Good Morning, Quilters!
As Quilters, what is the most common thing we are asked??–How long did it take you to make that?
I never have an answer…do YOU?
For Claire and Andy’s wedding quilt–a queen size, I did carefully account for all the time it took to quilt it…
It took 25 hours to quilt!–on a domestic sewing machine… (I estimated it would take 40 hours so I was happy with 25…)
The first 10 hours was on stabilizing and stitching in the ditch–we’ll take more about that next week!
What about YOU? Have you ever added up the hours (we won’t even talk about dollars!)…to make a quilt?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Also, tell us if you are quilting on a domestic sewing machine, a mid-arm sewing machine or a long arm.
Signed,
Still Basking in Quilt-Finish-Virtue,
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
49 comments
eileenkny
Karen Kay Buckley says that when people ask her how long it takes her to make a quilt, she tells them 20 years. That’s how long it took her to get where she is now.
Dixie Middleton
11/09/115. Hi Lori, I am not able to link to today’s post. Anyone else having a problem? This is what it is stating: It looks like nothing was found at this location. Perhaps it was there but now it’s gone. Maybe try one of the links below or a search?
Lori Kennedy
Thanks for letting me know! It’s fixed now!
June Neigum
Just came back from a quilt retreat with 5 other gals. We sewed for 4 days straight. We got 5 queen size, 1 table runner, 1 wall hanging, and 2 bigger than lap top quilt tops done. We had a ball. Now we have to all finish them. Keeping track of time is something I do not want to do as I do it for the love of the craft and to help keep bodies warm. Most of those quilts we made will go to charity.
Lori Kennedy
Wow! That was a productive retreat!
Dorothy
Retreats are a wonderful way to sew,chat, learn, compare,share and laugh lots. I miss the retreats that I have attended in the past, they were a real treat. Time flies when you are having fun.
Gatorwomn
Just finished quilting a Queen size quilt. First real FMQ I have done on my Tiara II sit-down machine. Rough estimate, it probably took at least 50 hours. I quilt longer on my days off, but during the week, I spent anywhere from 30-90 minutes 3-4 times a week on it. I probably spent just as much time trying to decide how to quilt it. Have not finished the binding, had to order more fabric, liked 4 strips having enough!
obed101
Whatever the hours, it is stunning!
Mabry
Since that is the first question asked, I kept up with my time from beginning to the ending when I made a twin size. I quilted it fairly dense. I also put a sleeve for hanging and on that sleeve, I wrote “It took 49 hours to make this quilt”. I quilted on my domestic machine. Love your tutorials.
farmquilter
When I made my daughter’s wedding quilt – 100×100 – the quilting took 84 hours using a friend’s longarm with IQ (a computerized system)and then another 100 hours on my hand-guided longarm. Definitely worth the time and effort – my daughter loves it and appreciates all the work that went into designing the quilt and the quilting.
WordPress.com Support
I’d love to see that quilt!!!
Tomomi McElwee
On domestic machine, it took 2.5 weeks, 5-6 days a week, 5-6 hours to quilt a king size for me but that includes thinking about design, repinning the quilt, tidying broken thread and thread ends and some drawing lines. Oh and battling with stiff neck and shoulders! My estimate was two weeks and I think I did ok.
amq97 Allison C Bayer Plano Texas
And basking in Qult-Finish-Virtue is a fine feeling of accomplishment! Good for you Lori — a fine finish indeed. I now longarm quilt on an Innova with computerized Navigator system. Just because it is computerized doesn’t necessarily mean it is faster. I chose a 4.5″ design for an 88″ X 88″ mystery quilt I just completed and it took 14 hours! I’ve owned a Gammill Optimum and an APQS with a stitch regulator. I miss doing freemotion since my elbow injury in January. I am grateful I can still complete quilts on my new longarm and feel creative using all the features it offers. Allison in Plano, TX USA
Shelley
When I do customer quilts, I do keep track because I want to know if I’m making as much as I expect I should. On one client quilt, I seriously underestimated the time it would take me to do a boatload of SITD and ended up not even making minimum wage. Lesson learned: charge a WHOLE lot more for substantial SITD!
For my own quilts? I don’t care. It’s not a race and I’m not in a rush. When it gets done, it gets done.
Brenda
I spent 10 to 12 hours each on two single quilts which I quilted fairly densely with motifs from The Inbox Jaunt.
Denise
I quilt on a domestic Janome 8200 and I try to track my time on all crafty things. I have a log book beside my spot in the living room for hand projects, and I use a post it note for quilting projects do it can move wherever I go. I also track hours for the steps of a project: cutting, pressing, piecing and quilting. It puts my handmade projects inyo perspective if I can say “this took 136 hours, cost $119.87 in materials and 4 months to create”.
