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The Economy


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There was a recent discussion about how the tough economy might impact the longarming world.

I have a backlog I am comfortable with right now. However, I can't seem to get anyone to come and pick up their quilts!! I believe they are waiting for payday, or maybe are only starting to feel pinched financially.

No one has mentioned any difficulties when I let them know their quilt is ready. I now have 5 quilts lined up ready for pick-up. And I only do six quilts a month!!

Any comments or suggestions? I am OK since my machine is paid for--I guess I will hang out a bit--but when I contact for pick-up I will try to nail them down a little. One woman said she would see me at Guild, then she forgot her checkbook, then-- catch you at the next meeting, then she wasn't there. Guess I get to keep hers!!!:D:cool::D

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Linda I haven't had that problem. My clients are all so anxious I feel rushed! LOL I only do 3 or 4 a month and I'm back-logged through June now. Of course I don't have any scheduled in May since I have the wedding. Most of the quilts are off the frame and I call and they come within 24 or 48 hours. I guess I should consider myself lucky!

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When I went back to work I had about 15 quilts to do. I have worked through them and when I finished 4 for one customer she brought me back 3....however, the rest have picked up their quilts when I have called, but have not dropped off any more. My binding lady has sent me one. I am now down to 6 - 3 from the beginning and 3 that the customer dropped off....and no more in sight. That is okay for now, because I have been wanting to work on my own stuff for so, so long and have not felt good about doing that with customer quilts hanging around.

I do think that this is going to be a bit like those depression quilts that everyone dig out of their closets and the top is done, but not quilted. Personally, I think that is what is going to happen now. Having a quilt quilted is going to be an extra....what do you do....eat....or get your quilt done? No brainer!!

We have been doing all this fancy freehand, custom stuff, now we are going to have to get back to edge-to-edge to make it affordable for our customers.

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Oh, don't talk to me about depression quilts. OMG I got one two weeks ago from a lady at church. Bright yellow backing.

The backing felt funny as I took it out of the bag later at home to do intake. Yup, a fitted twin bed sheet with the seams still on it. It wasn't the whole twin bed sheet though for the backing..... because she put some of that yellow on the quilt top. Red, yellow and turquoise including some Nemo fabric. I was so surprised.

I went to the thrift store a couple days later to look for some teacups to do a teacup pin cushion ( How-To click here)and that is when I figured it out. The thrist store had sheets for $1. Ack!

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I love the teacup pincushion idea!

I don't quilt for others, but I'm wondering if some may be waiting to see how they're going to come out on their taxes - - or maybe waiting for that refund to pay for their quilts. Just a thought, as I've spent the past 3 days working on our tax return, and NOT quilting, which makes me cranky!

Julie

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Originally posted by Mary Beth

We have been doing all this fancy freehand, custom stuff, now we are going to have to get back to edge-to-edge to make it affordable for our customers.

I have several customs lined up... I keep asking... can't I do an edge to edge on it??? NOPE they want custom :o I love those E2E's;)

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Yes Linda you are right. I have only gotten 2 new customers since the bubble broke. But I am in the building up phase of my business. Times are bad but it seems to me that is when you need the comforts of life the most.

Nora

Millennium

Washougal WA

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In my experience if a customer is having financial troubles the last thing they will do is tell the longarmer, they do however avoid, post pone, delay having to pickup the quilt.

One way I have gotten around this is to put a disclaimer on the order form and on my website and make it known to the customer at drop off that all quilts must be picked up within 2 weeks of completion or the quilt becomes my property to sell to recoup my costs. Since they sign the order form it's a legal document.

As far as those quilts that may not get finished due to the ecconomy why not offer 1 very easy ETE/panto for a reduced $ or flat fee until the economy turns around (this has worked for me and gives my customers an option to get their quilts done without them having to give up food or medical care to do so.

I also agree that as time goes on and if the ecconomy doesn't get better people will opt to go simpler in the quilting design choice than to go custom on all of their quilts. And save the custom for only the really special quilts.

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I do not find anything wrong with sheets from the thrift stores if that is what the customer wants, There are lots of good buys on almost new or new sheets at thrift stores. I have found a lot 100% cotton and 100% muslin. I also use them for piecing tops and I can afford to sell the quilts at a much more affordable price. No complaints so far. Carol from WV

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I had a customer bring a sheet for a back. It was plenty big with no seams...that was the good part...the bad part, my needle made a popping sound and the thread broke a few times. I was happy to be finished with that one. She also wanted another sheet used for the binding, my poor binding lady's fingers hurt for a month after stitching that stuff on.

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  • 1 year later...

Well, I can't say the economy is the problem. I just have been in business for about a year, and have done a few quilts. I've had to say I can't make that or repair that right now, because they wanted a very complex quilt custom made, and I was busy, or they wanted an antique quilt repaired and I didn't want to tackle that. Most of the quilters who needed quilting done, I was able to help. I think it is a bit slow to get a business started in this economy, and yet I was lucky to have the time to do that and a full time job at the same time. When I wasn't quilting for someone else, I was quilting for charity or myself. That gives me a balance. I'm hoping to increase the business this year, but really, enjoy this time to play on my machine and relax a bit..:)

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I have gotten a lot of new customers since I do both custom and E2E and luckily my business has picked up. I have had two customers that give me three/four quilts but only want me to do one a month for them because that's all they can afford. And I think they are hiding this from the DH's!!! This is usually my slow time, but some of the customers have waited to recover from Xmas spending before getting quilts done. So I feel really lucky. We also just had our annual Shop Hop and I am getting a few of the quilts from that to be done.

Hang in there, I think things are picking up....

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Mine seem to come in spurts as well, nothing comming in for the last month and suddenly two comming in this morning and 4 more at the next quild meeting...but I am backloged at this point into July and keep trying hard to get caught up so that I can work on my own quilts without that guilty feeling...I do both E2E and custom and it is nice to have a variety to work on.

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We are moving from Kansas back to Texas. Only two of my customers are willing to keep working with me long distance. I think it will be like starting over. Building a new client base isn't going to be easy and this economy is realy worriesome! Thank goodness my machine is almost paid off! Maybe I can offer some discounts or cheaper prices to get a foothold in the new market area.

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Hmmm this post was originally from last year, lol not too much has changed since then ;)

But the trend with my base is that yes they have been doing smaller quilts instead of the larger Qn/king sz and they are going with the cheapest/ least expensive pantos. But as far as whether they have opted out of taking quilts to a longarmer....I haven't seen much of that. Some keep telling me that "after this quilt, I a not going to be quilting for awhile because it's so expensive" then a month goes by and they call and tell me they need a quilt quilted because of whatever reason, lol:D:P:D

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  • 1 month later...

Luckily I haven't had that problem here. Maybe it's just a bad stretch. If it gets that it's hurting your business, in the future write up an agreement stating your "rules" for picking up/payment.

I have new customers sign an agreement to allow me to use their quilt pictures (no names) in my scrapbook and/or website and to release me in the unfortunate case that the machine goes berserk while I'm working on a quilt. Luckily that hasn't happened! I haven't had the need to have them sign a payment agreement yet.

Remember it's YOUR business, treat it as such and let customers know!

I only have to go to any quilt show to see that quilting may slow down a bit at times, but with all the people coming out with tons of merchandise I think we're OK!!

Good luck!

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