Thing #2 The Town and Country Process…

So, you’ve decided to hire a professional to quilt that top you just finished piecing…what’s next?

Before I fill you in on the way things work around here, let me share something. I am a quilt-maker too. I understand how much time and attention has gone into a quilt before I see it. I know that a lot of us would like to be able to be hands on in every aspect of a quilt’s completion. I know how precious it is to the one who made it. I consider it a privilege to be included in the process, and am grateful to be able to provide the opportunity for quilt-makers to move on to their next project.

The first step in the process is to call, or email our shop to set up an appointment to drop off or send your quilt. If you know of an upcoming deadline for a quilt and wish to add your quilt to our schedule in advance, you may.

When you and your quilt, or just your quilt, arrive at the studio, it will be measured and invoiced. We will then have a conversation, in person, or by phone, in an effort to solidify the vision of the finished product. Custom vs. Allover quilting will be determined, as well as which patterns, the density of the quilting, color of thread, centeredness of the backing, type of batting, and cost will all be determined and communicated. This may be a short “do whatever” conversation, or we may spend quite a bit of time. The goal of this meeting is to make sure that we understand what you want your finished product to look like. We will also advise you if we foresee any potential problems with quilting your quilt. If the borders have fullness, or blocks aren’t square, this can sometimes make it impossible to quilt the quilt without puckers, or fullness between quilting lines, we will do our best to detect these issues before we proceed, although not all fullness is evident before the quilt is loaded on the machine. You will be informed what week your quilt is scheduled to be completed, and given a quote and date due notice. At this point it will also be determined who will be quilting your quilt. At the time of writing, there are two quilt artists working at the studio: Myself, and Anna.

Anna is proficient at many allover patterns, and her repertoire is growing steadily. You will help determine who’s schedule you are on at this time.

When you leave your quilt with us, it is hung on a hanger, and stored in the closet of our smoke free, pet free shop. The quilts are hung in the order in which they will be quilted, and stored there until it is their turn to be loaded on the machine. Quilts can be completed in as little as 2 hours, or as much as 12-15 hours. We try to complete 2-5 quilts per week, depending on their size and complexity of pattern. Our turn-around time varies based on workload and time of year.

After the quilting is completed, your quilt will be taken off the machine and the backing and batting will be trimmed to about one inch beyond the quilt top. We will then give you a call and arrange pick up or delivery.

If you pick up your quilt in the studio, you will have a chance to look it over and address any concerns you may have, if there are no concerns, payment is due at this time. It is our sincere hope that if you have concerns either in the shop, or after you get your quilt home, you will contact us. If there is a problem that we can remedy, we will take measures to do so. We care about your quilt, and we want the best outcome possible. There have been occasions that the quilt-maker’s vision for her quilt was not reached after quilting. I have been thankful for a few opportunities to “re-do” the quilting, and I am happy to say that these ladies were pleased with the end result and have remained clients of ours.

That’s it.  All that’s left is for you to take your quilt home, bind it (if you haven’t hired us to do so) and enjoy!

What do you think?  Do you feel more comfortable having your quilt professionally finished now that you know the process? Feel free to contact us for your next quilting job!