JanineMarie
I quilt on a treadle, and I don’t keep track of hours–I’m afraid if I did, I might not keep at it. I don’t have to worry about whether I’m making money or not, so to me the time isn’t all that important. Usually my projects are small–baby or lap size, so they don’t take an inordinate amount of time. It is taking me FOREVER to complete my latest project (a big quilt with no timeline to it), but what an enjoyable way to spend the time. Thanks to your tutorials, I’m branching out a bit from meandering, so thank you!!
Jasmine
I love quilty math and statistics so I estimate the time I spend quilting a quilt and write it down in my quilting log. The fact that I love simple, fast finishes makes it easier. The longest I have spent machine quilting a quilt on my midarm is 20 hours. Lots better than 200 hours to hand quilt a large quilt.
charmingbubble2
I just finished hand quilting a double bed size sampler quilt. I used 600 meters of thread and it took me about 450 hours. Next time I machine quilt I will pay more attention and keep track.
Alicia
The last “big” quilt I did was just a full size bed quilt on my Janome 6500. Between the stabilizing/in the ditch and the dense filler, it took about 30 hours and 2000m of bobbin thread to finish that sucker. I’ve done king size as well, on my Janome, but generally choose less dense quilting plans.
Lori – Your tutorials are fantastic, thank you for sharing them. You have really inspired me to be more adventurous with my FMQ and I am thrilled with the results.
Ivete Tecedor
I did free motion loop-de-loops on a baby quilt recently, on my Juki 2010Q, and it took me an hour to do a 40″ square quilt (this quilt: https://gothamquilts.com/product/lotta-jansdotter-stella-quilt-kit/) I generally don’t keep track, but your post has inspired me to do it next time I custom quilt something larger! Will be an interesting exercise.
Shirley M
I seem to always be working on several quilts at a time and bounce from one to another several times a day. It would seem to be a lot of work and very stressful to track my time. Don’t you just love being in the “project complete” mode.. It always feels so good to finish a quilt.
Margaret Ann Bowman
Although I have been quilting since 2011, it has been on my domestic machine, a Janome Horizon 8900, recently I got a new mid arm and started a large quilt and possibly I could have chosen a less dense design, so after 3 wks. and aprox. 30 hrs. I am only about half way. I hope that I will gain more speed as I am more familiar with my machine.
tehachap
I don’t really track the time I spend — I enjoy the quilting and binding more than the piecing, however. I use my Bernina 1008 domestic machine and have only done decorative machine stitching and stitch in the ditch to quilt. I haven’t the courage to try my hand at free motion embroidery, but eventually I will. I’ll keep watching and reading your posts until suddenly, one day I’ll be brave enough to try it.
paintedthread
I always mean to track my time, and then forget. But I often get asked how long it takes and rarely have an answer. A long time!
Laurie
I have a domestic Janome 6600 and largest I have quilted is a California King size ~ Northern Wilderness pattern! Yes, on my Janome! Twenty appliqued blocks with a Delectible Mountain block as the border. I gave up trying to count the hours. All worth it though, as I received a ribbon in our quilt show. Wedding quilt for my nephew. Absolutely a labor of love. Loved every minute.
sillyandrea
I’ve been keep track of my time for quite a lot of the quilts I’ve been doing for people, as I figure out pricing.
I do work on a domestic (Bernina) and do some dense quilting. A King size I did with custom all over took about 16 hours. Just for the quilting.
Binding takes me 30-45 mins but I machine stitch it both sides. This includes me cutting and pressing.
Baby quilts with an all over pattern take me about a half hour. Maybe 45 mins.
Yes, I’m a fast quilter! 😀 I’m quilting today and have done about 2 hours this morning – with interruptions from the husband and time to pick the next design for the next block. It’s a tshirt quilt so I spend more time deciding what goes in each block than I do actually quilting some of it! Not sure how many blocks I’ve done this morning but I can go count.
Tweela
The last quilt I finished on my domestic machine was for a regular sized bed. It took me approximately four 10 hr. log audio books to prepare for quilting and for the quilting. Audio books are an occasional alternative to music and seem to prevent me from getting TOO focused on my free motion quilting, freeing me up a bit in an interesting sort of way.
The quilt I am currently working on includes 15 large hexagonal blocks, each different and each being quilted differently and individually. This queen sized quilt is definitely going to take me longer to quilt.
