Question of the Week
It's that time again! As a longarm quilter, I have found it interesting that the focus on quilting in the MQG world leans toward minimalist, utilitarian types of quilting, with the quilt makers doing their own quilting. When I have been asked to quilt for the BMQG members, it's because their quilt is too big for them to want to wrestle with it on their domestic machines. This week's question is: Do you quilt your own quilts, or do you send them out to a longarmer to be quilted? What determines whether or not you quilt your own quilt?
Size is my guide, if its a twin or less I do it, anything bigger I send it out. I personaly do not receive a lot of pleasure in the quilting process. I do well until I make a couple of errors and jerks, then I give up and just push it through so its done and I can move on. I bank on everybody not pointing out my flaws, which is a praise.
ReplyDeleteI quilted my first quilt and did not really enjoy the process. I found it very tedious and I was afraid I would ruin my quilt. I found a rock star quilter who does an amazing job interpreting the quilt and I have complete confidence that it will make the quilt "sing". I agree with Bob, if the project is small, I can stipple, or straight line stitch, stipple loop and echo a little, but I don't really enjoy it. I've tried marking with templates and I think I am just over critical of my own quilting skills. I think I lack the "muscle memory" everyone talks about in quilting. So I am going to continue to send my quilts out for long arm quilting - because they come back and I am in love again with my quilt!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam. You give me beautiful pieces to work on!
DeleteI truly enjoy quilting smaller projects - anything under about 48" length/width. I prefer a stipple or free-form as opposed to straight-line quilting, although there are times that straight-line works well. I'm hoping to find the time to practice more complex designs. However, I have little or no interest in quilting my larger quilts because it involves too much wrestling! Maybe Pam's rock star quilter will take on one of my projects someday. :-)
ReplyDeleteI always quilt my own quilts. I think I'm too cheap and too much of a control freak not to - I like it to be MY quilt :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get it! Now, if I could just get time to quilt my own quilts! LOL!
DeleteI love to quilt my quilts. And the more I do it, the easier it becomes. Biggest quilt I've quilted was 85x85. There is a feeling the quilt takes in my hands, as the quilting progresses. The quilting becomes hypnotic. And I too like to be able to say, that the quilt was pieced and quilted by me!
ReplyDeleteSo far I've quilted every quilt I've made. The largest was a lap size quilt measuring about 55" x 72". I really like straight line quilting, but I've done some templates and free-form stuff. I think I'm terrible at stippling, so I need lots of practice there. All that being said, I think long arm quilters are Amazing! I would love to make a king size quilt for our master bedroom and send it out to be quilted. For me, size is the major factor for deciding to undertake the quilting myself or send it out. Anything larger than a twin/lap size and I'm sending it out.
ReplyDeleteI've quilted all of my quilts too. Everything up to a queen size, which is definitely the limit for my machine. Personally, I prefer straight line quilting. (That has nothing to do with being terrified of FMQ. Really!) If I ever decide that a quilt needs something a little fancier, I will absolutely call on that fabulous long arm quilter that everyone's talking about. :D
ReplyDeleteI quilt the things like table toppers and baby sized quilts but anything else I send to my wonderful sister to long arm for me -- she's the best!
ReplyDeleteYou're a lucky sister! :-)
DeleteI got into longarm quilting, because I had a quilt that needed quilting, and I had my own vision for it. As much as I wanted to have it quilted, I just couldn't let someone else do it. It was a heavy flannel quilt, but I managed to quilt it on my and domestic machine. After a couple of weeks of chiropractic care (my neck was totally messed up), I decided I wouldn't quilt another one on a domestic machine. That was almost 8 years ago! I have the utmost respect for those of you who quilt your own!
ReplyDeleteSo far the largest quilt I've made was about 48" x 70." It was a beast (thus far), but since I learned how to FMQ in a large stipple last summer, I actually enjoyed it. I'll be making my daughter a twin sized quilt soon, and as much as I would love to send it out to a certain amazing long-arm quilter, right now cost is the deciding factor for me. If/when I ever make anything larger than a twin, that's probably when I'll finally save up my pennies and send it out. At least I'm enjoying the FMQing in the meantime. :)
ReplyDelete