What is longarming a quilt?

Have you just finished your first quilt top and you’re ready to turn it into a quilt with those beautiful quilting stitches? If it’s big, someone might have said to you, “Oh, you should get it longarmed,” or “You should take it to a longarmer.”

And you’re probably wondering… what on earth is a longarmer? What’s a longarm?

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You know what I love about understanding how things work? It takes all the mystery and worry out of the process. So let me walk you through exactly what longarm quilting is, why you might want to consider it, and what actually happens to your precious quilt top when you send it off to be longarmed.

What Is a Longarm Machine?

If you’re planning to quilt your quilt on your domestic machine (that’s your regular sewing machine at home), you know what happens when you’re sewing in the middle of a large quilt. There’s all this extra fabric that you have to shove under the arm of the machine, and it starts to get pretty unwieldy – especially as the quilt gets bigger.

A longarm machine is an industrial-type machine with a very long arm that creates much more space for maneuvering large quilts. The difference is dramatic – where your domestic machine might have 6-8 inches of throat space, a longarm can have 18+ inches.

But here’s the thing… these machines cost about as much as a car and take up an awful lot of room in your home. That’s usually why you see longarm machines only in quilt stores or in the homes of people who are making it their business to quilt other people’s quilts.

Although you can often rent time on these machines in quilt stores, if this is your first quilt top, you might just want to send it off to a longarmer who’s already experienced. It is quite a lot of additional knowledge to learn, especially when you’ve just learned how to piece.

What You Need to Know Before Sending Your Quilt

Backing Size Requirements

Most longarm quilters will require that your backing be at least 4 or 5 inches bigger than your top – all the way around. So if your quilt top is 60″ x 80″, your backing needs to be about 70″ x 90″.

This extra fabric is essential because of how the quilt gets loaded onto the longarm machine. The backing and top are loaded separately onto different rollers, and that extra fabric ensures everything stays properly aligned throughout the quilting process.

Mark Your Pieces

When you send your quilt off to a longarmer, it’s really helpful to mark where the top of the backing and the top of the quilt top are. This makes it easier for them to load everything in the right direction. You may think it’s obvious which way is up, but remember – they’re not you, and they’re just quilting your quilt. Any quilting designs might have a direction, so knowing what’s the top matters.

Prepare Your Quilt Top

Make sure you clip any loose threads, especially on the front of your quilt. If the longarm machine catches a loose thread, it can create problems during quilting. Also, while some longarmers will square up your quilt edges, it’s helpful if the edges are already straight and even.

Types of Longarm Quilting

Edge-to-Edge (Pantograph) Quilting

Most of the time when you get a quilt longarmed, you’ll get what’s called “edge-to-edge” or “pantograph” quilting. This is a pattern that’s the same all over the quilt, usually done in rows across the entire surface.

These patterns nest together so they don’t look like stripes across your quilt. Nowadays, these patterns are usually created using a computer to guide the machine, making them perfectly precise across the entire quilt.

This type of quilting is the most cost-effective option because it’s less labor-intensive than custom work.

Custom Quilting

Custom quilting involves more detailed, specific designs – perhaps different patterns in different areas of your quilt, or detailed work that follows the piecing design. This might include ruler work for precise straight lines or curves, or intricate freehand designs.

Custom quilting takes much more time and expertise, so it costs significantly more than edge-to-edge patterns.

The Longarm Process: What Actually Happens

Loading the Quilt

The process starts with loading your backing onto rollers at both ends of the longarm machine. The backing goes on wrong-side up, and it needs to be attached evenly so your finished quilt will be straight and square.

Next, batting gets loaded – many longarmers provide batting for a fee, which is often a good deal since they buy high-quality batting in bulk that works well with their machines.

Finally, your quilt top gets loaded and aligned carefully with a line of basting stitches across the batting.

The Quilting Process

For computerized edge-to-edge quilting, the longarmer selects a pattern and adjusts it for appropriate density and sizing for your quilt. Even though it’s computerized, the longarmer is actively involved – watching to make sure nothing gets caught, advancing the quilt between rows, changing bobbins, and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

The quilt gets quilted row by row, and after each row, the longarmer must advance the quilt, check that the batting and backing are smooth, clip any loose threads, and set up the machine for the next row.

Finishing Touches

When all the quilting is complete, the edges get basted down to hold everything in place. This actually helps when you’re ready to add binding to finish your quilt.

You’re still responsible for adding the binding unless your longarmer offers that service for an additional fee.

Is Longarm Quilting Worth It?

It’s a trade-off between dealing with quilting a large project on your domestic machine (with all the wrestling and strain that involves) and the cost of professional longarm quilting.

Here are some reasons you might choose longarm quilting:

• Size: Large quilts are much easier on a longarm
• Professional results: Even tension and consistent stitching across the entire quilt
• Time savings: Much faster than quilting at home
• Your energy: Save your creative energy for piecing and binding
• Experience: Professional longarmers handle any problems that arise

Understanding Brings Confidence

When you understand what actually happens during the longarm process, you can make the best decision for your project. You’ll know what to prepare, what to expect, and whether the investment makes sense for your particular quilt.

Some quilts are perfect candidates for longarm quilting – especially larger pieces or quilts where you want consistent, professional results. Others might be more meaningful to quilt yourself, even if it takes longer.

The most important thing? There’s no wrong choice. Whether you decide to quilt at home or send it to a longarmer, you’re going to end up with a beautiful, finished quilt.

Have you considered longarm quilting for any of your projects? What questions do you still have about the process?

Happy sewing! 😉