stitchinsally Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Had a lady call me today. Sold her some fabric a week ago at my cost so, I'm not making any money. She was wondering if I would take her on an apprentice though she has never given me any quilting business. And then, she was complaining about the cost of $125 &135 that it cost her to have her last quilts made and yet, she wants to get a loan on a new machine and pay $250 per month because she is tired of paying such a high price for having quilts done. Logic doesn't make sense to me and obviously, I told her I don't have time to teach someone else. The gull of some people! However, I was nice and told her, this winter, if she would like to make an appt one Saturday morning I would be happy to let her play around on my machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Let me re-cap this:) She wants to somehow buy a machine and have you teach her (I assume she would pay for her lessons?) because she thinks she is paying someone (not you!) too much to quilt for her. Sweetly tell her-- First--You are so busy you cannot turn down a paying customer to train her to do what you do and charge for. Second--It's not as easy as it looks. Run--run like the wind! This wonderful needy self-absorbed woman is living in a dream world of her own making. Don't get sucked down that rabbit hole! You are very nice to offer to show her your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Maybe it's just me, but I am pretty picky when it comes to letting people use my machine that I paid alot of $ for...is she talking about longarm quilting or piecing on a DSM? Either way, I would send her to a retailer that sells those machines and let them let her play, afterall they are in the business of selling those machines. Another option for her would be to see if a LQS has one that they rent for time and let her try that and talk to someone who can show her the costs on paper, after she see's what is involved in just the machine, let alone the thread, rulers, any training, etc, she may go back to seeing that having her quilts done would be a more economical thing for her unless she pieces ALOT of quilts each year. I don't think people realize how much expense is involved in setting up a quilting business. You can be sweet but firm, that's what I do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinequilts Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I agree with Vicki. We spend a lot of time on our machines working out perfect tension cleaning it, making sure we don't do anything that might cause problems (i.e. running too fast, too thick batting, etc.), loving it. Someone who didn't pay for the machine won't be as careful. Keep your machine to yourself - if this person purchases a machine, she should get the free lesson that goes with it or pay someone (a dealer) to teach her. That's not your responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Oh Brother! This lady sounds like a whiner to me. A major PITA. She would never be happy with anything, I am afraid. Some people just like to complain about everything. I don't allow people like that in my life. She should go find someone else to whine to. You've got bigger and better things to do with your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 This is odd that this topic comes up, as I have a friend who is considering selling her HQ16 and using the money to have her quilts quilted by others. She owns it outright, no payments, and makes a little on the side quilting for others, but finds no time to do her own quilts. She will probably sell her machine eventually. Funny to me that this lady wants to jump head first into something she seems to know so little about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I did this once, I let someone else into my studio..and it cost me over $400 to have it fixed after they left.....its not worth having someone else touch your machine. You have to much money and time into it to have someone else come and mess your life up. Its not worth the down time should you need to have someone come and do the repairs for you like I did. I had to pay someone to travel to my house and put them up in a hotel and feed them...not worth doing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherH Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 I too ,recently had a neighbour appear at my home wanting to use my machine as well as have me quilt her crib quilt for practice as she was in a "hurry" to send it off --only had nine months to do it in! We have too much invested to have someone use it at their will and our expense. I explained very nicely that I had a big investment and was quilting as a business. I would be happy to quilt her baby quilt for my current 10% off...haven't seen the quilt yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchinsally Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thanks ladies for the advice which is being taken to heart and I'm not planning on letting her come test drive my machine. More I thought about it, more I thought - "no way." Shana, love the new term for a pita. I got it. Cute! Probably one of those things that is a texting shortcut but, I'm not into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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