I've been testing out new longarm quilters. So far I'm pleased with the 2 different people that have quilted these quilts for me and will keep them on my list to send quilts to. These quilts were all simply quilted in easy patterns - nothing special.
I keep 2 different lists of longarm quilters - one list has my quilters that have perfected easy all over pattern designs such as a nice smallish/mediumish size stipple. I look at the thread tension on the front and the back, I look to see if they have left threads hanging all over or if they have clipped them off. I know what kind of work I do and I try to send my tops out all perfectly pressed, squared and threads clipped. So I expect a certain degree of professionalism in the people I hire to longarm - make sense?
Anyhow, I have another list of quilters that are local to me that I love to work with because of their specific talents and turn around time. I have 2 local longarmers that I trust to do detailed work on my most precious quilts - either personal quilts or ones that I do to create patterns from.
Being a pattern designer can be a bit tricky when it comes to having your quilts quilted. You cannot have too much of the beautiful quilting stand out to a point where it "hides" your design and all you see is the quilting, yet at the same time you cannot have your quilts quilted in some yucky fashion that it will glare out at you on the pattern covers or from the actual quilts if you see them on display at a trunk show. Ask me how I know this - I've experienced both of these options. One quilt was quilted so beautifully that is all you saw - that pattern sold terribly and every time I hung the quilt at a show I was asked "who quilted it" and "what quilting pattern was used on this quilt!"
Then I have a disaster quilt that I quilted "very, very" quickly because I was leaving for a show the next day. I did a huge stipple - and didn't realize my tension was horrible on the back. The first show it hung at, I put the quilt front and center in the booth draped on a pole to hide the back - kind of gathered up at the top and sure enough - it was pulled on and inspected by many customers and I heard some rather negative things that day about "whoever" quilted this doesn't know what they are doing! LOL I was beet red with embarrassment for that entire day until after the show, when I promptly took the quilt down and arranged it in the booth so no one could see the back of that wretched thing from that day forth!
I'm almost finished building a new website - nothing special just wanted a fresh new look - and I'd like to include a page on my website of great longarm quilters that you personally have used and trust and have done a great job of quilting your beauties. I will be listing the people that I trust to do my longarming so that you have access to great longarmers also. So - if you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it! I have a few more quilt tops laying around here that need finishing!
Here are the three quilts I just received back last week! Enjoy!
Of course I had to get Bella's approval on the quality of the quilting and she approved! I swear sometimes I think I have a cat that dreams of being a model - some of the poses that she does are just hilarious!
This is a bowtie quilt from one of Pam Buda's Prairie Women Sewing Circle Clubs. Pam owns Heartspun Quilts and has a great website and blog you can visit!
This is a scrappy tumbler quilt I started awhile back at one of the retreats I went on at Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop in Menasha, Wi. That was a fun weekend. I was able to get most of this quilt pieced that weekend even with one hand all wrapped up after having carpal tunnel surgery!
This one is just a hodge podge of pieces and scraps I sewed together. I found a bunch of triangles that I had string pieced so I made those into a star shape. 2 large stars are in the center of this quilt and then on the side borders are a bunch of string pieced square blocks I found and wanted used up. It's a funky scrappy quilt for sure!
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6 comments:
Tara: I noticed you mentioned that you square up your quilts. I would be most interested to hear in your blog how you do that. There are so many quilting books and piecing books, even MARKING books...but not much on squaring your quilt. Thank you.
All 3 of those scrappy quilts are fabulous! Love them all!
pretty quilts - I have never taken a quilt to a longarm quilter and wouldn't begin to know what to ask them even. I do know that I would want the quilting to go with the pattern of the top and not overwhelm it which is something that seems to be really popular - having the quilting stand out over the top which I think should be the pattern of the quilt dominate not the quilting.
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I have used two long arm quilters and both are fantastic. Neither of them are local to me but I don't hesitate to send my work to them.
Mary Flynn from Quilt Hollow (www(dot)quilthollow(dot)com) is super nice and has the most creative vision you can get. She has many designs to chose from and helps you if you are stuck. I have always been happy with her work a true perfectionist.
I also use Margaret Gunn from Mainely Quilts of Love (www(dot)mainelyquiltsoflove(dot)com. Margaret is also a perfectionist and is a dream to work with. She will tell you what might work and what to stay away from. She is more on the traditional side and does some insane work for her show quilts. She has stepped up on some last minute jobs with some incredible turn around times. She quilted all my daughter's dowry quilts.
Email me if you want some pics of the work either of these two ladies have done. I don't ever hesitate in recommending them.
I like reading this. I get kind of lost when it comes to picking ideas for some quilts. It would be good to have some good recommendations for long arm quilters.
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