Grammie Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 I've been thinking of trying to put together something locally for longarmers in my area. I only know of a few and only a couple quilt for others that I know of. Not sure how to find out? I haven't had the subject come up at the guild meetings and I haven't made any noise about being a longarm quilter. I have the idea that when the time comes for others to know it will happen. I go for the company and fun and not to hunt business. I have some things for Show and Tell on the next meeting so we will see. Meeting times have changed and I have a tough time making them with my CRAZY schedule. I really desire getting more involved and will once I leave my fulltime job. (When I get the GUTS). Sorry, back on the subject. If I want to meet other longarmers how do I go about making it happen? I mean I am turning customers away for the year as I have all I can commit to for Christmas. Do I refer or do I risk loosing that customer for myself. I mean thinking selfishly doesn't come natural to me. I feel like there are plenty of quilts to do. I can't really refer others if I don't know anything about them. At least to my way of thinking. Someone straighten me out on this. Any suggestions or comments on this would be greatly appreciated. PS. Tomorrow is my Lecture class. Can you believe it? Me !!! I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out myself. lol GOSH I LOVE QUILTING!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LA Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 I would put a blurb in your guilds newsletter! I belong to a couple & it is a great networking system, give it a try, can't hurt! A lecture? Tammie are you going back to school? That is great! I am taking some courses at night, I love school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grammie Posted September 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 Linda I guess I should have chosen another word. lololololo But finishing College wouldn't be a bad idea. HUHHH don't get me on to some other idea. lol I am doing my Longarm class. It is just an educational type. Meeting with quilt group for the morning and afternoon. I have lots of cq stitched up for them to see. Good and bad examples of piecing, Freehand samples and lots of finished quilts two which are custom to talk about. Wish me luck. I understand it is a very large group. (for me anyway) About 50 to 60 all together. I'll find out soon enough. First one by 10am and again tonight at 5pm. I'm really excited about. "Finding a Longarm Friend and Partner" PS. Are you coming to Houston this year? Can't wait to see all of you again. Such a wonderful group of guys and gals you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 There is a longarm group in Albuquerque and they meet once a month. I have not been able to attend yet becasue it is on Sat and that is always family time for me. In any case they basicly just come tgether and have demos and share experience and stuff. One of the longarmers started the group but I do not really know much more as I have not been yet. I suggest you start with a list of names and then try to get them togehter every so often and just go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane@bcq Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 Tammie, I don't know where you are located, but there is a group that meets in Springs Texas. Check out the web site www.texaslongarm.com , I was just on the site and it sure looks like a busy group. I found this info on www.lachat.com , they have a longarm group listing forum. That is how I found the group that I meet with. DianeF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 I belong to the Mo-Kan Machine Quilters Guild. We meet once a month, however, I am unable to attend because of my work schedule. The meetings are always loaded with information, show and tell, etc. We are very involved in MQA when it comes to town, there are many volunteers from our group at the show. They also attend quilt guild meetings around the area to inform quilt makers what they need to know when they are looking for a longarmer....it is a wonderful group - I can't wait until I am able to attend every month. I really miss going to the meetings. They started out with just a hand full of quilters and when I started there were around 40 members, now there are a lot more than that. Quilters come from several miles to attend our monthly meetings. I think you would be surprised at how many people show up when you start having meetings and get the word out that you are srarting a group. Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrystitcher Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 I belong to a group of long-armers that meet every-other month at a members home. We have a meeting, show and share, lunch (potluck), and then someone has a demo on the hostess machine. There are about 15 of us in a 50-75 mile radius. It is a great networking group and ideas simply flow at our meetings. We are all eager to help each other with quilting issues as well. Maybe putting an ad in an area newspaper would help to see how many long-armers would be interested in forming a group. You are creative, I know you'll find a way to meet others locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay M. Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 Hi Grammie, Regarding your question about referring out... I have referred to other quilters when I don't have time to complete a quilt that needs to be done. So far, it hasn't hurt my business. Since I am unfamiliar with the quality of what they offer, I am up front and tell them just that. I give them the names, tell them I have never seen their work and let them decide how they want to handle that. If the other longarmers have cards in your local quilt shops, you may tell the customer to talk to the shop owner and get an opinion. I would not feel comfortable giving an opinion unless I knew the quilter very well. I survive on a word-of-mouth basis so I assume they do also. Kay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingstitcher Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 In Arizona I joined the Arizona Quilters Guild and received their roster which has the chapter listing for each person, including Arizona Longarm Quilters designation. Then I joined the Daisy Mountain Quilters Guild which is my Anthem, AZ location. Through a member I went to the Arizona Longarm Quilters meeting two weeks ago and joined which required membership in the AQG. Go to our web site www.azlongarmquilters.com and you can see how the organization is set up. A person can find a LA provider in the city nearest them since business cards are posted. There are lots of tips, including a reference list of suppliers. Perhaps Texas has such a setup already. Try Google. The program at the last ALAQ meeting was a trunk show by Sharon Schamber. Wow! She passed around her samples, finished small things, and showed the large quilts including Scarlet Serenade, the Houston Best of Show, which has now won in the NW also. I was impressed with her use of silk thread on a miniature whole cloth quilt that she had done by using the microdrive handles. She had a piece of cloth where she had used a heavy thread, cheap cording wound into the bobbin and stitched from the back side so that the cord floated on the surface of the front side. Her Pieceleque book is fascinating and my friend and I have made vests using this technique. Mine isn't done yet, but the technique is fun and produces a perfect circle or curved pieces. By coincidence I sat next to another Millie owner Susie in Prescott who has two machines and spoken with Sue in Scottsdale. Hope you can locate some sister longarm quilters in your area. It's really valuable to have a network of local friends. One of the members has cancer and is having trouble completing the 29 quilts waiting for her and said that perhaps she will need some help from her ALAQ friends to finish them. Good luck making connections Grammie. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 Well, my newness and inexperience is going to show, but I figure I am among friends so I can ask you guys anything. How do I find a quilt guild in my area? The quilt shops close to me have closed down and I am so busy between work, my ministry duties and trying to get myself acquainted with my beasty that I haven't had time to go searching around. but it sounds like something I really need to add to my list, just so I can have some close by people to get acquainted with. I really appreciate this forum so much but it would be fun to talk to people face to face once in awhile I am sure. thankyou for your patience and for your wisdom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted September 29, 2006 Report Share Posted September 29, 2006 Bekah, I joined the Northwest quilters about 6 months ago and go every other month its in the evening about 7:00 and the months that I don't go they have a morning meeting. They have one coming up on the ninth... just google northwest quilters and all the information is on the web page... I'd ask if you wanted to meet me there but I don't think that I will be able to go this month I'll be on a plane coming into town and don't think I get back in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 thanks Melody. Unfortunately I go into the women's prison on Monday nights for Bible study and as our team has shrunk in numbers don't think I can get anyone to stand in for me this month but hey maybe we could plan it for December. Let me know and thanks for the information. I will most certainly check this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 I took my guild roster and contacted everyone I knew who was a longarm quilter. Then I went to the local shops and picked up cards for the people who aren't in the guild. Made an email list and invited them all to a meeting. I think some people were really skeptical about what we were going to talk about, but we had a lot of fun! Now that the summer heat is over, we'll probably start meeting again. It's really nice to get to know the other quilters in your area. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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