LynnEl Springer
I am almost finished with a king-sized quilt (my own, thankfully) and I decided to keep track of the time this time as well. It is well over 60 hours now! I am now starting to worry that I have ‘over-quilted’ it. But I don’t think so. I can’t wait to get it off the machine and get it bound and blocked. Can you block a king-sized quilt? I maybe can’t because I don’t have a space large enough! It will be beautiful!!
WordPress.com Support
One can never over quilt! I’m sure it’s gorgeous!
Ness
Lori it is beautiful. I have tried and tried to log my time but it gets forgotten somewhere along the way. I’ve quilted several Queens plus I don’t know anymore how many Littles on my Bernina 550 QE domestic. Most have been a decorative meander of your designs all over. It sometimes surprises me how fast it will go when I’m lost in my machine doodles!
Jennifer
I haven’t added up the hour, but I’m going to do my best when I quilt my grandson’s quilt which is the next one up. I usually do a quadrant a day. This will be the first time I quilt using my walking foot so it will probably be quicker than when I do a free motion pattern. Love your posts.
Jan
A professional quilter who used a domeatic machine for her quilting said she estimates it takes about 1 hour per square foot to quilt it. I’m just finishing my second one. It takes me longer because each one so far is a new canvas and learning process.
Every quilt has a story, so short some closer to novels. The one I’m working on currently is a work in progress. I make the quilt top just to get to the fun part…the fmq:) I don’t make show quilts only ones for a purpose to be used. I use a Janome 8900.
Pat
I have no idea since all the quilting is done in between all my other chores and I never keep track…I guess I should.. I mostly QAYG on my domestic sewing machine…do 15″ blocks and then join together. Much easier this way and it turns out nicely. I will try to keep track next time just for my own info.
Barbara
I do my quilting on an APQS George. I do some quilts for guild members, but I enjoy quilting & piecing more when I’m doing it for my own quilts.
Connie
I do not think I could track the time to make or quilt a quilt. I have hand quilted for years and I am now learning FMQ. I find that people that ask the time question do not do handwork and therefore seem to think it is an important question. I on the other hand love the time I spend on all aspects of quilting and sometimes wish I had more time to devot to all of it!
paula
I totally ADORE this quilt. The colors are fantastic not to mention the quilting. You are amazing. I work a full-time job and have two children and a husband. So for me – 2 queen size a year is my max.
Connie B
Yikes, I better get quilting, my goal is five lap size quilts
by Christmas, and I just got a new Bernina770QE that I have learn
Debbie
I quilt on a domestic machine. I have never kept track of how long it takes to quilt any size project. I am not sure I want to keep track as I really enjoy the process and if I knew how much it costs and how long it takes to quilt, it might take all the fun out of it. Your blog is a great source of information…thanks sew much.
Laurie
Amen!
Theresa
Amen. Quilting is an expensive hobby. There is no telling how many hours from purchase of fabric, cutting out, piecing, pressing and quilting. Good thing it is fun and challenging.
Theresa
I made an appliqué quilt that each block was lighthouse scenes. I decided to keep track of how many hours it would take me to make this quilt from start to finish. What a pain to keep track of the hours! Every time there was an interruption, you’d have to deduct how much time that interruption was. (A phone call, someone at your door, getting up to change the laundry in the machines. . .you get the idea.). After the completion of this quilt, I totaled the hours, it ended up at 129 hours! I’m a slow quilter, but there was a lot of detail in this quilt from satin stitching all of the appliqué pieces, to custom quilting the quilt. I don’t think I’ll ever keep track of how long it takes to make a quilt again! Lol!
Theresa
Oh, forgot to say, I quilt on a domestic machine
Elinor Burwash Designs
Good on you Lori, for taking the time to keep track of the time to quilt. Congratulations on finishing, a joyful thing. I really enjoy your blog.
dawk2012
Just finished a double quilt that took me at least 30 hours to densely quilt, but I don’t really know. I never know what to say either, but next time I’ll charge the times. I love it, so it isn’t work for me. It’s my reward for getting my other things done. I only have a DSM.
dawk2012
Chart! the time.
Carol
I do all my quilting on my domestic machine. So far I have done 3 queen size and several twin sized quilts I tell friends that they are very doable with some patience.
I love free motion quilting and really enjoy your blog. Thanks for sharing your tutorials
TrenaTrena
I just did my 92 x 92 quilt on a long arm that I went to the store and rented. The actual time the machine was running was 3 hrs but the prep work was 2 hrs to get it on there. The pattern was a “flower fan” style, very open.
Debra Ramsey
When I am quilting (domestic) I do about 5 hours a day/5 days a week = 25 hr a wk. I do pretty dense quilting so a quilt will take me 3 days (baby quilt) to 3-4 wks for a queen.
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