Edge to Edge Density and Complexity

I’ve never been good at explaining things in an intelligible way. Let’s give it a try!

Determining edge to edge quilting prices has always been tricky for us, as it is for most other quilters. The only way we have figured out how to do it is from experience knowing how long each pattern takes on average to quilt out. It adds another level of complexity when we try to explain a difference in price without having tangible examples, or showing in real time how long something can take.

Edge to edge density is easy enough to explain. Tighter quilting inevitably will cost more. This is due to a row of the pattern being smaller, therefore requiring more rows and more time to get a quilt finished. A twelve inch row will take roughly the same amount of time as a six inch row of the same pattern. But a quilt getting six inch rows of an edge to edge pattern will be on the machine for twice as long as one getting twelve inch rows. That part, I can put in to words.

The difficulty comes when trying to explain complexity. I believe the best way will be to show two photos and try to explain.

Each of the above quilts has roughly the same quilting density, but the quilting the right costs twice as much to quilt. I know this is an extreme example. The quilt on the left has a very flowing pattern, there aren’t many sharp points or backtracking in the quilting. This means that the machine can keep running the same speed for most of the row.

The A&M quilt on the right is the other way around, there are sharp points throughout the pattern. Meaning that the machine has to slow down to a stop and speed back up at each of those points. Although it is almost impossible to see, nearly a third of the quilting in this pattern is also backtracking over parts that are already quilted. This all leads to a significantly longer time that the quilt has to be on the machine.

Each quilt was roughly the same size, and had the same size rows being quilted on them. The left quilt took about fifteen minutes per row to quilt out. The right quilt took forty five minutes per row.

I hope this helps anyone who is as confused as I was about pricing when I started! I must admit, it is much easier to explain these things when I have pictures.