Frequently Asked Questions
I am sure you have questions. Below are a few of the frequently asked questions. If you have others, please do not hesitate to ask: jquiltsnc@gmail.com
What’s the big deal about sending my quilt away to be quilted? I have my own sewing machine!
A typical sewing machine has a sewing space to the right of the needle, of 7-12 inches. It is absolutely doable. I have done it myself. But it is a bit like wrestling with a wriggling toddler while changing their diaper, for hours. It is hard on the body! Basting the quilt sandwich, whether by safety pins or glue spray usually involves crawling on the floor, adjusting, and often needs an extra set of hands. Again, it can certainly be done. It is this last part that made me purchase a longarm. Painful fingers and shoulders along with a grumpy attitude made me want to give up quilting. I owned much too much fabric to consider such a thing! Longarm quilting refers to the useable throat space on a sewing machine that is mounted on wheels. So, I can attach the backing, batting and quilt top onto strong horizontal poles that hold it steady while I sew a swath of a repeating pattern up to 16” in height, advance the quilt to the next area and repeat, without my body going into spasms!
Why is it so expensive to hire a Longarmer?
Longarmers have incurred large expense to provide the quilting. Machines vary in price, but truly, you could buy a nice car for less! Then there is the space to house the frame. Mine is 10 feet wide and 40 inches deep. The room to house this creature requires good lighting, heating and air-conditioning. It devours oil, but that’s not too expensive. Thread, of course isn’t terribly expensive, but to have enough on hand to offer you several choices adds up! Storage, Quilting designs, paper and digital… oh yeah, the tablet that allows you to have hundreds of patterns to compliment any quilt! Holy cow! If you want to know more- come on over to see for yourself! It is an amazing adventure!
How much will it cost?
Measure your width and length. Multiply Width x Length, then multiply by .0225
That will give you a rough estimate of the price for the quilting itself.
Additional costs will be for thread, batting and state tax.
Link to Rates page???????????????????????????????
​
How long does it take you to get it back to me?
Typically, 1-4 weeks. I built in time for visiting grandchildren who live across the state and those who live across the country. I also allow extra time if your quilt needs repairs. When we begin this journey, I can tell you if your turnaround time will be effected.
​
What if my quilt is not good enough?
We all started somewhere. And honestly, quilting brings a polished finish to every already interesting/pretty/cool labor of love. By the way, many customers begin by telling me where their mistakes are, and that their points don’t match! Be assured, that it is OK. Corners are not square? That is OK. Honest.
What is it that you actually do?
I remeasure your top, batting and backing to assure that it all fits. I use a chain stitch to attach the backing to long zippers that will zip onto co-ordinating zippers already sewn onto the canvas on the poles. Then I roll the quilt back onto the frame’s horizontal poles. Sort of like winding unwound toilet paper onto its cylinder-always keeping the alignment straight and unwrinkled! Once rolled and locked in, the machine poles provide a tension to position the backing and top tightly enough to prevent wrinkles, and loosely enough to allow the machine’s needle to quickly change direction without breaking, and making a hole in the quilt. (Don’t worry, I set my sewing speed at a pokey 1.1)!
Why does the backing have to be so much larger? Fabric isn’t cheap!
Those poles provide the necessary tension from the top to the bottom, but not from the left to the right. That’s why I need an extra 4” for every edge of your quilt- to provide the fabric to be attached to the zippers on the poles, and held by clamps without running off the side edges of your quilt.
What about the backing? Can it be creatively pieced? Does it have to be top quality? Is there a fabric I should NOT use?
I am so glad you asked! Creative piecing is fine as long as the backing lays flat. If it is not flat, I can still quilt it, but small pleats are likely to occur where there is rippling or fullness. Flannel should be washed twice before bringing it in. It will shrink, so please buy extra. For that reason, I need for at least one side of the quilt back to be ripped, or cut using a ruler that lined it squarely up with the selvedge. Those beautiful digitally printed fabrics do NOT make good backs. Since the ink is on one side only (and its back is white,) the needle pushes through bringing some of the white with it. See photo ———>
How can I tell if a fabric is digitally printed?
Check the selvedge. If it does not have the colorful dots that show all the colors used in the printing, then it is probably a digitally printed fabric. The folks at the quilt shop should be able to confirm this.