I'm not a long arm quilter. I've noticed how close the quilting is on those done by LAQ - lots of detail in a small area. Is there a reason? Or is it that I can't quilt that close on my home machine?

the tabletop home machines can/will quilt that close - a lot of the long arm quilt machines are computerized so it is the computer that is stitching that close, not necessarily human hands, although I have seen a long arm quilter doing it by herself without the aid of the computer....WOW, it was awesome!!!

Thanks for that info, mamatobugboo. Never thought about the computer part. Makes a lot of sense.

We have several longarm quilter in our area that quilt very closely and it really is beautiful.

You can do it also very close on your domestic machine. You just need to practice a lot.

Maria

I quilt very close on my domestic machine, but not all the time, just how the mood takes me. I think it has been a trend over recent years to quilt closer, and it is more obvious on the quilts that have won the prestigious prizes in the big quilt shows, so presumably the judges at those shows have gradually preferred the closer quilting.

Like everything else, it's a style that's popular right now. And it can be done freehand on a LA or on your home machine. I think the reason that most people don't do it on their home machine is the wear and tear on your hands.

It's also something that is area driven. I have ladies that bring me quilts and want just a wide meander. Sometimes what they want isn't enough to hold the quilt together. We usually find something that works and makes them happy.

Thanks, everyone. All your comments helped. This is a great helpful board.

the utility of the quilt should also be considered if you plan on using micro quilting.

micro quilting tends to make the quilt sitff in that area, the quilt can have many needle punctures from it, and very little batting remains in these areas because the quilting flattens it down and pushes it away.

this type of quilting is best left for art and shows if you plan on actually using it other quilting styles might be more suited.

Klue, this explains even more. I had two quilts done by a LAQ. The work was beautiful, but you are right, it was stiff in places where the quilting was close. I had also done some applique which was just outlined and there was a lot more "puff" there. I'm learning so much.