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by birdsongquilting3@ · 12 things on NewTwos
- So, you’ve pieced a gorgeous quilted top. The colors are perfect, the seams line up beautifully, and now you’re standing at the most exciting and slightly intimidating crossroads in the whole quilting process: how do you actually quilt this thing?
- If you’ve spent all your time investing in the quilting world, you’ve probably heard the terms “kitchen table quilting” or “longarm quilting.” But what do they actually mean? And more importantly, which one is the right method for you? Pull up a chair and grab a coffee, since we’re breaking it down.
- Kitchen Table Quilting refers to finishing your quilt the good old-fashioned, DIY way: on a home sewing machine, often with your quilt sandwich basted and smoothed out across whatever flat surface you’ve got available. Sometimes, that’s a dedicated quilting space, and other times, it’s literally your kitchen table!
- This method is completely personal and intimate because you’re controlling every stitch, every swirl, every straight line yourself. That means the quilting reflects you—your rhythm, your style, your quirks, and everything that is YOU.
- Kitchen Table Quilting is wonderfully accessible. You don’t need a special machine, and you don’t need to spend extra money beyond what you’ve already invested in your project. If you’re new to quilting, this is often where everyone starts—and honestly, where a lot of experienced quilters still love to stay.
- You have two options when it comes to longarm quilting:
- A longarm machine is a large, industrial-style quilting machine where the quilt is stretched into a frame, and the machine head moves across the fabric, rather than you feeding the fabric through a small throat space. These machines can be massive, often stretching 8 to 10 feet long, which is where the “longarm” name comes from.
- Send your quilt to a professional quilter
- This option is extremely popular, and for a good reason. You ship or drop off your quilt top, batting, and backing, choose a pantograph or custom design, and pick up a beautifully quilted finished piece. The results are often stunning, with even tension and those buttery-smooth all-over designs that seem almost impossible to achieve on a home machine.
- Some quilt shops offer longarm rentals, letting you get behind the machine itself. It’s a skill unto itself—sort of like driving a regular car versus a truck, but once you get the hang of it, it is incredibly freeing!
- Rent or own a longarm yourself
- Read more - Kitchen Table Quilting vs Longarm Quilting: What’s Right for You?