guaralady,

The Quilts of Valor Foundation accepts both "quilt-toppers" and "long-armers". They bring together people who wish to make a quilt top with those who have the ability to machine quilt quickly (NOT cheaply!).

You are making a wonderful quilt top. You don't need to quilt it if this is not your talent or desire.

The QoV Foundation will provide you with a long-arm quilter, if you wish. You mail it and the quilter will quilt it, and then send it back to you for binding and a label. You should name the quilter on the label, of course.

Many of the long-arm quilters that provide their services to this cause have won awards at major quilting shows, so don't be worried about how your top will be treated. If you go this route, it is truly a joint effort.

Just go to the website, and they will hook you up with someone willing to do the quilting. You do need to pay attention to what the long-armer wants in the way of backing fabric. Backings are bigger than the quilt tops! We do need our margins, LOL.

Mary

Why not piece together the entire top, then quilt it in sections?

I did a twin sized this way and it worked fairly painlessly. I layered the top, batting & backing normally. Then spray & pin basted the center section. Carefully layed back the right section and cut out the batting with a gentle curve (label this & set aside). Do the same with the left side.

Quilt the middle section (without the extra bulk of batting). Then readd one side of batting and baste & quilt that. THen readd the other side of batting, etc.

It really helps keep out the bulk since you're only dealing with 2 pieces of extra fabric...not batting. If you think you'd like to try it, I could give more details...

ALso, you've done a lot already. You could certainly take the foundation up on their offer of a long-armer. But then I kind of know how you must feel...needing to finish it on my own after all I'd put into it.

Whichever way would be just fine!

Thanks, Mary and Jennifer. Jennifer, yours is the first method that seems like it could work for me. I would love to learn more, if there are tips that would be helpful. I am going to lay out the blocks this morning and assemble the whole top and then make (drum roll!) the final decision.

I like Jennifer's idea too. (In fact, I may try that for my cow quilt. Thanks Jennifer!)

To QAYG each individual block would be, I'd imagine, pretty time consuming.

I had thought about putting a quilt top together in segments and quilting each of those and then joining them -- but with all the trouble I've had just getting the rows of a quilt together right, I'd be afraid of going to assemble the sections and having them not come together right.

For a QOV I would feel good about letting a long armer quilt it, but I too know what you mean. When I do a project for someone, I like to know that I saw it through to the end.

Jennifer, I sent you an email. I would love to receive more information on your technique, It sounds easy enough but if you have more information to share on the subject I would love to hear it. Thank you so much.

The brain/Brian thing must be catching. Today when I read the title for this thread I couldn't figure out what the government wanted to do with quilting.

LOL Glass, That's what I read too!

Janice

I like Jennifer's idea, and will try it on my next machine quilt...but not sure when that will be. :D My next in line for quilting will be another hand-quilted thing. I think it would work for me, though, as it doesn't involve too much handwork (not that I mind that, but you know) and would allow me to comfortably quilt on my machine.
Anjea

Oooh, scary thought! Not only are there quilting police but the "qov erment" has regulations too!

Update: I was contacted last night by my Quilt of Valor long arm partner for my QOV#1 and will be dropping it off tomorrow. I need a block of time to practice machine quilting before inflict myself on a real quilt. I long to be a "do it all" person--maybe if the Publishers Clearinghouse comes through and we add an quilting room addition to our home, I can!