Shipping your quilt
 

What company/service do you use to send your quilts? I have finished a quilt for a former neighbor and need to send it to North Carolina. It's been many years since I sent a quilt out of state. What is your preferred service or company? And how do you pack the quilt - plastic bag inside a box? Double box? I need some help folks!

I use UPS, like that I can track online. I know you can track with postal service but have had trouble with them in the past. I started using a plastic bag for the quilt after a box I sent to my long arm quilter got wet. Didn’t damage quilt top but good lesson.
I also include a copy of the shipping information.

I use USPS. I put the quilt inside a plastic bag and ship in a box. I can track it until it arrives. Knock wood I've never had an issue.

Describe it as a blanket, not a quilt at the carrier office. Get the insurance and tracking whether you use USPS or UPS.

I always call them "fabric scraps"!!! Usually USPS in one of their priority boxes.

Note that insurance will only cover if you have receipts for the contents. You could value a quilt at $500 and insure for that, but if it's lost or damaged, you're going to need to produce acceptable documentation proving the value before the insurance will pay. For example, if you purchased the item OR if the recipient is purchasing it from you.

There was a topic on QB here a year or so ago about this, and at best one could get the value of the fabrics used in that particular instance.

ETA - here's the topic Why Should I Get My Quilt Appraised? - Quiltingboard Forums

I like USPS Priority Mail best. Give the recipient the tracking number.

Shipping your quilt
 

When I have shipped a quilt, I used a zipper plastic bag that my queen sheets came in. I then placed that inside the card board box provided by UPS. The quilt arrived just fine to where it needed to be.

I use large plastic bags and a really sturdy box and always put the "to" and "from" information inside the box incase it gets damaged in transit. I use to ship USPS until I learned that UPS was cheaper and faster for me.

I find my regular USPS office does as good a job as anyone and from the last one I sent which was a couple years ago cheaper. I place mine into a plastic bag as most of mine have gone to Florida and you never know if the package will get dropped into a flood zone so want it to be safe. So far they haven't lost any of mine and I've sent at least close to a dozen down to Florida as gifts.

I did not think of a plastic bag to protect from moisture, but next time I will. Thanks. I shipped a quilt using UPS with no problems. I was nervous, though.

I have never shipped a quilt but as I was reading this topic I came across this comment. I am curious to why you would describe it as a blanket instead….

Pirate Shipping finds the best price between UPS and USPS Has insurance and have had great service from this company.
Savings.

toogie....I've been told this before about claiming it as an ordinary blanket and not a quilt. The majority of people realize how expensive a handmade quilt is and might be tempted to snatch it...blankets are relatively cheap and may not be worth the trouble. It does make me wonder, that should it get stolen/lost what will be reimbursed for, an ordinary blanket or a handmade quilt?

I second Pirate Ship. They are a broker for the big shippers and give great deals.

Watson

You'd be reimbursed for what you can provide the receipts for. Just because you insure something for a dollar amount, it doesn't mean you'll get reimbursed that amount. You have to prove the value of the item lost or stolen. Receipts or certified appraisal documentation.

Ziploc XL bags and Pirate Ship
 

I've used those XL bags from Ziploc, they're the size you can put sports balls into, etc. I've found them on Amazon and I think Target. That way I know that moisture and staining are much less likely to happen. I also recommend pirateship.com. I have used them numerous times now, and the discounts are solid. You don't have to be a business or have anything special to register on their website. It's been a huge savings.

Just read online that the USPS is raising their prices again this year on July 14 so if you decide to use them, best do it before then as I think it's around 7.8% increas. Stamps are going from $.68 to $.72. Wish their service would improve with the raise too. Mine has gotten sloppy since the old guys retired and they're hiring young guys that could care less if they get your mail to you on the day it's supposed to come and around here, your lucky if you get your mail by 6pm. These guys are only part timers so no benefits to save money so why do they keep raising our prices?

Post office lives under different rules than private carriers. The post office has to deliver everywhere. Around here, the private companies like UPS, pass the packages they take on to the post office to make the final delivery as they do not like having to deliver to out of the way places. I agree that service has gone done since DeJoy has taken over the top position under the ex-president. DeJoy apparently was on the boards of a couple of private delivery companies. It is an interesting history and read if you are interested.