Major Newbie Mistake - Is it Too Late To Have it LongArm Quilted?? Yikes!!
 

Hi everyone,

I mentioned a few weeks back I was new to quilting and am finding myself more of an art quilter type. I saw this design and thought I could do it which makes my first Art quilt. The question I have is I was stitching and appliquing my little heart out and realized that it may be too late to have the whole thing quilted.

I added the boarders and the sleeve but I have not hand sewn those two items down yet. Is it too late to get this quilted? I don't want to go to someone and have them look at me like I have grown two heads in asking them to quilt it for me. I am adding jewelry and beading but know that has to been done after it is quilted. My next lesson is to learn how to machine quilt myself. UGH. Your advice no matter how brutal is greatly appreciated.

Also, what is the going rate for longarm? This wall art is about 40x42. I only want a simple and very light design with monocromatic thread or very light weight thread. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom to us Newbies. :)

She is quite stunning!

Since I cannot have my tops quilted by someone else (because I can't claim them as my own if someone else works on them) I can't answer you LA questions. Pretty sure that the sleeve and any embellishments go on after quilting.

So is the only reason you aren't quilting it yourself because you are not experienced in FMQ? How about taking some Craftsy classes and learning how to? You could put this piece aside and quilt it later when you are more confident. This size is definitely manageable on a regular sewing machine. And there is NO rule that says you have to finish something before starting the next. (Or we wouldn't need the UFO thread on the QB)

Beautiful!!! It's not too late. Borders are part of the quilt top and get quilted too, so you want to add borders before quilting. The sleeve is usually attached after quilting, but leaving it in place the way it is would not interfere with quilting (as long as it doesn't get inadvertently turned underneath).

With the type of quilting you are talking about, I would encourage you to do it yourself using a walking foot. You could quilt around the figure, then echo quilt those lines or free-form quilt as you like. A walking foot straight feeds; however, you can easily use it to make curving lines by going slowly and moving the quilt sandwich as it feeds to the foot. Make a practice sandwich to test out what you want to do. Bottom Line thread (from Superior Threads) would work well for this, as it is fine but strong. You would probably want to use a size 75 or 80 Microtex needle.

Alternatively, you can consult with a longarm quilter about cost. Costs depend a lot on where you live and the experience level of the longarmer.

Thanks for the advice. I am one of those get it done then move on types! LOL. Guess I may have to wait. Checking threads now as I am still learning. Going to look at the Superior Threads.

If you have a walking foot for your machine, just make up a quick quilt sandwich and use whatever thread you have on hand to see if you like the technique.

This us stunning. Love the patched dress!

First off--your piece is absolutely stunning and if this is an example of your capabilities, I will be waiting with bated breath for your next piece! Stunning!

Now a question about how you put the picture together. Did you sew a crazy quilt-type block and then cut out the dress or are all those little pieces appliqued by hand or machine, or are they just fused to the background? If they are just fused, you should probably secure them by stitching along all those edges. If you sewed them together and then cut out the dress, it should at least be secured around its edges. Same with the hair, which seems to be bias tape?? You could just sew very close to the edges to secure it. Or you could put a fine tulle over the whole piece and then quilt it thru all layers.

Beautiful artwork. May I suggest that this a perfect size to hand quilt.

I did the crazy quilt block. I had no idea it existed, I went to Roads California and there was a vendor their that made something called EZ pieces I think. So I pieced 6 different blocks and then stitched them together. It was similar to the design of the dress which by the way the design is from Aisha Lamumuba. I did stitch down everything including the dress. I have not done the headpiece or the hair yet. Those items as well as her skin are appliqued. I thought quilting down the hair would be better. The hair is not tape it was a textured type of material.

That thought terrifies me! LOL. I will stitch down the binding and the sleeve even though this is my least favorite thing to do in quilting I have found. :)

Thank you.

Your work is just awesome!

I have cut up some pieces and have myself scheduled to take a class this week to learn FMQ. :)

Thanks, I must admit I have over analyzed this piece to death. Then I got ahold of a wonderful book called Collaborative Quilting and have just let the creative process flow. Even adding some embellishments to it that are not in the original design.

