When and why hire a LA Quilter
 

I'm asking about someone who does it as a business. Not just having your friend with a mid arm do it as a favor.

"When" is when you don't want to do it yourself.
"Why" is because you don't want to do it yourself.
Maybe I don't understand the question? Lots of people love piecing/applique but prefer to quilt by checkbook. Others enjoy the quilting process or want to have total control of their quilt. There's plenty of room for both types.

I use a LAQ for all my quilts; unless I want handquilting, then I send to a handquilter.
I have no interest in quilting myself.

i think Dunster nailed it-
when you want to-
when you've finished that big wonderful quilt & you don't want to deal with (man-handling) it through your domestic machine-
when time is an issue-
when you don't like quilting- you like creating
many people love making tops-but have no interest in quilting them- they do not want to just stack the tops up, they want to get them done- so sending them out is a good option.

Why? Because my quilting ability is limited. When? When I've saved up my pennies to afford it.

Lots of people love the piecing and creating process. It's like professional singers. Not many of them write their own songs, but they make beautiful music. And those who write songs may have a terrible voice.

t-shirt quilts because I am worried about messing them up and they are hard to quilt through.
huge quilts because they don't fit in the harp of my domestic machine.
quilts where I am looking for alot of FMQ b/c I don't have the skills yet

I do it as a business, and a few of my customers have protable frames but never get to them so they bring them to me. I have a friend and we barter for her quilts to be done. Granted she knows hers will have to wait until I don't a customer waiting. I have a beautiful hand knitted irish knit sweater from one exchange, I think I came out ahead:)

Why? Because I want the quilting to be the same quality as my piecing. I can't do that myself.
When? As soon as I can get it in the budget.

Ditto! I enjoy the piecing process and don't enjoy the quilting process. If I didn't use a LAQ they would never be done.

When- when the quilt top is finished.
Why - because the quilt top is finished.