I get asked all the time “if I know someone who” is a longarm quilter, creates memory quilts, takes donations, etc. We all need to know the answers to those questions … so I’ve created this page – Quilting Resources, where I’ll list them.
The Quilting Resources I’m including are people and small businesses I’ve worked with personally as well as those who have been recommended by a member of the Quiltblox Creative Community (you). Where possible – I’ll share some examples of their work.
A Word (or Two) About Shipping Quilts
You will notice that the initial resources I have listed on this page are all outside of the Portland, Oregon metro area. There are several reasons for that. First among them, is that I developed great working relationships with not 1, not 2, but 3 longarm quilters in this area. Every single one of them relocated to some other part of the country. Most of the local longarm quilters I talked to have very long wait times – and my quilts have deadlines I can’t change.
What that means for me – I learned not to stress too much about shipping my quilts to someone I trust to do a great job, quickly and for a reasonable price. I package my top, back, and binding carefully in a poly shipping bag. Address the bag (both to and from addresses) and place that bag inside a shipping box. I also include another large poly mailer – pre addressed – for the quilter to use for packaging the quilt for the return trip.
I purchase my shipping labels online – and include at least $250.00 in insurance. The box goes either to the Post Office or UPS (depending on which shipping service I have chosen). I get tracking updates for the package all the way to it’s destination.
When the quilt is completed and ready to ship back, the longarm quilter will package it all up in the poly mailer, place that inside a shipping box and package it up for the return trip. The return postage label will include a higher level of insurance – depending on the value of the quilt – now that the quilting is complete.
Several of my quilts have been shipped out, quilted and made their way back to me – in slightly less than 2 weeks.
Will I add local resources to this list? Absolutely, I am happy to add local resources to this page. First I would need to meet them, see samples of their work and learn something about how they work with customers. Their standard lead times and pricing are also important considerations. If you know of someone that you love working with – please let me know and I’ll check them out.
Long Arm Quilters
Teresa Koster – T Kos Long Arm Quilting
Teresa was a longarm quilter in the Beaverton, Oregon area for years. I’ve used her services for samples for the shop, Quilts of Valor, and several personal projects. She and her husband Tom have relocated to Florida, will I still send my quilts to them? Absolutely – Teresa is that good. She’s fast, she does custom quilting, her prices are reasonable and she cares deeply about making sure that the quilting she does complements the quilt.
Contact Information:
- Phone: 541-761-4672
- Email: tkosquilting@gmail.com
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TKosQuilting
Examples of Teresa’s work:
Kim Ratchford – Stitched in Purple
I met Kim through a business association we both belong to. She is a pattern designer and an award-winning quilter and her quilts have been featured in several popular quilting magazines. Based in South Carolina, she quilts for pattern designers and quilters from all over the country. She has quilted several of the quilts I have designed for magazines and I am delighted with the results, the quality of her work, and the quick turn-around time.
Contact Information:
- Phone: 864-415-8588
- Email: Stitchedinpurple@gmail.com
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/stitchedinpurple
- Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedinpurple/
- Website: Stitchedinpurple.com
Examples of Kim’s work:
Memory Quilts
Diane Ottenfeld – Memories to Quilts
I found Diane through a friend in the Metropolitan Patchwork Society Quilt Guild. She’s based in Bend, Oregon and her specialty is creating Memory Quilts. We’ve all wanted to create a quilt like this in honor of a loved one, or in celebration of an achievement. They aren’t the easiest types of quilts to make – and Diane loves making them. She works with quilters and non-quilters alike to create a quilt that celebrates the memories.
Contact Information:
- Phone: 541-408-4738
- Email: diane@memoriestoquilts.com
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/memoriestoquilts
- Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/memoriestoquilts/
- Website: https://memoriestoquilts.com/
Examples of Diane’s work:
