Quilt Basting Services
For anyone who would likes to hand quilt but HATES to baste, we’ve got you covered. Trace Creek Quilting offers quilt basting services for your convenience. Check out the details below!
Order Form: Simply write ‘BASTE ONLY’ in the pantograph section of the order form.
Cost: $.0225/sq inch, $50 minimum on any one project. (Scroll down for deep dive on pricing.)
Turnaround: The usual, we guarantee a turnaround of 4 weeks or less.
Density and Pattern: Our standard is a rough 2 inch grid across your quilt. We do not measure as we go along so it will not be exact, but it will be that general density. If you have a different density you prefer, please let us know.
We were so excited when Suzy Williams from Suzy Quilts asked us to baste this gorgeous Noel quilt so she could use it to share here hand quilting tips, tricks, and techniques with her audience. Once she’s finished I’ll share photos of the completed quilt - it’s going to be amazing!
Trimmings: We are happy to trim these projects down a bit, but we think it is prudent to leave at least a few inches around the perimeter of the quilt top. We recommend selecting ‘Do Not Trim My Quilt’ on the order form, which allows you to trim it to your own personal preference as you continue to work with it through the hand quilting process.
Thread: Since the thread we are adding to the quilt top will eventually be removed we use a couple of strategies. First, we try to use a thread color that has a fairly high contrast to the fabrics in the quilt. This ensures you can see it easily when it comes time to pull it out. Secondly, we use the opportunity to use up leftover bobbin thread from other projects. We appreciate this opportunity to reduce our waste.
Stitch Length: I’d love to say my stitches are a real nice, consistent .5” in length. But the truth is when I’m hand guiding the basting stitches, they can vary from a quarter inch to an inch in length. My machines do not have an option to regulate the basting stitches so depending on how fast I am going the stitch length can change. Both because the various stitch lengths still secure the layers together as needed and as the thread is eventually coming out, this does not negatively impact the project.
Coupons and Discounts: The cost above is roughly 20% off our regular pricing. If you have a coupon or there is a special discount, I am more than happy to use the higher discount rate on your quilt, but it will be calculated using regular edge-to-edge pricing. We are not able to offer big discounts off the basting price.
Additional Info on Cost: A handful of folks who ask about basting services are expecting the cost to be less and I’d like to address that real quick. Basting cannot be mechanized like all of my other edge to edge patterns. It requires me to stay at the machine and hand guide the stitches across the entirety of the quilt, take more of my time and effort than quilts that can run on their own. So even though the density is less and the pattern simpler, it is actually more labor and time consuming than an edge to edge quilt of a comparable size. It is a bit counterintuitive so I hope this tidbit is helpful.
Please reach out if you have any other questions or would like to know if we can baste to your specifications. We look forward to helping play a part in your next hand quilting adventure!
-Lilo
