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Carolynne's Quilting

Longarm Quilting, Quilt Binding, Quilt Finishing and T-Shirt Quilts located in Orange County, CA

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Longarm Quilting

Longarm Quilting is the use of a Longarm Quilting machine to sew together your quilt top, batting and quilt back.  Once the quilting process is complete, the borders are finished by sewing a binding strip all around the perimeter of the quilt.

The Longarm Quilting Machine

Longarm Quilting Machine
Typical Longarm Quilting system
  • There are at least 10 manufacturers of Longarm Quilting machines, they all share most of the major components and are most notable for their large size.  A typical Longarm Quilting machine has a work surface that is 10 feet long but they can go as large as 14 feet.
  • Some machines use computerized control whereby a computer program actually guides the machine to accurately place the quilting patterns.  Other machines, known as “free motion quilters” (FMQ), use a large “pantograph” template that the operator follows to replicate the design on the quilt.  A free motion machine is completely under motion control of the human operator.

The Four Basic Components of the Quilt

  • Quilt top
    The quilt top is the the front of the quilt that you have spent so much time in getting to look just the way you want. The quilt top needs to be 100% pieced together.
  • Batting
    Batting is the fibrous filling material that gives your finished quilt it’s loft.  It goes between the front and back of the quilt pieces.
  • Quilt back
    The quilt backing is usually comprised of similar fabric as the quilt top and is usually a solid piece, but it is possible to have a back that has some pieces, although this makes the quilting process more difficult.
  • Binding
    Once the three major components are stitched together, the raw edges are hidden by sewing a strip of material around the perimeter to “finish” the quilt.

The Longarm Quilting Process

The quilt top, batting and quilt back are placed on large rollers that are configured to feed the three items together resulting in a quilt sandwich that is then stitched together by the Long Arm sewing unit.  Care must be taken to ensure the even placement and tension of the rollers.

Quilting Patterns

  • Edge to Edge (E2E)
    There are thousands of E2E patterns that can be used.  With a computerized Longarm Quilting machine, the patterns are applied to the quilt using computer guidance.  Free motion quilting machines can use a template to accomplish the same result or they can perform a “meander” whereby the operator basically makes up the pattern as it is being quilted.
  • Semi-Custom
    The computerized Longarm Quilting machine can also create little blocks of patterns that can be interspersed throughout the quilt and combined with the E2E quilting.  The computer is smart enough to make sure that the E2E quilting does not intrude into the little pattern blocks.  Using the computer control, these pattern blocks can be placed precisely where needed on the quilt.
  • Custom
    Occasionally, a quilter my want to have all quilting be done with custom patterns.  This is a lengthy process due to the amount of time spent in placing the patterns to ensure that the entire quilt is sewn together properly.

The Binding Process

  • Machine Finishing
    In most cases, the binding is attached to the top of the quilt using machine stitching.  The back of the quilt is also stitched with the machine, but the stitching done on the back will be visible from the top of the quilt.
  • Hand Finishing
    As above, the binding is attached to the top of the quilt using machine stitching.  However, in order to hide the back stitching from being visible from the top, the stitching that is performed on the back side is done by hand. Hand finishing is a lengthy process, but it results in a higher quality finished piece.

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Recent Posts

  • Open for business August 20, 2020
  • Safety during the Covid-19 pandemic August 20, 2020
  • The Machine December 13, 2017
  • The Art of Hand Finishing October 20, 2017

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Carolynne's Quilting
Posted Friday November 18th, 2022 - 8:48 am By
Carolynne's Quilting

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Carolynne's Quilting
Posted Saturday June 25th, 2022 - 10:18 am By
Carolynne's Quilting

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Awesome job

Very nice

Carolynne's Quilting
Posted Monday April 11th, 2022 - 11:41 pm By
Carolynne's Quilting

It's just a panel quilt but love the quilting pattern. It's always fun. Charlotte Web ... See MoreSee Less

Its just a panel quilt but love the quilting pattern. Its always fun. Charlotte Web
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Carolynne's Quilting
Posted Sunday October 3rd, 2021 - 6:40 am By
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Carolynne's Quilting
Posted Sunday September 12th, 2021 - 11:44 am By
Carolynne's Quilting

Carolynne's Quilting is in a new location!

We have relocated to unit J-12 within the same retail park. Please see the map in the info section on the left of this page.
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You are near me! Almost done with a full sized quilt top. Looking for a long arm quilter! See you soon.

Best wishes for success in your new location!

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Carolynne's Quilting, is a Long Arm Quilting and Quilt Binding business located in Orange County, CA
we provide personal service to the entire Southern California area
23011 Moulton Pkwy, Unit J-12, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 · (949)540-9871
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