seakitten Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 A customer has asked me to baste several quilts for hand- or DSM-quilting. WHat's the best way to do it? How far apart do you make the rows? How much do you charge? I've done it once before, but was not that happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 I quilt on a George but a friend bastes larger quilts for me on her stand-up longarm. We use Superior's water soluble thread VANISH on the top & in the bobbin. If I'm going to wash the quilt later, this thread means I don't need to remove the basting as I'm quilting which makes for a much more stable sandwich clear though to the end of the quilting process. She sets her stitch regulator for a 1/2 inch stitch and bastes in a square grid about every 4 inches. Hope that helps, Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 I charge a half-cent a square inch--that seems to be the industry average. I use the longarm with the SR set at the longest stitch and travel over the quilt in an over-up-over-down line to make a "castle top" half-grid in one pass. Then I start the next line on the same side and repeat, almost catching each corner as I stitch. Stitch in the same direction so all pushing of fabric evens out. Don't cross the corners. This gives a grid which can be stitched without any long verticals, few stops and starts, and no turning of the quilt. The grid is about 4" or the standard "fist width" that is recommended. A customer who quilts in the hoop recommended to me after one basting job to not cross the corners of the grid. This allowed her to adjust the fabric as she went. Another basting design is the standard meander. Again, a fist-width apart is better. As an aside, I am finishing an applique quilt that was brought to me already professionally basted and partly hand-quilted. My customer just couldn't imagine ever finishing it! I removed the basting and the hand quilting (about 10 square inches) to separate for loading and the area at the bottom was wonky and full. The person who basted it had stitched in puckers. So close attention and extra stitching in full areas is recommended as well. Basting is easy, quick and good money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Forgot to add-- to secure the edges for hoop quilting and to keep piecing from coming apart, run a basting stitch all around the edges. And for security, I do a locking stitch within the grid at least once a pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks a bunch, Linda & Nancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmillie2010 Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 linda, any way you can provide a picture of your "over under over down" technique? I'm incompetent when it comes to imagining all this. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted June 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Linda, a photo would be great. I don't really understand what you mean by "crossing the corners". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Here is a diagram of the basting pathway. I keep the corners from crossing so the hand quilter can manipulate the fabric a bit as she stitches. I use a slippery thin poly like BottomLine in a contrasting color for ease of removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doodlebug Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 hey- i do it just like linda does.... linda are you sure we weren't seperated at birth? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFQuilts Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 All I can say is that Doodlebug and Linda make one talented family. Can I join? FYI, I appreciate this thread; I have my first basting job coming soon. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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