RIPLEY SEWING CENTRE QUILTING SERVICES

Quilting Services at Ripley Sewing Centre offer a number of options to help you complete your quilt project.

Quilting

Stitching through all three layers of the quilt (the quilt top, the batting, and the quilt back), typically in decorative patterns, which serves three purposes:

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To secure the layers to each other,

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To add to the beauty and design of the finished quilt, and

3

To trap air within the quilted sections, making the quilt as a whole much warmer than its parts.

Long Arm quilting

Long Arm quilting involves placing the layers to be quilted on a special frame. The frame has bars on which the layers are rolled, keeping these together without the need for tacking or pinning. These frames are used with a professional sewing machine mounted on a platform. The platform rides along tracks so that the machine can be moved across the layers on the frame. A longarm machine is moved across the fabric. In contrast, the fabric is moved through a home sewing machine.

We use the HandiQuilter “Amara” (https://handiquilter.com.au/product/hq-amara/) for both our free motion and computerised quilting services. Your quilting fee is dependent upon your chosen quilting style and size of quilt.

At this point in time the services we offer include:

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Edge-to-edge (E2E):

E2E is where a design is placed over the whole surface of the quilt, irrespective of the pattern used to create the quilt top. This produces a beautiful quilted appearance while being cost effective. Primarily we prefer to use quilting patterns created by Anne Bright with over 300 of her designs in our E2E library.

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Binding

Various binding services are available. We outsource this process to a fellow patchwork enthusiast. Binding can be made and machined to your quilt, or you can provide the binding already made and they can machine it on for you. All corners are mitred. They can then stitch it onto the reverse side by hand (Hemstitching) or you can do this yourself.

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Mail order service

Ripley Sewing Centre is located at Ripley in Queensland. If it is not convenient for you to visit in person, we provide a mail order service using Australia Post, which offers insurance, signature on delivery and a tracking system. To calculate the cost of delivery, click here. We have found a large quilt, including batting, backing and binding generally weighs about 3kg).

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Batting

Different battings quilt differently and give rise to a different appearance. We use Matilda’s own "O-Sew-Soft" polyester batting which is available for purchase from us. This batting is a composite of many different polyester fibres in order to achieve the right amount of coverage, loft, and softness to get the best possible balance. The O-Sew-Soft 100% polyester on a scrim gives a similar drape and stability to the wool blend but with a slightly higher loft.

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Backing Fabric

Backing fabric is the third layer of the quilt sandwich, which means it is the fabric you see when you flip over your quilt to its reverse side. Backing fabric is not only important because it provides an aesthetic touch and can make your quilt usable on both sides (aka reversible quilt) but it also acts as a reinforcing layer of fabric. Backing fabrics should be of 100%cotton fabric of a similar weight & feel to the fabrics used in the quilt top. The use of “sheeting” as a backing fabric is not recommended as the weave may be too dense to allow even needle penetration. We stock a range of backing fabrics so you can choose the one you wish to purchase in the quantity required for your quilt.

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Pick up and Drop Off service

If you are unable to personally deliver your quilt project please contact us to discuss your location. Within a reasonable distance, we may be able to arrange a pick up and drop off service.

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Custom Quilting

Custom quilting is where different quilting patterns are used in different sections of the quilt top depending on the piecing design. Custom quilting is very labour intensive, costly and we limit the number and type of custom projects we undertake. If considering a custom design please contact us to discuss and, should we not be able to assist, we will be happy to refer you to a reputable custom quilter.

Quilt Preparation

Long arm quilters have slightly different requirements for preparing quilts to be loaded on their machines e.g. Depending on the machine being used to do the quilting. By ensuring you follow some basic quilt preparation steps we can, collaboratively, work to quilt ‘your work as your masterpiece’.

Please Note: We reserve the right to advise that we are unable to complete a project if any/all of the quilt parts i.e., top, batting & backing are of a standard that would be prohibitive of a quality outcome.