A lot of love goes into hand making a quilt

Here's everything you need to know about Michelle's quilts

What is long arm quilting?

Longarm quilting machines are used to sew a quilt top, wadding and backing together to create a finished quilt. Not every quilter uses a long arm machine to complete their quilts, but having one makes it easier and quicker to get a great result, especially with large quilts.

Here's everything you need to know about Michelle's quilts

What is long arm quilting?

How much does it cost to make a quilt?

Custom made quilts start at around $500, allowing for materials and the long arm quilting. But this is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is. It depends on several things, including the following.

Have you already made the quilt top?

How much does it cost to make a quilt?

How big do you want your quilt to be?

The most time-consuming part of quilting is making the top. Most of the work is out of the way if you’ve already made the quilt top and simply need it quilted together with the wadding and backing.

How big do you want your quilt to be?

Bigger quilts take longer to make and require more materials. So, the bigger the quilt, the more it will cost. The standard price per square foot for quilting in Australia is around $3.00. To find the square foot measurement of your quilt, times its length by its width and divide by 144.

Are you supplying the wadding?

How big do you want your quilt to be?

Are you supplying the wadding?

Let me know if you would like to supply your own wadding or if you would like me to provide it for you.

Do you need binding?

How big do you want your quilt to be?

Are you supplying the wadding?

I can finish your quilt with the binding around the edge at an additional cost.

How many different thread colours do you want?

How to prepare your quilt top, backing and batting for longarm quilting

It takes time to re-thread a long arm sewing machine for each different colour thread. Usually, we use the same colour thread for the top and bottom, but by all means, use as many different colours as you like. Just be aware that this will add to the cost of your quilt.

How to prepare your quilt top, backing and batting for longarm quilting

Before you bring your quilt top to me, there are a few ways you can prepare that will save time and money. There are also a few things I need to know before work begins.

Consider the following:

How to prepare your quilt top, backing and batting for longarm quilting

Consider the following:

What weather do you need your quilt for?
Have you chosen a design? If not, have a look at some examples.
What batting are you using, and are you supplying it?
Have you chosen your backing fabric, and is it ready for quilting?
What colour of cotton thread would you like?

How to prepare your quilt backing & quilt top

To prepare your quilt backing, make sure the material is at least 10cm (or 4 inches) longer than the edges of the quilt top. This ensures that there is enough fabric to attach to the canvas leaders and cover the length of the quilt. If you have had to join the backing, make sure the seams are flat.

It also saves a lot of time if you can iron the quilt and backing before bringing your quilt to me. Both pieces will need to be free of creases so that they sew together evenly.

Be sure to trim any loose threads on the back and top of the quilt top, as these can show through. Also, make sure your backing and quilt top are square, as this can affect the quilting.

How to prepare your quilt batting for quilting

Make sure your batting is at least 10cm longer than each edge of the quilt top. If you need to sew pieces together, butt the edges together and join them with a zig-zag stitch.

The more you prepare, the better

Remember, the more time you’ve put into choosing exactly what you want and preparing your materials, the quicker and easier the quilting process will be.

What type of batting should I buy for my quilt?

The type of batting you choose will affect the thickness, drape, price and warmth of your quilt. Here’s an overview of the most popular types of quilt batting to help you choose the right one for you.

Bamboo quilt batting

Bamboo batting dries three times faster than cotton batting and is naturally mould resistant; making it perfect for humid environments. It is soft and tends to drape better than cotton and wool batting.

Cotton quilt batting

Cotton is popular because it’s a soft, lightweight and breathable natural fibre. You can’t really go wrong with cotton batting, so if the options are a little overwhelming, cotton batting will do the job.

Polyester quilt batting

Polyester is a more durable type of batting and holds its shape and thickness better than cotton. Being synthetic, it is resistant to mould, making it better for quilts that will likely need frequent washing.

Polyester is light and warm. It comes in a range of thicknesses and weights to suit different needs, though it doesn’t breath as well as cotton.

Wool batting for quilting

Wool is another popular, natural fibre used for quilt batting. It is warm and light and naturally resistant to mould and mildew. Wool batting doesn’t crease, so your quilt will keep its shape for longer.

Poly-wool blend quilt batting

Polyester/ wool blend batting is perfect for baby quilts because it’s lighter than cotton and resists mould and mildew. It’s also one of the cheaper options while still retaining the benefits of wool; which is the most expensive type of batting.

Silk quilt batting

Usually, silk batting is blended with polyester at a rate of 10% polyester to 90% silk. Silk batting is light, maintains its shape, breathes well and drapes beautifully.

Want me to provide the batting for you?

I provide cotton, wool and bamboo batting for customers, so please let me know if you’d like me to source this for you,