Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

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  • Thayer Abaigael
    Senior Member
    Block Queen
    • Sep 2019
    • 146

    Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

    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?
    Last edited by Thayer Abaigael; October 17, 2019, 09:38 AM.
  • chelea
    Senior Member
    Missouri Star
    • Mar 2012
    • 3701

    #2
    Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

    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.
    Michele
    ~The Commonwealth of Massachusetts~
    To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world ~Dr Seuss

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    • Cathy F
      Senior Member
      Missouri Star
      • Jan 2012
      • 9788

      #3
      Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

      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.
      Visit my Flickr page, sewing and cakes!
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/90704986@N07/

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      • AnnaPearl
        Junior Member
        Shiny Thimble
        • Oct 2019
        • 4

        #4
        Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

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

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        • quiltingaway
          Senior Member
          Missouri Star
          • Sep 2014
          • 2008

          #5
          Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

          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.
          Annie
          "The Mountains are calling and I must go" John Muir

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          • DeniseSm
            Senior Member
            Missouri Star
            • Nov 2013
            • 5291

            #6
            Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

            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.
            Stash Treasure Acquisitions Beyond Life Expectancy. My stash keeps me STABLE, oh yeah.... and dark chocolate.

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            • KPH
              Senior Member
              Missouri Star
              • Feb 2015
              • 13809

              #7
              Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

              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.
              Katrina
              From NC, retired in FL
              “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” Maya Angelou

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              • midnightline
                Senior Member
                The Guild President
                • Apr 2016
                • 729

                #8
                Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                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.)

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                • Anitamae56
                  Senior Member
                  Missouri Star
                  • Oct 2014
                  • 2250

                  #9
                  Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                  Originally posted by DeniseSm View Post
                  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.��

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                  • Juliebelle
                    Member
                    Prairie Pointer
                    • Oct 2011
                    • 60

                    #10
                    Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                    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.

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                    • Carlie Wolf
                      Senior Member
                      Missouri Star
                      • Oct 2013
                      • 4492

                      #11
                      Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                      When I start a hobby that I know will stick I tend to go overboard. I knew that there was no way I could afford having a shop quilt all the pieces I'd probably do. I tried FMQ and hated it. I purchased a midarm when I sold my property in Canada and I haven't looked back since. I also preferred stand up as opposed to a sit down setup. Total cost was $4000 which included other items that would also make life easier. I'm sure I've quilted many more items on it then I could have afforded having them sent out. So I'm happy with my decision.
                      https://forum.missouriquiltco.com/co.../icon_wave.gif
                      Women are Angels. When someone break's our wings we will continue to fly-usually on a broomstick.We're flexible like that.

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                      • Caroline T.
                        Senior Member
                        Missouri Star
                        • Jun 2016
                        • 2734

                        #12
                        Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                        Originally posted by DeniseSm View Post
                        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.
                        Well I guess it's like preparing a Thanksgiving meal for the entire family by yourself. While everyone is enjoying the meal and complimenting the chef.....no one says "WOW that turkey farmer really knows what he's doing!"

                        There is a great deal of satisfaction when you have created a quilt from the beginning (choosing the pattern and fabric) thru the end (quilting & binding).

                        But with that said, not everyone enjoys every step of the process, and for some people some steps can be quite challenging and ruins the joy of the parts they do enjoy doing.

                        IMO, do what you enjoy doing, and leave the rest for someone else, whether it be quilting, cooking, gardening, or housework - it's all good!

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                        • KarenC
                          Senior Member
                          Missouri Star
                          • Apr 2015
                          • 6498

                          #13
                          Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                          I do it all myself, after purchasing fabric and pattern. I do not feel comfortable designing my own. Didn’t like sandwiching so I now have a longarm. Definitely not cheaper than quilting by check, but I enjoy the quilting part, so there goes. We have lots of options to choose what works best.
                          Karen
                          Spring, TX

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                          • Granny Judy
                            Senior Member
                            Missouri Star
                            • Apr 2011
                            • 3184

                            #14
                            Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                            so far I have been able to do all the sewing on my home machine. 9960 Janome has a big throat so I can do my larger quilts. It gets challenging at times, but so rewarding once done. Before I got the Janome, I was struggling to do anything larger than a twin size quilt. Now I can zip thru them in the half the time it took me previously.
                            Judy

                            Click HERE to find me and My imagination
                            :icon_wave:

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                            • GuitarGramma
                              Senior Member
                              Missouri Star
                              • Apr 2012
                              • 4937

                              #15
                              Re: Sending Out a Quilt Top to be Finished or DIY?

                              I'll admit it, I'm too cheap to send my quilts to a quilter. This probably explains why I have so many pieced tops waiting to be quilted! So, really, I'm a perfect example of what NOT to NOT do. I should NOT be so cheap that I do NOT send quilt tops to the experts. I should NOT finish quilt tops and NOT quilt them. I should NOT keep my Little Gracie folded up in storage where it can NOT quilt my tops.

                              I think youve belped me realize that I have a NOT problem.
                              Toni (Southern California) ... If I keep sewing long enough, will they make their own dinner?

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