Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
What is included in the price for a t-shirt or memory quilt?
For both t-shirt and memory quilts, the price* includes time spent cutting fabrics as needed; design time and layout; needle and thread; all additional fabric needed for the design of your quilt (i.e. sashing, borders, fillers, etc.); batting; backing fabric (your choice of cotton, flannel or minky fabric); longarm quilting your quilt (which is the step that stitches the quilt top, batting, and backing fabric together); and binding services to “seal” the edges of your quilt.
* Tax, shipping, and add-ons are separate charges.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes, a non-refundable deposit of $150.00 is required to reserve your spot in my quilting queue; however, the deposit will be applied to your final balance! Final payment is due before receiving your finished quilt back.
What types of payment do you accept?
I currently accept payments by cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, or PayPal.
Balance is due prior to return shipping of your quilt or upon quilt pickup.
How much is tax?
I am required by the State of California and Alameda County to collect 10.25% sales tax for all quilting services.
How do I get my items to you?
If you're local to the Bay Area, we can arrange a drop-off. If you need to ship your items to me, I recommend using Priority Mail with the United States Post Office, which includes up to $100.00 of insurance and a tracking number for ease of mind. See here for more shipping tips.
Quilts shipped back to you will be by Priority Mail!
Do I need to do anything to my items before sending them to you?
Be sure to wash all items (no fabric softener please!) and remove what stains you can.
What if an item is ripped or worn through?
If the item is important for sentimental reasons and you definitely want it in your quilt, go ahead and send it to me with everything else. By seeing it for myself, I can get an idea of what we might be able to do. Then we’ll talk about the best way to incorporate it into your quilt!
Can I put shirts/clothing on the back of the quilt?
Items you send are only used to create the quilt top itself.
What type of fabric do you use on the back of a quilt?
I offer a choice of cotton, flannel, or minky fabric to use as the backing for your quilt.
Minky fabric is a cuddly, extremely soft microfiber fabric made from 100% polyester fibers. Plush, lightweight, and breathable!
Do I get to choose the colors for my quilt?
I’m happy to work with you to select the best colors to make your quilt pop!
What is the largest quilt size you make?
The maximum-sized quilt I make is a queen (102 inches wide).
When can I expect to receive my finished quilt?
My current turnaround time for t-shirt and memory quilts is 5-6 weeks. Please note the clock starts AFTER I receive your items!
When is the best time to order a t-shirt or memory quilt that will be a graduation or holiday gift?
Don’t delay! These are the busiest quilt-making times of the year and my quilting queue fills quickly. Items for quilts to be gifted at graduation should be sent in February/March. Items for quilts to be given as holiday gifts should be sent to me by August/September. This may seem like a long way away from the actual gift date, but I’m unable to cram in hundreds of quilts in May or November.
T-shirt Quilt Questions
How much does a t-shirt quilt cost?
I offer a simple pricing method for t-shirt quilts: $30.00 per panel (except for custom t-shirt quilts). T-shirt quilts are priced based on the number of panels made from the items sent to create the quilt. Each t-shirt or garment will be cut into one or more 12-15-inch panels that best showcase the graphics from it. If a t-shirt has a front and back graphic to go in the quilt, that counts as 2 panels ($30.00 x 2 = $60.00). Sleeve and breast pocket graphics will be quoted for a price depending on the design solution.
Each panel will be fused with a lightweight stabilizer to add extra strength and durability to the finished quilt.
The final size of your finished quilt will depend on the number of panels that are created from the items you send. This means the more items you want to be incorporated, the larger the quilt will be, and therefore the price.
How many t-shirts should I send?
You don't need to send a specific number of t-shirts for your quilt. I believe it's more important to focus on the ones that have the most meaning or special memories.
If a t-shirt has multiple graphic designs on it (i.e front and back), simply use painters tape to “X” out any graphics you don’t want me to use. Otherwise, I will use ALL of the graphics from the t-shirts you send to make panels.
What if my t-shirts are all different sizes? Or the graphic(s) I want to use are on the sleeve or pocket?
I can offer a couple of different solutions, from combining several smaller graphics to make a single panel or adding additional fabric to create the appropriately sized panel. There may be an extra charge for this depending on the complexity of the solution, but remember, I’ll always discuss this with you upfront!
Should I cut the t-shirts?
Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this for you! While this may seem like a great idea, it runs the risk that I may not be able to use them without significant additional work (and cost!) to get them up to snuff to create panels of the correct size and shape.
Oops, I already cut my t-shirts!
I’m happy to take a look at what you have and let you know what I can do to remedy them and how much it will cost.
Memory Quilt Questions
How much does a memory quilt cost?
Memory quilts involve much more time to create because each is a custom creation. In general, memory quilts start at $400.00.
Why do memory quilts cost so much?
Creating a memory quilt is a labor-intensive process to create a custom design that best represents your loved one. It takes a significant amount of time (think days, not hours) to design, cut, and sew the desired pattern for the quilt top. Then there are additional hours spent prepping the batting and backing in order to load all three layers onto the longarm machine to stitch them together. The final step, binding the quilt edges to produce a finished, heirloom-quality quilt, takes about 4 hours.
Can I make design requests?
Yes! We’ll sit down together and have a thoughtful conversation about your project where your feedback is a crucial piece of the design process.
Can I choose specific colors to be used in my quilt?
Of course! We can exchange fabric swatches to make sure the colors are just right. You’ll have the final say on the fabric choices for your quilt.
How much clothing should I send for a memory quilt?
Again, I encourage you to focus on the items that have the most sentimental value or memories, rather than on a set number of items. Once I receive your items, I’ll be able to give you an idea of what we can create. If there’s a lot, there might be enough to create 2-3 different quilts and/or sizes if you’d like.
Be sure to pin notes for any important items, “must haves”, etc. This is your loved one, so the more you can tell me about which items are special, the happier you’ll be with the finished quilt.
Can I add a photo or photos to a memory quilt?
Yes! We can talk about adding photos to your quilt during the design process. Extra charges will apply.