question about sending a quilt out for quilting
 

I have never sent a quilt out to a long arm. I have thought about it and I even asked about pricing.. but I am working on one for a wedding gift, so I am thinking about sending the quilt out. There is a question that I never asked the long armers so I am betting you ladies know... and maybe each long armer is different I have no idea. But when you give a long armer your quilt, do you have to layer and baste it? Or you do you just give them the quilt top, backing and batting and they take it from there - doing the layering themselves

They do the layering themselves

Every long arm quilter has their own way of doing things. When you decide on who you are going to send it out to you probably need to ask what their request from you would be. I have worked with 3 different long armers and they all require different things. I have never basted my quilts but I have laid them out with top, batting and backing after ironing the top and bottom. Good luck.

Three separate pieces. Also back and batting must be larger than top in order to accommodate attaching to longarm. I ask for four extra inches on each of the 4 sides but it is best to ask your longarm person what they require. Also each longarmer may have particular requirements for preparation.

Definitely talk to your quilter about do"s and do not's. Mine provides batting so I don't have to worry about that. Just make sure your backing is "so many inches" bigger than top. I have quilted some of my own and I think it's important to have your backing squared up, pressed and selvedges trimmed off if piecing. But, definitely let your quilter tell you.

Usually, you would not layer and baste the layers together as they need to be loaded separately on the frame - basting them together prior to loading may cause puckers on the front or back or both. Do make sure that you have spoke with whomever you are going to have quilt it and send/take enough backing and batting to extend out beyond the sides of the top.

You don't layer the top, the quilter will. Some quilters will have a selection of batting, so you may not need to provide your own. The quilter will tell you how large the backing needs to be and if they will accept a vertical seam or even a sheet.
You need to do some research to avoid any disappointments. If possible, get referrals from friends. If you can't do that, ask to see some of the quilter's completed work. Plan on spending some time when you drop the top off. The quilter will probably have ideas, but the more input you can provide the better. If you see a photo of a quilt you like, print it off and bring it with you.
Insist on something in writing. If the quilter doesn't have a formal contract, then at least write something up by hand. At a minimum, it should state the size of the top, type of batting, and thread to be used. The type of quilting should be spelled out: custom, all over, panto etc. If a panto is used, the name of the panto should be stated. The price should be listed. An approximate completion date should be specified. Make sure your name and phone number is clearly listed. You both sign it and each gets a copy. And finally, you and the quilter should look the top over to make sure they don't see any issues.
If you have used a quilter several times, you can probably trust their judgment and don't have to be so formal, but the first time using someone you should be cautious!

Many long-arm quilters want to supply the batting from their store, because they buy it on rolls and get a better price than a retail customer can get. Also it is necessary to have your BACKING fabric extending beyond the front by about 8 inches. If your quilt top was 72 x 80, then your BACKING should measure 80 x 88 inches. (after pre-shrinking and cutting off all selvedges). This results in quite a bit of "waste" of your backing fabric, and you should ask up front for all your trimmings to be returned to you, whether or not you want the long-arm quilter to bind your quilt. Make sure you know all the charges, because you may be shocked if the quilter charges fees beyond the "per square inch" charge that they will quote you. Get everything in writing FIRST. For example, if you have a wide border around your quilt, the long-arm quilter may suggest doing a different design AROUND the center. This will add to the cost of having your quilt done for you.

All good suggestions here. breakdown; ask for referrals, ask longarmer for requirements, get it in writing. I know a LA who has everything in writing and emails to her clients what those are.

The LAer's by me have all their information on their websites -- extra inches required on back, what batting they use/allow, why type(s) of quilting they do & price per inch for each & so forth.

wow! thanks everyone for the information and suggestions!!

I give it in three separate pieces to my long arm quilter. She also gives me guidelines for the extra size needed for the batting and backing over the dimensions of the top.

If you plan to use the backing material for the binding be sure and let the quilter know not to trim.

They do the layering putting it onto a frame. The one thing that they appreciate are that the quilt and backing have been pressed and any loose threads removed.

