About My Quilting | How It Works | Quilt Prep

About My Quilting

I have been longarm quilting since sometime in 2005. Not one to follow someone else's patterns on paper, I free motion quilt. While I do find myself quilting some of today's popular designs, everything is done free motion. Because of this, every piece is unique. Please keep in mind that because of the free hand nature of the quilting, nothing is precise or perfect. I leave that to the computer quilters. While I strive for the best possible product, there will be variations in each quilt. I have tried to list all of the quilting options available at this time, but please feel free to ask about specific patterns and we will see if it is something I feel comfortable quilting.

About My Quilting | How It Works | Quilt Prep

How It Works

An estimate will be sent to you within 24 hours of submission via the estimate form. The estimate will be a detailed list of prices and a total. Should you choose to go ahead with the estimate as listed, proceed to the Payments page and make your 50% deposit. Upon completion of payment you will be directed to the shipping address.

Should there be any changes to the quote, please email them to me and I will send an updated estimate.

The remainder of the balance will be due after the quilting and other services are finished and the quilt is ready to ship. I will ship your item back as it was shipped to me - so if you place it in a protective covering, I will do my best to fit that around the finished quilt.

If you would like to pay via cash or check I require payment in full sent with the quilt. If paying by check, once the check has cleared, your quilt will be returned to you.

I am not responsible for what happens to the quilt after it is in the hands of USPS. Please specify if you would like insurance added to your item. In most cases packages will have postage paid online and this includes delivery confirmation. Domestic Priority Mail arrives in 2-3 days. If you live locally I am happy to arrange meeting up in the Vancouver/Portland area for transfer of the quilt to save on shipping costs.

Every effort will be made to notify the customer of the progress of the quilt. I will notify you of it's safe arrival and discuss anything that comes up that was not included in the estimate before proceeding. There will be no unexpected charges added on to the original estimate with out first discussing it with the customer. You will be notified of it's completion when an invoice is sent and notified of it's shipment date once sent.

Please don't hesitate to let me know of any special requests or requirements. I will do my best to accommodate.

Quilts will have a basting stitch along the top and sometimes along the sides and bottom to help stabilize the quilt and help to eliminate stretching. Please make sure your quilt is as square as possible and free from bubbling and waves as this could result in lumps and tucks in the quilt during quilting. I will always do my best to eliminate this. Please don't hesitate to send a quilt because of this, just understand that problems may arise.

Binding that you choose to have me assemble and attach will be cut 2" wide on the straight grain and attached to the front of the quilt with a 1/4" seam allowance with mitered corners. Should you like different measurements, please let me know. You can see a detailed tutorial on how I attach binding here.

About My Quilting | How It Works | Quilt Prep

Quilt Prep

Please make sure of the following before sending:

• Press quilt top and backing well and trim loose threads. Be sure seams lay flat.
• Remove selvage from backing fabric before joining seams. Selvage has a high thread count that can break needles.
• The top should be free of embellishments like beads and buttons (for quilts other than custom).
• Square your top and backing before sending. Make sure not to stretch your borders when sewing on, this can result in a ripple in the fabric and may not quilt flat.
• Make sure your batting and backing are at least 4" bigger than your quilt top. For example, if your top is 30" by 40" then your backing and batting would need to be at least 34" x 44".
• If there is a top to your quilt and backing, please indicate this somehow (a safety pin or masking tape work well).
• Do not pin or baste your layers together. If the quilt is received this way there will be a charge to remove.
• Sheets are not usually considered suitable backing for quilts because of their high thread count. Send for use at your own risk.

Once your quilt arrives:

• The layers of your quilt will be loaded on to the machine independently of one another. Please do no pin or baste layers together before sending. There will be a charge for removing this at a price of $20/hour with a minimum charge of one hour.
• A row of stay stitching 1/4" or less may be applied to the quilt to prevent stretching and to help fabric lay flat. This also prevents seams that run to the edge of the quilt from separating.
• Once your quilt is finished being quilted it will be trimmed of excess fabric it will be folded and boxed up ready for shipment.
• If I am squaring up your quilt, I will do so based on your borders. If you do not have borders, I will fold into quarters and trim from the center folds.
• Binding that I assemble and attach will be cut 2" wide on the straight grain and sewn to the front of the quilt with a 1/4" seam allowance. I use the double-fold French method of attaching binding. Corners are mitered and an invisible stitch is used to attach the binding to the back of the quilt. Please let me know if you would like other measurements on your binding. When only assembling your binding, it will be rolled and secured for shipment. My process of attaching binding can be seen here.

About My Quilting | How It Works | Quilt Prep