Quilting Ideas and Photo Quilts

My great grandparents on my grandmother's side.

This weekend I made a trip to visit my grandmother and continued scanning all the family photos she has. It was amazing to see so many memories from so long ago. I even have pictures of my great, great, great, great grandparents! It is my plan to create a photo quilt of some of the photos and use some fabric from my grandfather's old clothes (he passed away two months ago). I am very excited about printing the photos on the fabric (which is super easy), but a little nervous about starting a quilt since I have never technically quilted.

My grandmother, Phyllis Fitzgerald.

I think I am going to sew a few border strips around each photo, then the squares together and keep it simple. Has anyone ever taken their finished top to a fabric or quilt store to have it finished with the batting and stitching on top? Do they use a clear thread? Anyone have any good quilting sites or locations around Indianapolis, IN to go to for these services?

Any help, tips, or suggestions would be great! I will keep everyone updated with my progress!