Preparing your quilt for the quilter is easy with a few simple rules of thumb:
1) Make sure your seams are all pressed in the right direction and are crisp and flat.  Flat seam make a finished quilt look and lay much nicer. If you have a seam going the wrong direction (see the images below) it will create a bump in your quilt.  Some of that is unavoidable but most of this can be avoided by simply checking your pressed seams to make sure they are lying flat.

2) Make sure your back and batting is cut 3-4 inches bigger than your quilt, on all sides.  This seems like waste, especially if you are used to putting a quilt on basic quilt frames but it is essential.  Machine quilting frames require the extra fabric to attach to the frame.  It also insures that that you will have adequate coverage when the quilt if quilted and rolled on the frames. 

3) Finally, be sure to communicate with your quilter exactly what you want!  Either take a picture of what you want the quilting to look like or give her an idea of what you have in mind. (Pinterest is a great place to get an idea of what you want!)  Do you want tight spacing on a meandering stitch or do you prefer large spacing? What thread color do you have in mind? When do you need it completed? This will save both you and the quilter a lot of stress! 

Hopefully these basic steps will reward you with the finished quilt that you envisioned!  
Thanks for stopping by the Front Porch, feel free to stay and chat!
Nancy

ps. Be sure to visit the gallery, new pictures posted today!

Choosing a long arm took a lot of research.  I had been watching my local KSL Classifieds for a used machine, knowing that I would not be spending a lot of money for an upgrade.  I had also been researching machines on KathyQuilts.com,,  a distributor of the Block RockiT.  I was very impressed with the machine (made by the Grace Company) as well as the price!
After a frustrating week with my mid-arm not being able to accomplish what I wanted, I decided to take a drive north to KathyQuilts showroom.  Located in Brigham City, it is just 20 minutes north of me.  Lynne and Kathy were  very helpful in answering my questions as well as letting me try out a Block RockiT.  As soon as Kathy turned over the controls to me I was sold!   ( I later told my husband that I might have actually teared up when I started driving it!  He assured me that was not a good move if I was going for the "hard-sell"! )
Technically categorized as a mid-arm machine,  The Block RockiT  has a 14+ inch throat so it has all the room of a more expensive long-arm.  It also has many great features, my favorite being the stitch regulation. I also purchased the Launch Pad frame which works amazing!
Since beginning to work on it I have had a few questions and small kinks.  I have been so impressed with the Grace Company and their customer service as they have handled all of my questions and concerns. 
I have already quilted over 10 quilts on my new machine and can't wait to go to work everyday on it!
Love, Love, Love my new machine.  
Thanks for stopping by the Front Porch!

Nancy

Deciding to buy a mid-arm machine was a challenge.  Many people warned me that I would not like it and that I would not be able to do very much with it.  I passed up many machines listed on KSL classified because I was willing to listen to the critics!
I finally decided that I just needed to purchase one and try it out to see if I could do it and  would like it.  My supportive husband agreed with me and I purchased my mid-arm, on the condition that if it wasn't what I thought it would be then I would sell it and be done.
The machine I purchased was a Brother Nouvelle 1500.  It is a straight stitch machine, nothing fancy, on wooden Grace Quilting frames.  Once it was put together and I took hold of the handles and felt the machine glide across the frames I knew I was in love!  I quickly loaded fabric and my obsession began!  I was hooked!  
Although I loved the Brother,  it was not without trials.  One of the first large quilts I was quilting for a friend quickly turned into a nightmare as I tried something way above my new quilting abilities!  I spent many hours unpicking it because I felt it was ruined.  She is a very forgiving friend and has trusted me with many quilts since!  
The advantages to a mid-arm are many, the first being cost.  A mid-arm machine is the most cost effective machine for a home quilter.  It works great for small projects and is still able to hold those large quilts too.  It was easy to use, although there was obviously a learning curve associated with it.  The size it perfect for small spaces. 
There are a few draw backs to a mid-arm machine.  With only a 9" harp space, a large quilt quickly fills that space leaving little room to quilt by the time you are close to the end.  Doing a design in a 12" block is possible, but takes ALOT of rolling back and forth and positioning just right.  Most mid-arms do not have stitch regulators built in so there is added cost if you want that option.  Note:  I did not use a stitch regulator and it definitely  took me a long time to get a rhythm down so that my stitches were somewhat even. 
Buying this machine was definitely the right decision for me.  I was able to learn quickly, build a great business and finish all my stacked up projects.  I also fell in love with the process of machine quilting, helping me know that I wanted to continue to grow my business.  Which brought me to the bitter-sweet day that I listed my mid-arm for sale and looked toward my new love: a long-arm! 
I hope this chat has helped you in your journey to the right machine for you.  Stop by the Front Porch tomorrow and we'll chat about my long-arm!

Nancy

Finding the right machine to quilt on can be a challenge. The options vary from a domestic sewing machine to a very expensive Gammil long arm machine. Today's Front Porch chat is about just that, hopefully it will provide some insight for your decision! 

Several years ago I took a class on how to free motion quilt on your domestic sewing machine- most frustrating class I've ever taken! I could not get the motion down. But I did learn some basic techniques that have helped me along the way. I practiced and practiced until I could manage a small quilt, quilted "in the ditch."  Which was great because I had been hand quilting up until then, and that takes so much time!
One of the main problems I was running into was not enough harp space on my bigger projects. I had been researching machines and finally settled on my Juki, which I bought online through SewingMachinesPlus (a great company!). I convinced my husband that this was the LAST machine I would EVER need (I owned 5 machines at the time!).  The bigger harp space was really nice but I still didn't manage the motion very well. Someone had explained it as "drawing with your pencil in place while moving your paper under it." Some people are great at that, (like Lori Kennidy at The Inbox Jaunt), I am not!. I love Lori's blog and use many of her patterns on my long arm. 
Thus began my journey to find a machine that would be like "drawing with a pencil moving over a paper." And convincing my husband that I just might need another machine!

Thank you for joining me on the Front Porch,  feel free to stay and chat!

Nancy