connieb Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 We recently moved from California to Washington state, Spokane area, some of my customers from CA would like me to continue quilting for them, how do you make this work for you and your customers. Any advice greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootsquilts Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Connie, when I was quilting for others from another state, they shipped them UPS with a return lable inside with the quilt. Of course these were very reliable customers that I trusted to send payment. Hope you get it figured out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Yes, you'll get it sorted out. I'm now in NC and came from California too. I've never had a problem with payment. I've done quilting from all parts of the world, Germany, Japan, Australia, Norway, and many others. Get a good relationship with your clients and you'll be paid. Zeke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 I occasionally quilt for out of state people as well. They also send the quilt, then will pay me when I'm done which includes the cost of the box to ship it back to them. I like the idea of the prepaid label tho the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Connie: I buy things off the internet all the time. I always seem to be charged the entire cost of the item, plus shipping before the item in question leaves the store. Why would your long distance customers expect anything different when dealing with you? When they mail you the quilt in their box, they can include return postage for the item. Though that now requires you to keep track of the box, and the prepaid postage. If you lose either, you could end up pay for the cost. As they already know your quilting skills and have hired you for the new job, you can easily send multiple clear detailed images of the quilt of both the front and the back. If the customer is satisfied, they mail you a check or they pay via credit card. Once paid, you return the quilt to the customer. There must be trust on both sides. The customer has to trust you as you have their fabric and time, which could be worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Don't abuse that trust by quoting a price, and then learning you undercharged and are now holding their quilt ransom. You have to trust the customer that they are going to pay you for your quilting. Again high quality photos, easily show them their quilt is done, and the high excellence of quilting. If they are satisfied with your work, no reason they would not pay you. With all that being said when I first got started quilting, I purchased about $100 worth of supplies from a dealer I found on this site. He mailed me my items, and I mailed him payment on the same day. Our items crossed in the mail as you could say. I was happy, as was he. When I questioned how he could be so trustworthy that I would mail the check, in all his years in business he had never been ripped off by anyone contacting him to buy items online or over the phone. He said quilters just were not that type of individual. With that, I think you are somewhat safe deciding on however you wish to complete the transaction with your long-distance customers. Your quality work done on time, should bring about quality customers that pay when the job is done. I hope it all works out for you in the long run. Best of luck. Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted February 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Thank you all. All the ideas help me as I decide what will be fair to both parties. Zeke - Wow NC!! We met at Longarmers Unplugged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 Yea we did. How's Washington treating you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted February 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Giving us lots and lots of snow. The locals say it's a heavy snow and very cold winter. Time will tell. Great for getting lots of quilting done. How's NC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCQuilts Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Hey Connie! I too transplanted from California to Spokane 10 years ago! Welcome! We have certainly gotten more snow this year than the last 8. Our second year here they had the most snow they had ever had. So this year doesn't seem too bad. I know that we are all ready for it to stop!!! But supposed to get 2-3 inches tonight and another 2-3 tomorrow :(. It is beautiful though. Again Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judyday Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Looks like you have received good advice from thus site. I agree. I think you will do just fine. Love the Washington state womes basketball team. Go Huskies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMissy Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Connie, Lots of great advice! I moved from Florida back to Ohio and have customers sending their quilts. I ask that the box be a little bigger then the quilt so I can ship it back in their box. I insist on a tracking # coming and going. I also tell them to put the quilt in a plastic bag in case it gets wet in shipping and to put a label inside the box with their name and address. I had a friend who shipped 3 quilts to Texas and they were lost in the mail. At least with the tracking # it can help you trace its last location. I weigh the entire package when done and include the cost of shipping in the billing statement enclosed. However, I am dealing with customers I have had for years and trust to pay. Best of luck in your new location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 Ah, Spokane! My oldest son was born at Fairchild and we did love the city with all the beautiful parks. I do quilts for a customer who moved from Nebraska to Oklahoma and when I ship her quilts back to her I email my invoice with shipping added. She always sends her check right away and I am so happy to still have her as a customer since her piecing is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryjo2003 Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I get quilts from all over, including out of the country. They pay the shipping to and from. I add shipping w/insurance (required by me for outgoing) to my invoice. You can email and request payment before shipping. I'm so busy I just add it to the invoice and mark them paid when I receive a check or cc payment after they receive the quilt. So far, never had a problem with receiving payment, but it isn't the best way to handle these things. It would be easy for someone to "forget" to pay you and then you would have to consider your recourse. It may cost you more to go after them for payment than it's worth. You really should get payment before you ship and hold the quilt "hostage", especially if you don't have a long standing relationship with your customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted March 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2017 Again thank you all for your ideas and suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hi! I have also moved and still have my "hometown" quilting customers . I also have people from other states that send me quilts. I have them pay for all shipping , to and from. I usually supply the batting so that helps them a little with shipping cost to me. I call or text or email them when quilt is finished and I find out how much shipping is. They pay me before the quilt goes out...either by PayPal or I wait on a check. I don't have access to Credit card yet. When deciding on what to do on the quilt, I take a pic with my tablet and use "Skitch" to draw on it for the ideas I have, then send them a pic of ideas and approximate cost. They ok it or we 'talk" somemore about it! Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Linda; Do you see this when you read your post That is to say, do you see a Question mark block, which I guess would be a picture or possible signature block? Linda Gibbons Cabin Creek Quilting APQS Freddie (aka, Gracie ll) Hand guided Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 2 hours ago, Cagey said: Linda; Do you see this when you read your post That is to say, do you see a Question mark block, which I guess would be a picture or possible signature block? Hi Cagey! I'm not sure what you mean.... When I post, I do see that long number and my name and cabin creek quilting,APQS Freddie and Hand guided. but it is light in color... I don't know what you mean by a Question Mark block? Linda Gibbons Cabin Creek Quilting APQS Freddie (aka, Gracie ll) Hand guided Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Linda; When using Safari, I do not see the long number, only a thin rectangular block with a "?" in the center. When I view this thread using Firefox, I see the long number you described. As the number ends with .png, which is a supported image format, it is not displaying correctly. I hope this clarifies the situation. You might try saving the .png file as a .jpeg or .jpg to see if displays correctly. As you see the number too, it would appear the error is occurring across platforms. Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 18 minutes ago, Cagey said: Linda; When using Safari, I do not see the long number, only a thin rectangular block with a "?" in the center. When I view this thread using Firefox, I see the long number you described. As the number ends with .png, which is a supported image format, it is not displaying correctly. I hope this clarifies the situation. You might try saving the .png file as a .jpeg or .jpg to see if displays correctly. As you see the number too, it would appear the error is occurring across platforms. Cagey haha! Well.... you are more savvy than I when it comes to this stuff!! I was wondering what that long # was... I'm wondering if it is my "signature"? Not sure how to fix... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Linda It is the picture that you tried to add to your signature block. Open the picture, and then click the save or save as button put use .jpeg instead of the .png you presently using. Then visit the setup link, and delete what is there now, and then reload with the new image. That should work for you. PM me the picture, and I will gladly convert it for a fellow palm tree state member. Cagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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