Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

[Thayer Abaigael]

I'm curious how many of us here send out our quilt tops to an established quilting shop, to be quilted, or do we prefer to do it all ourselves? Does it depend on the project/size? Are there other things that factor into your decision?

[chelea]

For me, it's determined by size. Though my main machine has 11" to the right of the needle, I don't enjoy wrestling a big quilt. Anything larger than a generous throw gets sent out. That may change as I've just started quilting on a treadle and find it easier than on my big machine.

[Cathy F]

I send everything out except for small pieces such as table runners or toppers, although if I want something more elaborate on those I send them out too.

I enjoy the piecing of a quilt, but not the sandwiching of the layers, I have no room to lay large quilts out except on the floor and my knees no longer cooperate to do that. I have found a person who's quilting I just love and she is now my go to person.

[AnnaPearl]

I am a hand quilter, so I do it myself.

[quiltingaway]

I have always wanted to finish all my own quilts. There have been a handful I've sent out. Those were large quilts and/or for a special occasion and I wanted them to be nicer than I could do them. I recently got a mid arm machine and I'm sure I will do the entire process now. The exception may be the basting. I recently had a large quilt to do but had no desire to baste it. I took it to a shop and had them baste it on the longarm. It was worth the price and much easier than trying to baste a huge quilt.

[DeniseSm]

I enjoy piecing much more than quilting. However I am on a budget so only my very best pieces get sent out to be quilted. The rest I wrestle through the machine myself.

I think custom long arm quilting is worth every penny. I just don't have enough pennies.

I am baffled by people who say they want to do it all themselves. Did they plant the cotton, weave the fabric, dye the fabric, mine the metal and design and fabricate the sewing machine? Then you didn't do it all yourself. It is a team effort.

[KPH]

For me, it depends on the size. After I broke my wrist, wrestling large quilts is a thing of the past. I take care of most that are throw size or smaller.

[midnightline]

I started off hand-tying quilts, then graduated to FMQ when Angela Walters did her first FMQ-along. Now, I'm renting time on a longarm at a local quilt shop and looking at getting my own longarm (hopefully in 2020).

If you don't have the space/money for your own machine, I highly recommend renting time on a shop's longarm. Longarm quilting is WAY easier than FMQ on your home machine (FMQ always killed my wrists) and takes far less time to complete too! The shop I am currently renting from charges $20/hr to rent time, and unless you're quilting it to death, most lap quilts take around 2.5 hours to finish, once loaded. (FMQ on my home machine would take me days of work.)

[Anitamae56]

I enjoy piecing much more than quilting. However I am on a budget so only my very best pieces get sent out to be quilted. The rest I wrestle through the machine myself.

I think custom long arm quilting is worth every penny. I just don't have enough pennies.

I am baffled by people who say they want to do it all themselves. Did they plant the cotton, weave the fabric, dye the fabric, mine the metal and design and fabricate the sewing machine? Then you didn't do it all yourself. It is a team effort.

Like Denise I don't do it from the beginnning either buy my fabric already woven.���� and do most of my quilting by check book.��

[Juliebelle]

I have only had one done by my local quilt store, very happy with the work. I usually do all my own have done a double on my Janome 6600. Anything bigger then a double I would send out since I have issues with my shoulders and moving all that bulk makes them really sore.