diogirl

I have no idea how much they charge for a average quilt. Anyone know?? Just curious if its worth the cost.

LindaR

I have sent quite a few to be done....usually if you have batting, backing a large quilt can be done for less that $100

Shelley

Lots of variables on this!

Most of us charge by the square inch, some by the square foot. The less intensive, the less charge. The more quilting and the more specific to your quilt, the higher the charge.

To get square inches: length x width

Some of us can supply batting, which can sometimes save you money if you are shipping your top (only have to pay for the batting one way!). If you want to supply your own batting, make sure it is something that the quilter is willing to use. Not all battings are created equal. I have found one batting, Mountain Mist Poly, that I will not use. It's inconsistent, feels yucky, and I've heard it has fiberglass in it. I (and the other quilters for hire that I know) want to give back a quality product.

Make sure your back is 6-8" longer and 6-8" wider than your top, and have it square. This allows us room to attach to the machine, and have room to test tensions.

Hope this helps!

Pam B

Shelley, Thank you so much for the info you gave on this thread. I am taking 4 tops later next week to be quilted. I have patiently waited on the person's list for my turn (she works outside the home, also). These are the first ones I have ever had done and I appreciate understanding why she asked for the extra width/length of the backing fabric. I have a friend who has used this gal several times and she has told me that they will run me about $100 each. They are my first quilts and, believe me, they are nothing special. I will not need any fancy, detailed quilting on them, that is for sure. Pam

diogirl

Holy Cow Batman!! $100 to have just the stitching done? That's more than all the material and supplies combined..... not gonna do it!!

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

chickadee_42us

Good post June. I have never had one professional quilted however, I can truly understand the time and experience a good longarm quilting could provide a much loved quilt.

Diogirl, consider the utilty function of the quilt your wondering about having longarm quilted and decide from that. For a keepsake/sentimental quilt, (meaning various things) I could see handing over the $$ to have it professionally done.

greenfairy

These are all really good answers. If I were to add anything, it would be that you have to take into consideration how much time and effort it takes to have a quilt done on a Longarm. For example, a larger quilt with an average quilting design could take someone on a Longarm 10 - 15 hours or more. When it might cost $100 - $150 for the quilting, that's around $10 an hour for the quilter. I charge by the square inch, and base my decision on how long I think it will take me. I have a lot of happy customers, but occasionally someone will tell me they don't want to pay that much. Basically, if you want it done right, and finished off with as much care and beauty as you put into it yourself, it's worth paying someone to Longarm machine quilt it for you. When you're quoted a price, don't forget how long it will take your quilter to finish it. I've done large quilts, charged by the inch, and when all was said and done, I had ended up working for only $6 an hour, and the customer was still surprised at how much it was. Most people understand the time and effort it takes, and most appreciate that. It's always worth having your quilt finished professionally, so you can truly appreciate your final project.

sewjoyce

I had a professional quilt my daughter's 120" square quilt -- it was over $200 and I was more than happy to pay that as she did some beautiful things with the quilting :D

Scissor Queen

After you've made half a dozen queen size quilts I'll bet you rethink that. LOL

The only twin size and larger quilts I've made for less than $100 bucks were scrap quilts.