Ok.. I am getting close to the time I have to start thinking about how I am going to finish off the Chevy Quilt. I will post pics later but I am wondering.. Can you choose the design? I want to bind teh top and bottom with the chevy logo in a silver thread. Can a LA be programed to do that or do I have to do that by hand?

Just to get an idea 1/2 the square is grey, white, red and white/silver glitter stripes, the other 1/2 the square is black. All the prints are just a plain marble. (i wish I could post pics). In the middle of the quilt will be a big chevy logo out of grey/silver. I am taking it to an embroider to get the word "chevy' embroidered in the middle of the logo. The border will be a checkered print. (all fabrics picked out my DH since it will be his quilt)

I wrote a letter to Chevrolet corp headquarters asking to use their logo in a quilt and the only response I got was to send them a pic!

Long Arm quilters do not normally do the binding on a quilt. If they do, they charge extra. Some will run it down the front side for you but that seems to be rare.

I'm not sure what you mean by binding with the Chevy Logo. Do you have fabric with the logo on it are do you plan on stitching it down by machine on the front?

If you mean the border, yes, LAQ's can by free hand, computerized or stencil, quilt the Chevy bowtie design.

Nope.. I want to bind the top and the bottom with the chevy bowtie in silver thread. It looks like I am going to be doing it by hand!

this pic is the general idea. except the colors are different and my squares are smaller.. About 4 in. In the middle of each 4 square I want the chevy bowtie in silver to work as the binding. I was hoping a long arm would save my fingers the trouble of doing it by hand!

How wide is the binding? It can probably be done but it's not going to be cheap. I know my machine would not like quilting through all the quilt layers plus the binding. My sewing machine could do it if I had a bowtie emblem on it. It does have rabbits, dogs, flowers and other things which I have used to do a decorative stitch on the front of the binding so I'm thinking an embroidery machine could probably do what you're wanting.

ugh.. I hate being a newb... I am not sure what your asking by "how wide is the binding?"

The binding is the very outer edge that is applied to finish off a quilt. Stitching through the top layer through the batting to the backing to "tie" all three layers together is the quilting.

So do you mean that you want to quilt each square with the Chevy logo?

YES! LOL.. Not every square maybe every 2 or 3.. but yes.. I was just wondering of a long arm can be customized to quilt the chevy bowtie..

I believe they can. Now that we have the terminology right it will be easier for someone with a computerized longarm to answer you for sure. :)

the design will have to be digitized first so you will need to find someone to prepare the disk or however it is put into the machine. How about embroidering the design onto the block then quilt it rather than try and embroidery/quilt at the same time. If I understand your description.

Holice is correct, the pattern would have to be digitized, and there are so many designers out there that do that.

With the Statler I put the pattern in the PC and it comes up and I just put it where I need it to be. Sizing to the block.

Enjoy the process!

It would be easy to digitize, trace on vellum and sew through or for the more artistic longarmer--freestyle. You're just wanting the Chevy bowtie all over the quilt which is easy peasy and they might only charge for an edge to edge instead of custom. The silver thread might be an issue though if you want a metallic. My regular piecing machine doesn't like metallics so I haven't even tried them in the quilting machine. I think a nice King Tut silvery gray should work fine for most longarms.

Thanks for all the advice. I don't plan to limit myself to one idea. I know how I want the quilt to look when its done I just need to find the best way to get it there! Thank you all for being so helpful! I am not sure what I am going to do yet..

Did you find someone to digitize the Chevy Bowtie? If so, I'm looking to put it into my Gammill for a client. I may have to try it myself, although I am fairly new at making my own. Thread painting? Too scary for this newby. Thanks.

a binding is the fabric folded around the outer edge of the quilt (finishing off the outside edge around the quilt) not quite sure what you are talking about the center of your 4 patch blocks- and logo- all that makes sense- but what it has to do with your binding??? not sure what you are asking ... are you wanting to add some sort of a border in these blocks??? sorry i am quite confused about your questions...

I'm thinking - correct me if I'm wrong - you want the Chevy insignia as the quilting in the blocks. Yes, this would be fairly easy to do. If I'm thinking right, the insignia is mostly straight lines. Right? Do you have a picture or a link to a picture?

So you want the Chevy bowtie to be the quilting design inside of the blocks. Binding, as ckcowl explained, is the fabric you use all around the final edge to hide and contain the batting and final edges of the quilt.

Yes, almost any longarmer should be able to find or create a Chevy bowtie to quilt inside your blocks. The possible problems I foresee are this would be considered a "custom" design is will cost you more. Also, it will be a stop & start in each block which will also cost more unless they can figure out how to wiggle or stitch the way unseen or at least without detracting from the bowties in each block. Lastly, the silver thread. If a metallic is used--many won't even use metallics--it will cost more but if a nice silvery gray cotton is used instead, it won't cost much more if any than standard cotton quilting thread. There are many lustrous cotton threads out now that will behave much better than a metallic.

How large is this quilt? I would definitely PM Charismah or any of the popular longarmers on this board & get their professional opinion. I only quilt for myself at this point.