Cost of LA quilting

[Lisa Favalora]

My last quilt top cost me more than I want to tell. I'm losing my desire to quilt. It takes the joy out of quilting. I did quilt my own and it didn't turn out very good. I guess I will have to keep practicing.

Feeling less than excited to start another project.

[kaydee]

Have you considered switching to tying them? We use embroidery thread in my quilt. They look nice with the huge array of colors available.

[Kgrammiecaz]

Gosh I agree. I am doing a 120x120 quilt. The cost would be over 250 dollars. I dont get how people afford to do that and still buy more fabric for the next project.

I want to do all my own though. So I am going to give in and try to at least get a machine with a bigger harp. Almost 2000 for a good one, but it will last and. I can quilt anything on it. A year of making quilts and its totally worth it.

Unless I am calculating wrong. Who knows. I still would rather do my own even if just simple quilting.

[PeggyM]

I stitch in the ditch because I'm not FMQ proficient. To me, the beauty and joy are in the piecing. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!

[Terry L]

Hey at least you try. I have yet to try anything other than in the ditch. Hang in there practice makes perfect

[coffeebreak]

IT can get expensive. I worry about that all the time. But I make things for gifts and for my house and figure... "how much would I spend if I bought it at a store?" Then I NEVER buy regular price... I always wait for a sale and ALWAYS use coupons. Joann's is the only place in my town that has fabric (Walmart has it but it just doesn't seem good quality). So I buy when on sale at 40% off and the coupons are 40/50% off a regular priced item. I buy only Kona and Legecy Studio for solids and Calico keepsakes for prints. My limit is $8 a yard...and with a 50% off coupon, that makes the fabric $4 a yard so I get 2 yards for 8 bucks. Sometimes I go with specific fabric reason to buy, but most of the time, I just take my coupons and buy what I like or think I will use for one thing or another and I figure $4 a yard is cheap as its going to get! I haven't done the math as to how much fabric is in a twin size quilt (60x80) which is largest size I make as my machine won't FMQ larger than that... well it will, I won't! I also use sheets for the back which work great and I can get a twin flat sheet at Walmart for around $8. Batting, again, I just wait for the 50% off sales and buy twice the amount. I do have a limit there too of $8 a yard... and then with the 50% off, I get it for $4 a yard so I will buy double... instead of 1 yard for $8, I buy 2 yards for $8, or 4 yards for $16...then use it wisely and conservatively as possible. I buy my thread at Connecting Threads. I did the research and tried different brands for what works best on my machine and CT is the cheapest for the best. Not a single problem with it! Watch on Cyber Monday and stock up.. .It was 40% off last year and I paid $25 for about 15 large spools and I have not had to buy thread since!
I went to this new sewing store.. vaccums and sewing machines and they ahd a bit of fabric... $14.99 a yard! Are you kidding me? Who can afford that!?!?! Not me!!! Even at Joann's...$10-13 a yard...Forget it.. I would have to stop sewing if I paid that much. I dont' see why it is so much better. I did the test with the solids of Kona, Legacy STudio and Country Classics at Joan's...the 100% cotton fabrics and CC was tad bit the thinnest , but I couldn't tell a difference between K and LS... I pre wash everything and once out and pressed... I couldn't tell the difference! and the Kona is $2 more than the LS and the CC is $1 less than the LS. So I stick with LS. Plus, the Calico Keepsakes.. prints...they are $5-$12 a yard and I don't see a difference in that and the more expensive designer brands either!

So.. stick with sales, and make a budget to spend. I did the coupons at Joann's every month.. the one near me takes multiple coupons as long as the scan code is different. I get some on line, some in the USPS mail and as long as they have different codes, I can use them all (watch dates) and I have used 10 coupons on one purchase! Plus they will use 1 from other competitors, so I use 1 Michael's and 1 from Hobby Lobby.

Just find the fabrics at the price you want.. thing is.. with piecing, you usually only need a yard or less of each color or print. The most is use in sashings and backing. But... sheets for the back are acceptable and even if you use a cheaper batting (Joann's has one for $5 a yard and it is 54 inche wide. I have used it often and never a problem.

Stick with it tho. If quilting is something you really want to do, there are ways to get around the high cost. Sure, I'd love to just go in and buy what I want...dont we all!?!??! But, figure out your limits and then you can go in a buy what you NEED! You can do it!

[Heather1967]

Practice practice practice. After getting two twin quilts done by a LAer and paying almost $200 for each I practiced my face off. I'm not a pro but I definitely get by and like my results.

[LoveMyMachines]

Before I invested in my own LA, I either straight line quilted or I tried yo keep costs down by selecting an edge to edge design and of course provided my own backing and batting and thread (within the LA material rules). The other thing my local LA told me is that it is imperative to have the top nicely pressed and all of the loose strings removed. This means less trouble during mounting and quilting.
But even at that, it takes time, and the LA operator has invested in the machine. I think I paid about $150 for my last twin size edge to edge, but felt it was a fair price.

[Leah53]

Wow!! I thought I was paying a lot but y'all are paying much more than I am. My quilter charged me 125.00 for my queen, 95.00 for my twin and between 65.00 and 85.00 for laps.

Other than what I may buy at M*, which I haven't bought anything since May, I buy all of my fabric at an outlet type store, 4.49 a yd, all cotton and 6.00 a yard for cotton 90" wide and 12.00 for 120" wide. They aren't an actual outlet store, they go and get the fabric and it's pot luck that they get but they have a pretty good selection. It's Smith Home Decor and Fabrics if you want to look them up on Facebook. They make window treatments which is the majority of their business. They also carry upholstery fabric. The best part is they are local to me, 15 min away. I bought some fabric there to make a small messenger bag, I just saw that the fabric I bought for 4.49 yd is in the M* Woodlands package which I can buy their yardage for 9.95 yd.

[Kgrammiecaz]

I get the whole budget thing and buying with coupons and such. I surely do all that. I did not get that is what we are talking about here. I have a king quilt that no way can I do on my Babylock Grace. It will not fit in my machine. Since i do not want to be limited to the size of quilts I make, it means. I need to invest in a machine with a bigger harp. For me, paying a longarmer (they are awesome-no disrespect intended) 90, 120, 250, etc. makes no sense to me. All that money could buy fabric for several more quilts especially when we shop frugally and I do as well. I also mean no disrespect to those who do send their quilts out.

This thread is not about that. I just struggle with should. I cough up the 250 plus and have it quilted, which means I did not do it and I spend enough money I could have purchased enough fabric for another king quilt.

Sorry for the babble, does anyone know or understand what I am saying. Ad the more I talk about this the more. I want my upgraded machine lol.

Really just meant to be a lighhearted conversation about one of the woes of this craft. Still in love with it and I am not quiting!!!

Happy quilting.