weighing Pocketbook and What's Right

Coyote Lap Quilt

Update on the Coyote Quilts.  All the blocks are together, and the borders have been cut.  Either today or tomorrow, I will start putting the borders on, then it's just a matter of finding the right backing, deciding how I want to send these to the LAQ (Long Arm Quilter) and sizing the backings to match decision.  Oh and choosing the LAQ.  The one closest to me has an automatic 2 month wait time.  I can cut that in half by driving up to Loveland (about an hour and a half each way).  But there is another LAQ I know online that I am tempted to at least look into... She does some of the most amazing work I have seen, but I have no idea what her lead time is or what she is charging per inch.

Coyote Borders

For those of you who are better at math than I am, LAQs charge by the square inch of the quilt top.  That charge runs for the most part anywhere from $0.015 to $0.10 per square inch.
    So let's say your finished quilt top measures 70" by 90".  That's 6,300 square inches.  At $0.015 that comes to $94.50. For a full custom job($0.10), that same quilt comes out to $630.00 just for the quilting!  There are times when I almost think I should become a LAQ!  But most likely, the figure will more likely be in the $0.02 to $0.025 range.
    Then there's the batting.  Some LAQ have various battings on a giant roll and your best bet is to choose one of them and pay by the length.  Others prefer to either sell you a batt in a package, or have you supply the batting.  If you go the pre-packaged route, you are almost certainly going to have to go over-sized to be sure it is large enough.  This isn't exactly cost prohibitive, but you will end up with lots of left over, in a less than desirable shape.  you may end up with 2 pieces of batting, 11 inches wide, by 6 feet long, or some other equally maddening measurement.  Too wide for potholders (assuming it's a batting suitable for extreme heat- not all are), and too narrow for placemats (assuming you need 3 doz placemats).  So, you end up with a large bag, storage tote, or other container full of "it's too big to throw away and too small to use" scraps.  Anyway, figure about $25.00 for the batting.
    Plus the set-up fee, which can be as little as $20.00 or I've seen as much as $45.00.  This fee is what the LAQ charges for loading all the components of your quilt onto their frame.  Depending on the job you did getting the top and backing ready, squaring, ironing, making sure every stray thread is snipped, this can be easy and take less than an hour, or rough and use up most of a day.
    Ironing.  I have yet to figure out how to iron a piece of fabric the size of a small bedroom, then fold it, and not have it come out all wrinkled again.  Some people roll the tops onto those foam pool noodle thingees but I doubt I could even pull that off well.
    Are you wondering yet where I am going with all this?  Are you even still with me?  Get up, walk around a minute and get a cup of coffee... I'll wait.
    Welcome back.  Anyway, where I am going with all this is... With the Coyote Quilts I have 2 options.
1) Prepare each quilt (3 wall hangings, and 1 lap quilt) individually and pay a separate set-up fee for each...
2) Using a plain fabric leader between them, sew 2 wall hangings together, and the 3rd to the lap quilt, thereby making 2 longer quilts and only paying 2 set-up fees, plus the per inch quilting fees of the leader fabrics.
Part of me thinks the 2nd option is the smartest, but is it cheating?  Let me know what you think in the comments.
    I'll be back later with another post all about Blanket Stitch, or Buttonhole Stitch.  I am still gathering my links.
See Y'all Later!