Sending off your quilt top that you have worked so hard on and invested so much time and money can be a really scary proposition.
One of the questions I get asked the most is about what happens to your quilt once the box arrives on my doorstep.
I live in a really quiet little neighborhood. It is a small subdivision that is kinda off the beaten path of our city. Thankfully, porch pirates have *never* been an issue for us. However, I do have a camera at my door and a nice Japanese maple that obscures much of the front porch. Here is a picture of my house, just in case you were curious! I love sitting on that porch. I have a table and two chairs out there and it is a nice place to drink sweet tea with a friend. The UPS man and USPS worker graciously put my packages on that table the vast majority of the time.
Since I homeschool, someone is home most all of the time, so your quilt never has to wait a long time to be brought in. One of my kids, my husband, or my brother or his personal care assistant bring your quilt inside pretty much as soon as it gets here.
As soon as I get a free minute, I then notify you that your quilt has arrived and let you know if there are any issues with your shipping container. Some of you beat me to this and ask about your quilt's arrival. :)
Within 48 hours, I open your box and put it in my queue. If you place your order online, I just note the day of reception and put your top and backing into a large ziploc bag with your name inside.
A lot of the time, I just get a box with a quilt in it and a piece of paper with your name. So, I go look up emails and prior conversations, put your order in my system, and put your quilt and top in a giant ziploc bag with your name in it. If you send batting, I write your name on the packaging with a sharpie marker and note it on your order.
These bags of quilt tops are placed in order on a shelf until it is your quilt's turn. When your quilt is next in line or close to next in line, I will contact you to double-check the details of your order. I make sure all my notes are correct and I don't need to order any thread for your quilt.
When it is your quilt's turn, I remove the backing and quilt from the bag and give them a quick press if necessary to remove the wrinkles I might have put on them. :) Then I double-check the size of your quilt and your backing and batting to be sure I have enough to load the quilt onto the frame. I change the needle, thread, and the bobbin. Then I load your quilt and get to quilting!
When it is done, I trim the excess backing and batting away, without cutting the quilt, to get it off the frame. This is a habit, and I am glad to offer this service to my clients at no additional charge. However - if you don't want me to trim it - you only have to tell me. I put a giant sticky note on the quilt to remind me!
Your quilt gets a good once over with a lint roller, and then I and a helper will fold your quilt, trying to look for stray threads and lint, and put it in the box. We add your leftover fabric and batting, unless it is less than 2" wide or you have specifically asked us not to send it back, and ship it back to you.
That's it! It is a pretty straightforward and simple process. :)
As always - I am grateful for each and every one of you that chooses me to quilt your projects. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about our services!
Jessica
I love your web-site and the idea that I can have a quilt done with a classic stitch at a cost effective price. I have a couple of questions. I noticed in the thread selection there is no “Natural” color option. Can this be requested? It is what I usually use when machine quilting in order to blend with the quilt design. Also, what does “having my backing and my quilt square”. This is my first time sending a quilt to a longarm service and I want everything to go smoothly :-)
Also,