anything if the package gets wet. I would buy insurance too if you go USPS. We definitely have needed and used before. We have received some packages heavily damaged. We think that they kick them around a bit in the warehouses.

i ship lots of quilts. i do art quilts so my packing might be different than most.

i roll the quilt up on a foam noodle (the kind kids use in the swimming pool).

then i put plastic around the quilt to protect it from water damage in route.

then i price the shipping rates between fedex and ups.

Check out this recommendations:

http://www.quiltershomemag.com/artic...hip_your_quilt

Maria

Very good info to file away to use as needed. I have never shipped a quilt, I like to deliver in person, and so far have been able to do that, but foresee a time in the future when that will not be practical! :lol:

I too have sent out quilts this way and it is nerve racking until it gets to it's destination safely. I printed out the instructions at the link you gave. It is great information. Thanks. I like the marking the box contents as bedding instead of a quilt. Good idea .. I printed it out for future use.

One can compare rates at the USPS web site. Sometimes Parcel Post is actually MORE expensive than the Priority Mail flat rate box - depending on weight and destination (and whether it will fit in a flat rate box or not)

Thank you so much for all this great advice! Hand delivering this gift to Idaho would be a weeklong roundtrip which I just cannot do. You have all helped me to feel better about shipping it. I've bookmarked this post for future reference.
Cathy

If you send it registered mail, return reciept requested with USPS everyone who touches the package has to sign for it, then you get confirmation it was delivered.
I worked in a jewelry store, we mailed jewelry that was our merchandise (replaceable) Fedex but if it was a clients jewelry that we needed to send out it always went registered mail. This is the only way I will mail a quilt or anything else I really don't want lost.

Jo

Make ABSOLUTELY sure that you put a pieces paper INSIDE the box with both addresses on it.

when i sent a squishy to france, i used usps, and am so glad i did. the addressee info came off somehow as did most of my return address. all that was legible was my user name, butterflywing :lol: and my post office #. when it got returned to my home post office, every mailman was asked who the heck butterflywing was. my mailman nearly bust a gut laughing. he knew exactly where i was and brought it to me. he hid it behind his back and asked "did you lose something?"

we had a good laugh together, and the post office didn't charge for the re-mailing since they assumed the responsibility for the torn off labels.

and it was uninsured.

Fold or roll quilt with tissue paper. Place a copy of adress label inside package. Wrap box or container with several heavy plastic trash bags and seal securely with package tape. Then wrap with heavy brown paper. Be alsolutely certain to insure your package. Have mailed nearly 100 quilts and never had a quilt lost or damaged. What a joy for the new mother! :)

I want to thank all of you for your advice about how to send a quilt. I followed it with great success. I labelled it inside too, water protected it, decorated the box outside with hearts and of course insured it. I sent it from my local UPS Store and my friend had to sign for it. I never did check the tracking because it got there when it was supposed to. The only thing that would've been better was to have brought it in a box instead of buying theirs.... but I didn't have one that worked.

I printed out all your suggestions for future needs. And I didn't give away my grown-up now kid's pool foam noodles since Klue said she rolls quilts on them.

You can see the wallhanging quilt I made and sent to my far-away friend on the Pictures section. It arrived a week before her daughter gave birth to twins... just in time to put up before things got crazy!

Thanks again!