Make sure you have seen their work before hiring them to do such a precious gift.

I take the top and backing to my long arm quilter and she provides the batting. She changes by the inch for the quilting and there is an extra fee if I have her doing the binding.

Whatever the longarm quilter says for extra backing fabric - follow it. So many times, people say "Well I know you wanted an extra 4 inches on each side, but I have x." The quilters use the extra inches to attach the backing to the frame and to clamp the sides. If there is not enough fabric, there will be issues with the quilting near the edges. Also, the tension for the quilt is perfected by practicing on the sides in those extra inches of fabric. Much better to have an extra place to do it - other than the quilt top.

I have used two long arm quilters for very special projects. Both of them used the batting and backing which I supplied. Neither requested my layering everything -- it was easier for them to work with three separate pieces. I had to be sure that the batting and backing were at least four inches larger than the top so the pieces would load onto the frame accurately. Both of my long armers were given free reign over the design. I trusted both of them explicitly and was not disappointed. One of them left the extra batting and backing attached, so, when I trimmed everything, I had plenty of long strips to use as the binding. If you have questions, ask your long armer. I don't think you will be disappointed. Your special gift should become a very special gift.

Most LAQ's provide their own batting. I've worked with LAQ's who lie 6 extra inches on the backing and I've worked with ones tha onle require 4 inches all around on the backing. Contact the LAQ your going to use and see if they provide batting and hqw big your backing shoud be on all sides.

Make sure your backing and top are well pressed and all loose threads are trimmed from the backs. If the back is pieced, use half inch seams (do not include selvedges) and press open. If you will be quilting with a directional pattern, mark where the top of the quilt is. If there are any loose edges, as in loose folded triangles or flanges, baste those down so they don't get quilted down flipped over. Stitch across the ends of seams which extend to the edge of the quilt top so they don't open up once under tension on the frame.

When I first started using long arm quilters, I had a list of questions I asked in addition to making sure I saw samples of their work. You may be able to use some of those questions, too, so here's my list:

How long have you been longarming? On the machine you use now?
Is your machine hand guided or computer guided?
Have you quilted for competition?
Are you a member of any guilds or machine quilter’s organizations?
If I select a quilting pattern that you don’t think will look very good when complete, will you explain why and make other suggestions?
Are there brands of batting that you prefer to work with?
Will I receive an estimate?
Do you require a deposit?
If extra work is required, do you call in advance of doing that work?
Do you baste all the edges?
Do you trim the backing and the batting?
Do you also make quilts?
Do you have any problem with cats? (some here will not take customers with cats because of allergies)
What type of thread do you use? Do you supply it?
Do you have a rush service?
Are there any size limitations, large or small?
Do you require backstitched seams on the edges or is perimeter stitching okay instead?


ETA: Mine requires that the top, batting, and backing are marked with safety pins to indicate the top edge. It keeps layers from being loaded incorrectly and takes the determination of 'which way is up' out of her hands...which she likes. :)
<O:p

good information from ghostrider. I am a long armer and it also nice if the tops are pressed and long threads trimmed. Nothing more frustratineg than to have stray threads quilted in a light piece of fabric. But do ask questions of your longarmer, it helps for you complete satisfaction.

ghostrider - thanks for your input! that list of questions is good to have

You do not have to layer it, they do it. Each long arm quilter has different requirements as to how they want the top and backing done so make sure that you talk to them first. As to the batting, check with the quilter as to what batting they use. I usually do not supply the batting if the batting that the LAQ uses is acceptable. The cheapest services are for edge to edge quilting. If you require custom quilting the price is usually higher. In regards to the binding, I supply the binding and ask that they sew it on to the front of the quilt because I like to hand sew the binding to the back. If I mail my top and backing I always put them in a plastic bag just in case the box gets wet.