Cutting up pieces now to start learning FMQ. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...........:)

Aww, you guys are truly incredible. Thank you. I feel like I have my own cheerleading squad.

I'd say go for it and quilt it yourself and make it a true first in all categories. That's a really stunning quilt. Can't wait to see where you go from here.

Long arming would depend on several things--embellishments are a no-no--too easy to hit with the hopping foot and either smash the embellishment or knock the timing off on the hopping foot--neither good. Also for long arm quilting, extra backing and bat is needed on all 4 sides to allow the quilter to clamp it to the frame. I have a question about the hair--is it intended to be sewn down, or allowed to remain loose and flowing? If loose and flowing, the long arm quilter (or you if you end up quilting it) will need to put it into a "pony tail" to keep it from being sewn. blue painters tape would do the trick. The type of quilting you do (or a long arm quilter) will depend upon the type of bat used--check the packages for distance in quilting. If you decide to quilt yourself (which judging by the awesomeness of this quilt I'm guessing you are a quick study and can do this!) look at some Bottom Line thread on Superior Threads, very thin and very strong and will "melt" into your quilt.

Thanks. the hair is appliqued down with the exception of the ends. I am going to be sure I understanding what is needed when you want something longarmed going forward. Thanks for the vote of confidence regarding the FMQ. I will see how I do as I study the next two weeks just to get what I am hearing is muscle memory. Someone else suggested the Superior Threads so I am going to order some looking at colors that will blend.

I also think she is just stunning. Sounds like you are going to take an FMQ class & do it yourself, which is a great idea. Make sure that you do some practice pieces first to get used to quilting and do a bit of experimentation on motifs that you might use. I would also add a bit of applique to your practice pieces to see what you would like to do in those areas.
As far as taking a top to a long arm quilter, you need to verify with them first, but usually you cut the backing 6 to 12 inches wider and longer than your top. This allows them to attach the backing to the quilting frame. If you supply the batting, you would want it a couple inches wider & longer than the top. The long arm quilter you select will give you the specific sizes they need. You bring the top, backing & batting as separate pieces. Pricing can vary widely by geography and type of quilting. It can be as low as $0.01/ square inch for an 'edge to edge' design which would cover the entire top without regard for piecing or applique. Anything else is considered custom quilting. This is where the quilt designs are informed by the applique and/or piecing on the top. Pricing for this is more than edge to edge, and can be moderate to very costly depending on the type of quilting requested and the skill of the quilter. For small pieces, such as a wall hanging, there normally is a minimum charge. If you do decide to have a piece quilted by a long arm quilter, make sure that you get everything in writing. At a minimum, it should contain size of piece, batting choice, estimated completion date, thread choice type of quilting, and estimated price. Also, be sure to see samples of their work!

Okay, thanks for the extra info. You really have to stitch down the the headpiece and the hair. This is such a unique piece. I keep looking at it and honestly cannot think of an easy DSM quilting method for it. I think you should contact a few LA'ers in your area and see what they would suggest. Just don't go with the first suggestion--shop around because this piece is crying out for out of the ordinary quilting. This piece is definitely show worthy.

Your quilt looks just fabulous. If it was me I would call some long arm quilters and ask them. You might want to take the quilt to them and see what they say.

This is a magnificent piece of artwork. Bravo to you. If you do this quality work as a newbie, the sky's the limit as to what you'll produce in the future. Don't let a little quilting inexperience scare you off. I can't offer suggestions as to HOW to quilt the thing--that part always stumps me, too. I nearly burn up my thinker every time.

This is so very helpful. Thank you so much for this information.

I am going to take it to a few LAers just to get their opinion as well as see their work for possible future quilts that I do especially if I do anything larger.

