What You Need to Know About Longarm Quilting!

[@ljgrow]

I am so glad you are showcasing long arm quilting. I was just thinking the other day that it would be so great if you showed the backing fabric for your quilts and the quilt pattern and thread color used for quilting.

[@rital3041]

I’m lucky to know Lucinda and know her integrity and dedication to her work. You are lucky to call her “ our quilter”!

[@VanDeWitt-u4y]

Thanks for bringing in special guest. Keep up the great work!!!😊

[@bonniechretien6215]

I really enjoyed this episode and got some great tips like choosing thread colors for the top and back. Thank you.

[@estelasteele1173]

I loved the information shared in this video. Love that Lucinda gives her clients three options for pattern and that she sends it overlaid on the quilt so you can get a clear idea of what it would look like. Love the Magnolia fabric.

[@jennygeorgiton5801]

Loved this program. Very interesting and helpful. Great job ladies!

[@sherryfaires7931]

It was great meeting Lucinda! She certainly knows her business and does a great job on all of your quilts! It is amazing what our longarmers do! They change our tops into real QUILTS! That is just what we worked toward!

[@vickyhopper4042]

Thank you so much for this episode. I am new at the longarm quilting but am enjoying the process of learning. Lucinda mentioned a program she used to audition the quilting design. Can she please share the name of the program and a tip or two about how she uses it? Thank you again for this episode. Have always wanted a longarm and was finally able to purchase one. They are very expensive, even a used one. It takes time and lots of practice to use one, even if it is computerized. For those thinking longarm is expensive, talk to a longarmer. Maybe you can work out a barter system as they may not have time to piece the quilts they want to make.

[@lisastreasures]

Very nice. Love Lucinda's work. ❤

[@sarahbell3037]

I love the horse themed quilt! 🥰

[@patriciaemeigh4370]

Very interesting video!

[@mizangie9165]

Lucinda is awesome!

[@augustslady]

I am blessed that while I don’t own a long arm (yet), I get to rent time on one here where I live. So much fun to run one

[@FabricCafe]

That's awesome!

[@robertacaruthers7568]

Great tips! As I doubt I'll ever be a long arm quilter myself, I will leave it to the experts. Lucinda seems to be one! Thank you for her interview.

[@anitanoland9188]

Really enjoyed this video, Great information!

[@nancymcnamara2025]

I really enjoyed this video, very informative! Thanks ♥️

[@roxeannesexton8447]

Thanks for the tips on quilting

[@dianehuntley2493]

Interesting interview! Love it😊

[@karin0963]

Thank you for sharing the tips on quilting. I am fairly new to FMQ and it helps me decide. I wish I had changed my thread colors in prior quilts.

[@Elainemorriscvg]

Great video! I love seeing how other longarmers make their decisions. I am a rather new longarmer and only do them for me and my quilting friend ❤

[@marybethpowell4876]

Do y'all make your shirts? I love those prints! I'm primarily a garment sewist, but I love quilting cotton prints. Please do an episode on using quilting cotton for garments.

[@cherylpalian3254]

This is a great discussion. I’m in the market for a long arm and any advice is great.

[@laurajeanhodge1976]

Thank you so much for this information.I am new at longarming bought a Grace Qnique 21x elite at the Houston Quilt show Nov 2023.

[@FabricCafe]

Congrats!

[@donnabush7938]

Great video with lots of interesting information. How do you go about finding a longarm quilter?

[@Stacy-iu6ch]

I found two great ones at my local quilt shop. They have a community board with people and programs in the area and sewing services in my area.

[@newbeequilter]

@@Stacy-iu6ch - Where would you suggest if one doesn't have a local quilt shop?

[@FabricCafe]

We found Lucinda on the internet by searching for longarm quilters in our town.

[@Stacy-iu6ch]

@@newbeequilter search online for longarm quilters in your area and check with any guilds in your state.

[@tonibarrow1969]

Where do you get the quilting patterns or are they your own designs?

[@marthahale3603]

Can she put letters or numbers into the quilt pattern? I think it would be cute to put babys name or birthday on a baby quilt.

[@FabricCafe]

Most longarm quilters have a wide variety of designs. Ask when you discuss your job with them.

[@newbeequilter]

Fran, at 15:5O you state if we'd like additional tips on how to use directional fabrics in our quilts to watch the video "that is linked in our description below". I remember watching that video awhile back and would like to watch it again, but for some reason I wasn't able to find the link "in the description below". Did any other viewers have the same problem I did? If you found it, would you be so kind as to point it out the video link for me? Thanks.

[@FabricCafe]

Hey Newbee! So sorry about that, the link got lost in the shuffle. Here it is - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmnEi5mGpLiYnas

[@newbeequilter]

@@FabricCafe Thank you!

[@sarahshaw1937]

Would love to use a long arm quilter, just can't afford it. Not saying they aren't worth what they charge, I just can't afford it.

[@newbeequilter]

I have to disagree with you here. I think long arm quilters ARE expensive and not necessarily worth what they charge, when much of it is done by the computer, vs how Lucinda explained how she started out doing it or those doing a different design for each block. For me, long arm quilters are definitely expensive especially for utilitarian quilts like those used on a couch in the typical family room, a child's room, those kept in a car for emergencies, picnic quilts, and many even every day bed quilts. The only time I'd could ever see someone else paying for a long arm quilter is if it was going to be an heirloom quilt or possibly a wedding gift. For me, I'll never be able to pay for a long arm quilter. Anyone who receives a quilt from me for any kind of a gift will be someone who: 1) not only appreciates the effort it took for me to quilt it on my home sewing machine (not matter how "unprofessional" it may look), 2) who also has an idea of what it costs to construct the quilt alone (fabric, batting, thread, etc), and finally, 3) if they understood the cost of having it finished by a long arm quilter, they would think I was throwing my money away, since they know my income doesn't fall into upper middle class or higher. And yes, I realize that time is money for the person doing the long arm quilting. But the people sending their quilts to a long arm quilter don't consider that amount as too high because their pay grade is probably even higher than the long arm quilter's. So good on them if they can afford it. But, heh, maybe I'm just doing a little ranting here against some in the quilting community who are "quilting snobs" and think a sewist's quilt is "less than" unless it's quilted by a longarm quilter. I'm glad the LAQ's' are able to make a living by those who can afford to send their quilts to them. For the rest of us, I'll recommend they view Fran's video on different ways to do their own quilting on their home machines.

[@quiltingatthelake]

I’m a long arm quilter and am saddened to see these comments. Honestly, after I press your backing (because if it’s folded for a few seconds, it’s wrinkled), square the backing, load the batt, load the top, baste it in, select the threads, audition the pattern, and set up the computer (I’m mostly a custom quilter, but do a few E2E’s), and since this video is more towards E2E, I’ll stay to this, I’ve already spent a few hours on your piece. I haven’t even factored in cleaning and prepping the machine for quilting (changing needles, winding bobbins, etc.). Then, once the machine is started, it has to be babysat. Yes, the second you walk away from the machine stitching out, a thread break occurs. Each pass has to have the quilt advanced, the motif lined up, the sides basted in, and then again, babysit. Lather. Rinse. Repeat, throughout the quilt. Then, once the quilt is done, it has to be checked for thread pukes, fixed (if needed), removed, trimmed, folded for pick up, and then billed. Do you consider us professionals or skilled people? How much do you pay your electrician or plumber for their skilled labor? I make about $7.00 per hour. I don’t make millions here and to say we are overpaid is a very unfair assumption.

[@donnabush7938]

How do you care for your quilt once it’s made?

[@debbiepurser8101]

Me too I saw numbers and letters

[@karenwerts2331]