I recently saw a post on FB advertising low cost quilting. Is it really less expensive? I think that depends on your price point, the density and quality of the quilting and if you must pay shipping fees. Looking further I wondered how I compared and was surprised to find that not only did I have more experience as a long-arm quilter, I also charged significantly lower prices. Not only that, but most of the quilters in my area charge less than many out of state businesses.

You may be able to get a really small placemat or table runner cheaper because they do not appear to charge a minimum fee but they do not take the time to meet with you to talk about how you would like your quilt quilted or to allow you to look over the quilt before you pay for it. The small items may also not be less expensive when you add shipping depending on size. The batting is included in their pricing but my calculations show that it would still be less expensive to pay for that separately. The bundling of the two just makes it a little harder to compare pricing to other quilters. I offer the same batting for the going rate which is determined by Hobbs costs with standard markup and I allow customers to bring their own batting of choice if they prefer something else.

I wonder if many of the quilts quilted might have had a better outcome with some input on design, thread color & batting? I find most of my customers would like help in that area. I’ve quilted hundreds of quilts & often have a pretty good idea of what designs work well. I can offer information about the batting before they decide to see what finished look they prefer.

I love some of the fun specials offered from mail order businesses but it pays to compare apples and apples. In my opinion, any local quilter would be happy to also let you choose the design, color thread & batting from a check list without spending any personal time. Using a limited checklist of colors & designs doesn’t necessarily make it less expensive for the shopper, it makes it less expensive for the long-arm quilter.   I can work the same way but I prefer to meet with customers and find out more about the quilt, lay out threads on the quilt, ask who it’s for and what kind of quilting they like. Do they like the design dense or open, do you want the thread to show up more or just give texture?

I have not even discussed supporting the local business community, quilting density or production quilting. I hope some of this information helps those that haven’t had any long-arm quilting done think more about some of the details regarding the finishing of their quilt. This is solely my opinion that while many of us that long-arm quilt do not tout lower costs, we try to keep it affordable and want to have happy returning customers. I love what I do and I want my customers to love their finished quilt as much as I do.