sbayzden Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hello. I have been involved in the quilting world for many years now and I am considering starting a longarm service. I am debating on doing the longarm business or going back to school to learn a new trade. I am in my upper 40's and I am concerned with my age entering a new field after years of college education. I am hoping that I may find information pertaining to the annual income of a longarm operator. I know that this is a touchy area, but ANY information that is shared with me will be of great help. Thank you all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Sbayzden, you don't say where you are located, which could have a HUGE influence on the potential income. But don't let age scare you off: I didn't even touch a longarm machine until I was in my 50s! My hubby jokes that I change trades every ten years - previous lives were in desktop publishing and architectural drafting. My advice: if you think you might enjoy it, give it a whirl! It's a wonderful, wild ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Barb is right...your location and how many quilters are in your area will make a big difference. I am in a poor county in Indiana and I can't possibly get as much as people do in wealthier areas. Everything I have for the business is paid for so I don't have to fret too much but if I needed to depend on the income I couldn't make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mestuart Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 I was a stay at home Mom for years, and wife/bookkeeper/parts person for hubby's trucking business, and I went back to school at 50 and haven't regretted it at all. Well, may the part about not being able to sew for hours a day, and I have quilted for others and quilted just for myself. Location is a big part of quilting for others, look also at how easily you can deal with customers who aren't happy, no matter what. And how many quilts you actually want to finish of your own!!! They stay in the closet for longer and the customer list gets bigger. Read the ladies comments, if they do over the top, amazing custom quilting for others, they barely make the minimum wage. Again, your area is definitely important when considering if you can support yourself on your quilting. Good luck whatever you decide. Marion in BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Hi--I just sent you an email, naming names and stating number$. Good luck on your journey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbayzden Posted March 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Just wanted to say a BIG "Thank You" to those that helped me out. I live in NE Ohio. I do have a good number of other longarmers in my area. Some with award winning talents!~their work is just stunning!! :,) I plan on moving into northern South Carolina in about 4-5 years. My husband has decided to take his early retirement and well, lets face it, money doesn't go as far as it should. With that being said, I have to do something to contribute to the income. I have been thinking about going back to school to become a LPN, but by the time I get all the tuition, books and travel costs figured in, I will have over $25,000 invested. The average LPN makes less than $19.00 in our area. Not a great balance for the amount of investment of the education. So that's why I was looking into other avenues. My family and friends tell me that I am extremely artistic and I do love the creativity that quilting allows for. Again a big thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 To be completely honest with you, I've been doing this for seven, almost eight, years now, and I've yet to make a steady $19/hour. I just retired from a job that paid $25/hour and am fortunate that I have a pension (although it doesn't pay nearly that much), but I can limp along with the additional quilting income. I largely do this because I love it. You will invest about $25,000 by the time you buy a machine, supplies, and take some classes to properly learn to use your machine. Given the trade off of near-certain $19/hour employment afterwards and maybe a few quilts per month, I'd take the nursing career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietlifeaz Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Originally posted by sbayzden Just wanted to say a BIG "Thank You" to those that helped me out. I live in NE Ohio. I do have a good number of other longarmers in my area. Some with award winning talents!~their work is just stunning!! :,) I plan on moving into northern South Carolina in about 4-5 years. My husband has decided to take his early retirement and well, lets face it, money doesn't go as far as it should. With that being said, I have to do something to contribute to the income. I have been thinking about going back to school to become a LPN, but by the time I get all the tuition, books and travel costs figured in, I will have over $25,000 invested. The average LPN makes less than $19.00 in our area. Not a great balance for the amount of investment of the education. So that's why I was looking into other avenues. My family and friends tell me that I am extremely artistic and I do love the creativity that quilting allows for. Again a big thank you!! The choice is solely yours -- but being a nurse myself, I would encourage you to assess the cost and time of being an LPN vs finishing an associates in nursing and being an RN --- job opportunities and pay will be vastly different and the time and cost of the additional credit hours in most markets is more than offset by the wage (actually $19/hr for LPN is rather high, most markets it is not that high, so double check the area you plan to settle in to be sure the $'s translate as expected -- keep in mind you would be employed as a "new graduate" and that pay is at the lower end of the range). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 APQS has a chart that shows how much you can expect to make per year with longarm quilting, along with other business information. Email dawn@apqs.