Our Quilting Service program
If you would like us to make, finish or quilt your quilt please read the following and complete the info sheet and send it with your quilt top and back or desired materials and deposit to NEW PIECES QUILT SERVICE, 1605 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707.Deposits are:
$100 for quilting only service
$150 for quilting and binding service
$300 for &Mac222;nish piecing, quilting and binding service
$500 for a commission quilt
Quilting Service (sample pictures are here!)
Our specialty is free-form machine quilting from our selection of patterns. What we do in one hour on our industrial quilting machine would take the average quilter 5+ hours on a home machine. When we choose a quilting pattern, we evaluate the complexity of piecing and the overall feel of the quilt, and its intended use. Some quilts scream for simplicity and others want the quilting to be part of the design of the quilt. It is helpful for us to get a sense of what you had in mind so you are happy with the results. We have lots of threads available, including variegated threads, from 50 weight cotton to 28 weight poly and everything in between. Currently we use cotton or polyester for quilting. We can put several different colors of thread on one quilt. We will choose thread color for you unless you have speci&Mac222;c requirements. Normal turn around time for this service is one month.
We do not quilt over photos-on-fabric, heavily hand-painted fabric, plastic or leather.
We can hand quilt the design of your choice or one chosen by us. Hand basting (6" apart cross-hatch style) is necessary to do this. You can do it or we can. Don't expect your quilt back for a year or more for this service.
Stories About Some Of Our Serviced Quilts. Take A Look!
Binding Service
We will cut, iron and machine stitch one or both sides of the binding to your quilt (your choice) , or if you prefer, we can hand stitch the fold to the back of the quilt. We make double thickness straight grain binding. You supply needed fabric for this service, or we can choose a fabric for you and add the charges to your bill. Please let us know your wishes on the info sheet.
Back Service
We can cut, sew and iron your back. You supply enough material for this, or we can choose a fabric from our store for you and add it to your bill.
Sleeve Service
We can cut, iron and machine-sew the top edge and whip stitch the bottom edge of a sleeve on your quilt back. You supply enough material for this, or we can choose a fabric from our store for you and add it to your bill.
Piecing Service (pictures of some quilts we made are coming soon)
We will make or finish a quilt top of your choosing from materials supplied by you, or we can choose fabrics and a design based on information from you. If you send fabric, for best results we suggest you purchase 100% cotton, but will endeavor to work with what you send. If it is necessary for us to add to your selection, we will do so and add it to your bill. Please allow two to six months for the creation of a top.
A few words about Photos on Fabric
We offer this service at $10 per 8” x 11” fabric sheet. If you would like to include pictures or photos or fronts of greeting cards, or a special drawing, it is possible to have these items transferred to fabric. If you want to do this on your own, this is how you go about it. First, &Mac222;nd a copy store and ask them if they have the photo transfer paper for transferring images onto fabric. Get as many photos on one page as possible. You can separate them afterwards. Next &Mac222;nd a T-shirt company that will heat press your images onto your fabric. Get good 100% cotton fabric. My favorite is Kona Bay cotton; if you can’t &Mac222;nd that, get Kaufman Kona cotton. Have the T-shirt place leave 3-4” around each photo. There are two great books out by Jean Rae Laury: Photo Transfer ($21.95) and Imagery on Fabric ($27.95).
Charges for Service
Our rate for straight-line machine sewing, binding, making sleeves and backs, ironing, and preparing top and back is $30 per hour. Our hand quilting and our free-form machine quilting service charges are $40 per hour and based on design intensity and number of thread colors used and size of quilt. Our simplest designs are up to 4” apart and do not require a lot of stopping on the machine.These are called our “A” designs. Our moderate designs (“B” designs) are up to 2” apart . Our more intensive designs (“C” designs) are 1-2” apart. We also have a “D” class of designs, which are custom designs of intensive heirloom-intensity quilting and several thread colors. These designs are quoted on an individual basis. To give you an idea of what our charges can range see list below:
to 45” X 60” - Mini to baby quilt - $40 to $110 to 70” X 85” - Baby+ to twin bed - $80 to $160 to 80” X 95” - Twin+ to Double - $160 to $220 to 95” X 100” - Double+ to Queen - $190 to $250 to 100” X 110” - Queen+ to King - $250 to $310
Listed below are some ranges you should expect to pay if we are making a quilt for you. The price is determined by the amount of time it takes to produce the quilt. The more involved the design the longer it takes. I will endeavor to work with you and give you options for keeping costs down. These prices include fabric, batting and thread.
to 45” X 60” - $500 to $1500
to 70” X 85” - $1,000 to $2,000
to 80” X 95” - $1,500 to $2,500
to 95” X 100 - $2,000 to $3,000
to 100” X 110” - $3,000 to $4,000
It is next to impossible to give a range for &Mac222;nishing quilts until we see the quilt.
Listed below are some ranges you should expect to pay if we are making a quilt for you. The price is determined by the amount of time it takes to produce the quilt. The more involved the design the longer it takes. I will endeavor to work with you and give you options for keeping costs down. These prices include fabric, batting and thread.
to 45" X 60" - $500 to $1500
to 70" X 85" - $1,000 to $2,000
to 80" X 95" - $1,500 to $2,500
to 95" X 100 - $2,000 to $3,000
to 100" X 110" - $3,000 to $4,000
It is next to impossible to give a range for finishing quilts until we see the quilt.
Preparing your Back and Top for Best Results
All sides of top and back must have a straight edge and be as near square as possible.
For free-form machine quilting, your back must be 8” longer and 4” wider than the top. This is added insurance for unsquare and stretchy quilts and needed room for the rollers, so do not count on the extra material going into your quilt when completing your back. We center your top to the back width-wise and pin the top edge of your top 1”-2” from the top of your back. If you put a border on the back it will not be centered in one direction. Do not baste layers; send two separate pieces. Your batt must be 4” wider and 12” longer (18” longer for queen size and larger).
For hand quilting, your back must be 4” longer and wider. Your top will be centered to your back, both length-wise and width-wise. You can baste layers as described above, or we can. Just let us know on the info sheet. Your batt should be cut to the size of your back.
You do not need to send batt for any of the services. We carry Hobbs poly, wool and cotton, Quilter’s Dream cotton and poly, and Alpaca with wool or cotton. We can pick the most appropriate batt, based on your questionnaire responses, quilting design and material used on top. We will add the batting to your bill.
If you have bias edges in your border, we recommend you machine baste 1/8” from the edge of your quilt to help stop stretch while quilting.
Do not attach any buttons, beads, plastic or metal pieces, or leave any pins in your top or bottom. Iron your top and back and make sure seams are pressed open or to one side. This is an important step in the process of turning out a &Mac223;at quilt, so take your time.
If your top and back are not prepared properly, we will do this for you and charge for the preparation. If your borders are &Mac223;ared, we will endeavor to &Mac223;atten them through heavy quilting. It may be necessary to seam some borders. If your back or binding is missing, we will make one and add the charges to your bill.