A newbie to quilting, eh? That piece sure doesn't indicate that! It's gorgeous. Personally, I wouldn't long-arm that. As unique as this is, it cries for the piecing to stand alone without competition from the quilting. I think I would do a simple outline of the design, perhaps echo a little if you think it needs it for stability. If you do not want to do this yourself, I'd consider having someone hand quilt this rather than machine quilting. I think on another comment, you mention not liking to do the binding, etc by hand. Neither do I but I love to do hand quilting. Doesn't "compute", does it? But the hand quilting is a craft on its own and the binding is a chore, I guess. Congratulations on this stunning creation!

Beautiful lady. Love all the colors and you did a beautiful job. Thanks for sharing. I think you have lots of nice quilts ahead of you.

Wow! It is just gorgeous! Can't wait to see it finished

What an innovative piece! I really like it.

Wonderful artwork!!!

Newbie? A definitely talented newbie with a great eye. Your piece is gorgeous and draws the viewer in immediately. Love it.

Beautiful quilt. I would make a practice sandwhich and practice, practice practice! Some advice: I would use a top stitch needle, have plenty of tables around your sewing table to make sure that the quilt is completely level with the sewing machine so there is no pull. You may want to make your practice piece the same size as your quilt. You will better duplicate doing the real thing that way.

Love what you have done, and thank you for the name of the designer. I checked and Aisha Lamumuba has other neat designs as well. Looking forward to seeing it once you've got the quilting in place.

I can't see why you think "It's too late" for anything. If you want to learn to quilt this yourself, you can still do it. If you want someone else to quilt it by hand or long arm, that can still be done too.

You might be surprised to find that it is cheaper to have it hand quilted, since the longarm would not be pretty done as an overall pattern. The quilter would definitely need to follow your layout. Before I understood that concept, I contracted with a longarm quilter to finish one for me, only to get hit with a fantastic bill at the end.

Wow! She is gorgeous. Yes, add the borders but not yet the sleeve. Have you considered some hand quilting? Yes, you definitely need someone to work from the front of a longarm to keep the applique in mind when quilting.

Okay let me go and at the very least look at what hand quilting involves. Whew! I get the gitters thinking about it. LOL. I will also check around my area for hand quilters to get an idea of cost. I want to make sure this piece is done right.

Thank you ladies for your comments on this and being honest. I can be obsessive when I make things. I do knitting, crocheting, painting and basic sewing and I am finding that this craft for my mindset is no different. I will pull it out or apart and start over if I don't think it works or I will sit and watch it for a few days when I need to commit to something! That hair and her headpiece design took me well over a week to figure out then applique it on. If nothing else this is teaching me nothing is perfect and even the mistakes can be part of of the final design.

your workis stunning. i love her dress
I do all hand quilting. When they get too big, i do it in sections
then attach then do the next section. i would do your by hand.
Why not try it, it's not too big to have it LA.

want to add that if I were long arm quilting this, I'd suggest using a mono-poly (I like Superior's or YLI) on the dress--following some of the piecing lines just enough to anchor the figure to the backing without distracting from the pieced dress. Then I'd use a blending yellow Superior BottomLine to do a fairly tight but not very intricate design in the yellow background--maybe even just wavy lines about 1/8-1/4 in apart. I'd first closely outline the figure. I would not quilt on the hair or the figure at all--too distracting. Also, I'd probably use a poly (low loft--for some reason I find it easier to use doubled low loft than a high loft--fewer tucks & puckers) as it's a wall hanging and likely won't be washed. Plus the poly does not hold creases as much as cotton or cotton blend---and I'd be thinking you would be entering this into some shows so you don't want creases. if it was larger and maybe plan was for a bed quilt, then I'd double bat 80/20 with washable wool on top to really make the lady "pop" Please do show us again once it's quilted!


also you don't show where you live, but generally speaking prices for long arm quilting tend to run lower in the midwest than either coast. I do know some people mail quilts to LA but frankly, though I long arm and have family members mail quilts to me, it seems as if there are enough LA that you'd find someone near so you could truly see their work. In the KC area, edge-to-edge or pantos (neither which I'd guess you'd want!)run about 1-2cents/sq. in; custom goes from there upwards depending on the number of thread changes, amount of marking needed, density of quilting, intricacy of the design, etc. the design I described to you would probably be somewhere from 3-4cents/sq. in.