My long-armer doesn't want anything but the 3 pieces. She also wants to have you pick out the pattern of quilting you want done on it. She answers any questions, gives suggestions if you want it, and is worth every cent I pay her. It is a relief to have her!
She will offer to bind it, or leave it for me to do. I let her do it!!
Good luck!
Mariah

For several years I have given my quilts to one person to quilt. She is great, but since she and her husband have a farm and she works, she is not that quick. She is, however, very good and will provide batting if you wish, whatever kind you want, and charges for it. A friend recommended another person, and I gave her 2 quilts. I had to provide the batting. She was very quick, I got 2 quilts back in 3 weeks. Here is the difference. The first quilter did not trim the edges so I could trim it myself before adding the binding to the width I wanted. The second one trimmed the edges right up to the border - it was not easy putting on the binding because there was no batting to fill the binding, so I had to make the seam allowance bigger when adding the binding. SO - that is a question I would ask as well - or tell them NOT to trim the edges (my first quilter positions it so any excess backing fabric is whole and can be used in another quilt). Costs are about the same for both, about 2 cents per square inch. (Another good question).

When I sent my quilt to Happy Quilters in KS, I just sent the top, they put the batting, backing and binding on and I was very pleased and it was very reasonable.

I will say this about sending a quilt out to be quilted. Make sure you have everything in writing, price, time, what is supplied, etc. also, when I sent my first quilt out to be quilted, I had a really hard time making sure my back was wide enough for my 112" x112" inch quilt. By my measurements, I needed to add 8" so I divided that in half, add four inches to each side, and added a strip down each side. When she loaded it, it was too wide, so she called to ask how to adjust it. I told her to take all of the extra off one side, since the side pieces were different fabric. That was my idea because it gave it an accent strip down one side. When I got it back, it was perfect. I am telling you all this so you know that even a well prepared quilt may have issues, so make sure and tell your quilter that if any problems arise to please call you to work it out. Also, ask to see some of their work and get references. I hope you are thrilled with the job. Post pictures.

(FYI- I put the labels on before they are quilted, so they are quilted in, makes them harder to steal.)

Madam Kelly, how do you know where to put your labels on the back before they are LA'd? I'm still learning about my LA and would rather put my label on first like you.

I just did this for a customer--I loaded it so the embroidered label was at the top, left hand corner of the backing--luckily she was careful and gave me plenty of extra space on both corner edges around the label to use for pinning to leaders so there was no worry about it being cut-off.

One thing I would add to what others have said is as a long armer, I appreciate customers that will discuss what is wanted desired on the quilt. When I am told "I trust you to choose" I cringe! So I'll start asking lots of questions--how dense of quilting, how much do you want to spend (and show examples of quilted out samples for different density and price range), do you want me to provide bat and discuss what kind, how will the quilt be used (hang on wall or repeated washings), what type of thread and color/contrast, and since I routinely leave the extra edges on for the customer, ask if they don't wish that done. It's important to be sure to discuss price--most long armers charge different rates for different types of quilting--pantos & edge2edge tend to be less costly, then border2border with the borders done differently than the center, or customer quilting or heirloom quilting. Most will also charge extra for attaching the binding by machine or finishing binding by hand.

But for your quilter will love you & your quilts if you bring them pressed top & backing with threads clipped and the back squared well.

Always ask questions about how much fabric they require on the sides of the quilt, how much bigger the batting and back should be. Each one has different rules.

I send the top and back separate, sometimes I send batting if I have it- if not she has it. The backing needs to be bigger on all sides 4-6 inches. I have a pretty easy going longarmer.....and reasonable. I wish I had the skill to do them myself, but I am not going to crunch a king sized quilt into my itty bitty head in my sewing machine. My longarmer charges per inch and also for thread which is separate. If I want a special pattern sometimes some of them increase the cost as well. She will also trim when she is done and put on binding for additional $$.

My quilting skills are not always great. After all I have quilted they should be. I make my quilts start to finish so I can say I made them all myself.

My long armer likes four inches longer and four inches wider for the backing. I bring my own batting as I change the batting according to the climate where I'm sending the quilt. My new favorite is Hobbs wool and cotton. It quilts up beautiful.

,I just send the tops she does the rest

I have never layered or basted a quilt I am sending out to a LAQ. The ones I have worked with want to do it themselves. Definitely talk to the LAQ you are going to use.