What is a resonable price to pay to have a queen size quilt quilted for you?

Most Longarm quilters I know start out a .01 a square inch for super simple, .015 a square inch for pantos and they go up from there to about .05 a square inch for full custom.
It all depends on what you are wanting on your quilt. Measure the top and make a few calls to see what the going rate is in your area. That will sometimes make a difference in the end cost.
HTH
Jami

Some also charge extra for the thread (and batting, if you don't provide it). Ask at your local quilt shop to see if there is anyone local who does this. some ladies send their tops across country to a specific quilter, I've heard. Up here in Canada, at my LQS, the owner charges a flat rate per size for a general meander - anything more dense or complex costs more.

As Jami said, make some phone calls - remember the old Yellow Pages jingle? Let your fingers do the walking!! OK now I'm dating myself! Not that I mind who knows my age!

Gerda

Those are pretty much the going rates in my area too, for machine quilting. I've never had a big quilt machine quilted - just a smaller baby-size one and a lap quilt, and I felt the price she charged me was more than reasonable.

Hand quilting prices in my area range from 35 cents to $1.00 per yard of thread used. I generally charge 50 cents a yard which is about average.

Nola

Jami, what is a panto? Thanks

Thanks for the tips. I saw prices of $39.00 to $98.00 for long arm quilted. Seems reasonable, but today I decided I would do it freestyle on my own machine with pin basting and rolling the quilt to get it through the machine. God help me if I wear myself out in the middle of the project trying to wrestle the thing into submission. I have done a couple 50 x 50. and that wasn't too bad. 88x108 might be another story indeed.

A panto is a paper pattern that the longarm quilter follows with a laser pointer to stitch the pattern on your quilt. Here is an example of some of the panto patterns available: http://www.quiltville.com/pantos.html
If you do a search for quilt pantographs, you should find tons of patterns out there. I didn't search for pictures of pantos stitched out, but you should find them also.
Jami

I have called around here and the price seems to about 14.00 per sq yard.

I have a gal here in Texas who is very reasonable, I think - $25 for lap and twin; $35 for queen and full; $45 for king. She does ALL kinds of all-over patterns, and will do different patterns in the sashing and borders. She includes the batting in that price.

Most other quilters charge minimum of $.01 per sq inch like in other locales. One in the area (Kat and I saw his work) starts at $.02-$.025 per sq inch - and if you have an award winning quilt, he is wonderful. You should SEE his work. WOW! And all the blue ribbons from his longarm quilting on prize winning quilts. WOW!

Don't forget to figure if you don't machine piece your backing fabric together, they will charge you to do that, and they also charge to iron both the top and backing.
(I never understood the charge to iron, because I would think even if you iron your top and backing before sending it out, it will still need ironing after being folded.)
But just some additional thoughts.
I used a machine quilter that I found services offered on ebay. I was scared to send the quilt to her, but I read up on her and her business, and she did wonderful work, she is in UT, great pricing too.

Very professional. Just be careful who you send the quilt top to.