Taking the Pressure Off
 

Since I made the decision to have some of my tops long armed by professionals, I feel as though I do not have to worry about tops getting quilted. I like my hand quilting, but it takes so very long to get even one lap quilt finished. I'm so happy that there are people out there who have the courage to get the big machines and let us invade their time to get the pretty designs on our tops.

I feel the same way. My friend who longarms my quilts for me is so reasonable and has a quick turnaround time. I can do small quilts, but I don’t know how to fmq, so I really appreciate her skill!

Hello Boston,

I'm a terrible quilter. I carry a lot of tension in my hands. And, every quilt I quilted, it showed. But, I found I was avoiding finishing quilts because of the thought of the quilting. So, I did the same last year. I had 8 quilts finished. And, will definitely get a few more quilted again this year. It has given me time to play around with Quilt As You Go. Which is looking like a better option for me. Not every quilt can be quilted this way. And, a bit of pre-planning has to go into each quilt you do as a Quilt As You Go. But, it is at least an option. I found my sewing machine just doesn't have the power to quilt a large quilt either. And, it just plain stressed me out to do the quilting. I really enjoy the piecing and quilting on a small basis. (Small projects or 1 block at a time.)

Good for you making a decision that works for y-o-u! I don't feel guilty for letting someone else quilt my quilts either. I don't enjoy the process at all. Love getting guidance and talking about thread colors and quilting designs with the quilter first. Then the magic happens.

I've only had one bad experience sending them out. No worries, it was fixed and I move on.

Do what makes you happy in your quilting world!

Yes. I hand quilt my smaller wall hangings. But for the big stuff I have a wonderful longarm lady. Especially for things like grandkid quilts. Actually any other quilts. My hand quilting takes a LONG time.

If I ever go this route, how do I go about finding the longarmers in my area?

I am glad some really enjoy the quilting part and are so good at it. I can’t afford the rout on all my quilts but it is so worth it on those special ones
joe’s mom, check with a local LQS or guilds in your area. They should have contacts for longarmers in your area

Good thing about quilting. There is something for everyone

There is a place on this forum for members to post, I'll see if I can find the link. Sorry I can't find it, maybe it's not available anymore?

Check with the local guilds, fabric shops, and other quilters.