Has anyone paid a professional to quilt your quilt together with a pattern?
09-05-2009, 08:59 PM
#31
Banned
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 7,286
Diogirl, I use LAQ's for all my large quilts. I just hate wrestling with a big quilt. My full-sized double irish chain was the most heavily quilted. I had her do shamrocks in all of the chain squares, and elaborate shamrock patterns in the large spaces and the borders. Somewhere in the quilt I had her hide one four-leaf clover. She did an AWESOME job!!! I paid somewhere around $250.00, and it was worth every single penny!
That being said, before she does anything, she looks at the quilt, and we mutually decide on a pattern, how heavily it will be quilted, etc. and she gives me an estimate. That way I know up front exactly what I'm going to get and how much it will cost. There are no surprises.
That being said, before she does anything, she looks at the quilt, and we mutually decide on a pattern, how heavily it will be quilted, etc. and she gives me an estimate. That way I know up front exactly what I'm going to get and how much it will cost. There are no surprises.
09-06-2009, 07:11 AM
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: S.W. Michigan
Posts: 1,201
Remember too you'll still have to put the binding on after you get it back from the longarmer.
The long arm machines can cost as much as a car and then there are the supplies and insurance costs too.
The long arm machines can cost as much as a car and then there are the supplies and insurance costs too.
09-06-2009, 11:50 AM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: CO., USA
Posts: 592
Originally Posted by diogirl
I was seriously considering making them for profit, but unless I was given one of those long arm machines and do it myself, I just can't see how I could make a profit if i'm paying hundreds of dollars to have the quilting done.
have you priced one of those long arm machines?
average price runs about 10 to 20k. it's like purchasing a vehicle.
09-06-2009, 12:02 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Wilbur, WA
Posts: 757
Just as with most anything, you are paying not just for what you get, you pay for 'how' you get it!
I could do brain surgery, and it would be cheap, but I doubt anyone would be happy with the results. I wouldn't use the hospital room, my folding knife would do the trick, and are you ok with used shoelaces for the stitches?
The equipment, training, and quality supplies are all included in the price. You'd also not be happy if you handed me 20 totally different quilts and I quilted them all the same. I am constantly taking classes, on line and in person, to increase my skills, learn new tricks, and in general learn to 'talk' to a quilt and learn to 'listen' to what it's saying it wants done.
I want to take a quilt top and make it be the best it can be, within the budget of the piecer. My best days are when there are hugs and tears involved when I deliver a quilt. Having been on that side, I know what it's like to get a quilt top back and have it translated into a treasure.
I could do brain surgery, and it would be cheap, but I doubt anyone would be happy with the results. I wouldn't use the hospital room, my folding knife would do the trick, and are you ok with used shoelaces for the stitches?
The equipment, training, and quality supplies are all included in the price. You'd also not be happy if you handed me 20 totally different quilts and I quilted them all the same. I am constantly taking classes, on line and in person, to increase my skills, learn new tricks, and in general learn to 'talk' to a quilt and learn to 'listen' to what it's saying it wants done.
I want to take a quilt top and make it be the best it can be, within the budget of the piecer. My best days are when there are hugs and tears involved when I deliver a quilt. Having been on that side, I know what it's like to get a quilt top back and have it translated into a treasure.
09-06-2009, 01:51 PM
#35
Banned
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 7,286
Originally Posted by Shelley
I know what it's like to get a quilt top back and have it translated into a treasure.
That's it! That is exactly how I've felt about (most) of my quilt tops I've had done!! Thank you for expressing it so perfectly! And even with the ones that didn't bring me to tears, I loved the quilt even more because I hadn't had to wrestle it around through the throatplate of my machine!!!!
You've hit the nail on the head!! Thank you for all you do as a LAQ!
09-09-2009, 05:36 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 6,764
Originally Posted by june6995
Be aware that you are using the services of a Professional. You did say Professional in your subject line. Not your garden variety type quilter.
Long Arm machines are an investment (much like an automobile) and there is upkeep. There is also training with lots of practice to be done.
Now, if you can find an old lady, (like the one I used to have do my quilts) who bought an old broken down long arm and began doing simple pantographs across the width of the quilt, then stopped, returned to the beginning and moved down about 6 inches and did the design again, then you might get it done for less than $100.
Professional quilting is usually beautifully done. Take a look at some of those that have been posted by members of this group. They will help you decide how you want your quilt to look. Beautiful stitching, feathers and flowers are all part of making a quilt more beautiful. And the price is not unreasonable. What is the old saying "you get what you pay for" and I bet if one of the gals on the Board did it for you, you would be thrilled. I read the other day about a member who cried when she saw how beautiful her quilt was once it was finished.
Give it a try at least once when you have a quilt you really want to sparkle. In the meantime, you can try to do that stitching on your table model at home!
June
Long Arm machines are an investment (much like an automobile) and there is upkeep. There is also training with lots of practice to be done.
Now, if you can find an old lady, (like the one I used to have do my quilts) who bought an old broken down long arm and began doing simple pantographs across the width of the quilt, then stopped, returned to the beginning and moved down about 6 inches and did the design again, then you might get it done for less than $100.
Professional quilting is usually beautifully done. Take a look at some of those that have been posted by members of this group. They will help you decide how you want your quilt to look. Beautiful stitching, feathers and flowers are all part of making a quilt more beautiful. And the price is not unreasonable. What is the old saying "you get what you pay for" and I bet if one of the gals on the Board did it for you, you would be thrilled. I read the other day about a member who cried when she saw how beautiful her quilt was once it was finished.
Give it a try at least once when you have a quilt you really want to sparkle. In the meantime, you can try to do that stitching on your table model at home!
June
this isn't very nice. :oops: Many "unprofessionals" do nice work.
09-09-2009, 09:12 AM
#37
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,301
you have not come across wrong i just think many people dont realize what goes into a long arm business i bought a long arm 2+ years ago and am still learning last year went to the HMQS in salt Lake City and spent $600 on classes and this was my first year there some people were no their fifth year. that was just the price of classes not travel , meals ro hotel
09-09-2009, 02:59 PM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 410
I wanna try do my own quilting atleast stitch in teh ditch but i also know i m gonna make 3 quilts that i m going to really take my time with and make speciAL, its one for my best friend in the whole world, one for my mum and one for me and these i want to have proffesional quilted, atleast someone that has the experiance to do a good job cause i want these to be heirlooms .....
09-09-2009, 03:42 PM
#39
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,639
One of the guys at work mails his wife's quilt tops to a professional quilter in Arizona. Not sure what she charges, but it seems to be worth it to them. I only had one done professionally because it was done from antique squares and I could not do it justice. It was beautiful and the cost did not matter.
09-09-2009, 04:16 PM
#40
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 862
If you ever get in a pinch I do longarming for customers. My customer base consists of a lot of people mailing there quilts to me. I alsp have a punch card, when you have $250.00 punched you get $20.00 off the next quilting project, and I will do an adjustment if you have several quilted at one time. email me if interested.
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