Longarm Services Offered
Cotton Candy Fabrics is pleased to offer professional and affordable longarm quilting services on our Handi Quilter longarm machines, all outfitted with Pro Stitcher robotic quilting. We offer computerized end-to-end longarm quilting as well as both free motion and computerized semi-custom and custom quilting. We also offer additional support services like grooming, trimming, and binding to help you finish your quilt. Services are offered in our Brookfield, CT and Simsbury, CT location and are also available for customers around the country who mail us their top.All quilts are quilted on one of our Handi Quilter longarm sewing machines with Pro-Stitcher. We currently operate:
- (1) Handi Quilter Infiniti 28
- (1) Handi Quilter Infiniti 26
- (2) Handi Quilter Amara 20
- (1) Handi Quilter Moxie 18
Computerized Longarm Quilting
End-to-end quilting costs .0275 per square inch and includes your choice of computerized design and thread. We have thousands of computerized longarm quilting designs to choose from including designs that span traditional quilting patterns (orange peel, feathers, swirls, florals), children’s designs (animals, characters, nursery rhyme), modern options (straight lines, waves, geometric), and designs for every holiday. Note that graffiti quilting is additional due to the density of designs.
Longarm quilting also includes your choice of thread and bobbin color. We have numerous different thread brands in stock including both solid and variegated options that span every color of the rainbow. There are no thread upcharges regardless of what you select. Wherever possible we recommend matching the top thread color with a pre-wound bobbin in a matching color. You can also select the density that you’d like your quilting – light/loose, medium, or tight/heavy. We are available to help you decide what will look best and work best given the design of your top and for the intended use of your quilt. Our turnaround time for computerized end-to-end designs is currently three to four weeks.
You are welcome to bring in your own quilt batting, but we always appreciate when you buy your batting at the shop. We have several options and sizes for you to choose from, and regularly stock cotton, wool and bamboo battings at competitive prices.
When you bring your quilt in (or when we receive it if mailed), we’ll consult with you on your choices including design, placement, thread color and density of quilting to ensure you finished quilt highlights your beautiful top and meets all of your expectations.
To calculate the price you should expect to pay, measure your quilt top, noting the width and the length. Multiply the "width x the length x .0275" and that is what your quilt will cost. Our minimum charge is $50.00 due to the time it takes to load a quilt onto the machine. Additional charges may apply if we have to make your back larger or conduct other grooming on your top. While thread is included in this price, batting is not.
Semi-Custom Quilting
Semi-custom quilting generally includes using computerized designs with other custom work. This may include using an end-to-end design for the body of a quilt and stitching separate designs for the borders. Or it may include cropping out parts of a design and filling the cropped areas with either free-motion quilting or other computerized designs.
Semi-custom quilting is quoted on request, but you should expect to pay an average of .04 to .05 per square inch. You may also be charged by the hour, paying for the E2E work and then $40.00 per hour for the custom work done. We’ll always discuss the charges with you in advance to ensure that you are comfortable and aware of how much you will pay for your professional quilting. Our turnaround time for semi-custom quilting is approximately six weeks.
Like with computerized end-to-end quilting, there are no additional charges for thread, and we have thousands of design options to select from.
Custom Quilting
Custom quilting is exactly as it sounds – creating a custom, one-of-a-kind, quilting design to best enhance your quilt top and to your specifications. This may include computerized designs, free motion or ruler work, and very often includes multiple design elements in one quilt. Custom quilting prices are quoted only after discussing your quilting objectives with you and generally costs $.07-.10 per square inch or $250 and up depending on the size of your quilt and complexity of design. All longarm quilting requires consultation to ensure we are clear on your desires for your quilt. The turnaround time is generally three to six months as it may take several days to complete your quilt.Additional Services
Following are additional services we offer to help you finish your quilt.
- Piece Backing – If you bring in a quilt back that is not large enough (4” larger on all sides) we may have to add leaders to allow us to load the quilt on to the machine. Leaders are added for a fee of $10 per seam plus the cost of fabric. If your back is presented as two pieces of fabric that have to be seemed, the charge is $10 for one seam. Note that we are happy to piece your backing if you purchase the fabric at Cotton Candy Fabrics.
- Trim and Square – We recognize that it can be difficult to trim a large quilt in a home sewing room and therefore offer a Trim and Square service for a fee of $10 for baby and throw quilts (up to 60” x 60”) and $20 for quilts larger than a throw size. Be advised that we will do the best we can to preserve points and design elements, but that the final result will depend on how square your quilt is to begin with.
- Partial Binding – We will sew the binding that you provide to either the top or back of your quilt for a fee of .10 per linear inch. Additional charges will apply if we have to cut and sew the binding.
- Full Machine Binding – We will make and sew your binding to your quilt for a fee of $.25 per linear inch. This involves sewing the binding to the back of your quilt, bringing it to the top, and using a serpentine stitch to secure the binding to the quilt. Samples are available in the store.
- Grooming – Your quilt should be pressed, have threads trimmed, and be squared up before bringing it in for longarm quilting. If we need to groom your quilt for quilting by pressing it, trimming threads, or squaring it, we will apply a charge of $30.00 per hour based on time spent.
Have questions about how to prep your quilt? Please see the Prepping Your Quilt Top page.
Ready for Quilting?
When you are ready to have your top quilted, please review our guidelines to ensure your top is appropriately prepared. If you are local to Brookfield, CT or Simsbury, CT, we recommend you come into our shop so we can discuss your quilt, review designs and select your batting and thread together. We require that your backing and batting be paid at the time you drop off your quilt, and you can pay for the quilting when you pick it up.
If you are not within driving distance of Brookfield, CT or Simsbury, CT, we do accept quilts by mail. Please send your quilt to Cotton Candy Fabrics, Attn: Longarm, 450 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT 06804. Include a sheet of paper with your name, return address, phone number and email address so that we can call you for a consultation as soon as your quilt arrives. Please be sure to insure your package as appropriate. We will call you upon receipt of your quilt to discuss all of the details and will email you designs to select from after we speak to you. We require a 33% deposit for mail in projects, which can be paid via credit card over the phone. We’ll then send you a photo of your quilt when it is quilted, and require the balance be paid prior to shipping the quilt back to you.
*Thank you to the following friends and customers for allowing me to show images of their quilts:
End-to-end, L-R: Janet Natale, Janet Natale, Beverly Scantling, Barbara Dietze, Tammy Wingertzahn, CCF
Custom and semi-custom, L-R: Rhonda Miller, Rhonda Miller, CCF, Janet Natale, Janet Natale, Janet Natale