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyc Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Go to nursing school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psvenn Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Some random thoughts... Many of my daughter's friends went into nursing when they graduated from HS/started college in 2007. Around that time there was a huge nursing shortage for the previous 5-6 years...now there is a glut of nurses even for those with BSNs. However most of her friends did find jobs when they graduated last year (BSNs in SW Ohio). I would not study for less than an RN. Around here LPN is a dying profession. My daughter graduated with a music ed. degree and is still looking for a job...but I digress... Starting and maintaining your own business (I had a non-quilt related sole proprietorship for the past 13 years, started when in my 40s) is hard work, especially if you are new to the profession. You must love the actual service/creation of your product, must love running a business and understand how that is different than being employed, and must love constant marketing. Keep talking with people in these fields, especially those who started when in their 40s or so; and be honest with yourself! Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeggyB Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 If you plan to move in 4 -5 years, I think that would be a consideration also..because you would have been building clientele in one area and then starting over in another. I think getting the RN would be a great idea. I don't mean to discourage you. The ideal would be to go to nursing school and also get a longarm. I think anyone who approaches this needs to weigh many factors. Dealing with customers, dealing with deadlines, dealing with quilts waiting to be done etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Originally posted by sbayzden .....I am hoping that I may find information pertaining to the annual income of a longarm operator... I only do this quilting job part time as I have a full time job outside the home. I think your annual income depends on how many quilts you do per day,,, per week... per month...totalling up to a year. Some longarm quilters that do this as a full time business even have two machines--- one of the machines is computerized while the other machine is operated by hand, Or both are computerized. I guess you have to ask yourself: "How much money do I really NEED to make as a machine quilter?" It takes a few years to build up a clientele, so consider that your return on investment will take a few years... I know a full time, established quilter that is in her late 50's and she told me (after expenses) she made about $20K and she said she was very busy... and it's hard work. Her machine is not computerized. And remember...quilting... It's not an easy job. It is hard work that is physically demanding. You need to keep that in mind. I'll be 50 this year. That all said, I really love quilting, and in 2011 (my 4th year in the business) I did very well...I made $6K more than what I made in 2010... but I was very busy and worked (quilting) most weekends because I have a FT job outside the home.... So, it all depends on your clientele, how busy you are, how much time you can devote to it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmquilt Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 I moved from one part of Ohio where there were very few longarmers in business and was doing great. 2 years ago we had to move to another part of ohio, considered NE ohio and the longarm market is saturated with the longarm business. The guild I'm in has at least 6 LAer's in business, which is great, but they are established so all my business comes from where I left. I hope if you decide to take the leap you do wonderful!!!!! I'm hoping to upgrade my LA even though I have no business just because I LOVE it. (so if you want to buy a used LA U2U me. ROFLMAO) Michele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 ROFL Michele, you are in prayers for the move back home, and the time to do so is very short. I too am in a low income area, and find it hard to get clients. Just in the last 5-6 months am I getting a few steady's. Even then, it is slow as they save up to buy fabrics and it takes longer than in other areas near by. Right now, I'm happy for the low customer list as it is letting me do some things for myself and get done with ufos I keep finding. I was so busy just before our quilt show, I didn't have time to finish my entry for the show. Thats the last time that will happen. Also had to miss the Cultural Arts Competition. It can get complicated, disappointing, depressing, and discouraging. Don't let that happen, find another way to advertize your business, show designs and as them to call or email for further business. Some shops and stores will allow a sign in the window. Others will let you post a card or poster. Good luck, and wave as you come thru central North Carolina. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquiltit Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Go for the nursing. Longarm quilting is sporadic at best and then when you move you will have to get a new customer base. I quilted in Ashland County Ohio for years along rte 224. I made a living for my family but it was 12 and 16 hours a day. I also had a wonderful hubby who hung my quilts out on a clothesline and sold them for me. along that rte.I made quilts ahead in the most popular colors and that was the biggest amount of my income, plus I quilted for others. Since moving to north WV I do got get much business. Then there are licenses and taxes to deal with. Carol :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Originally posted by sbayzden Just wanted to say a BIG "Thank You" to those that helped me out. I live in NE Ohio. I do have a good number of other longarmers in my area. Some with award winning talents!~their work is just stunning!! :,) I plan on moving into northern South Carolina in about 4-5 years. Hi sbayzden ! I live in SW Ohio and we want to move to the Ft. Mill SC area. ( Just south of Charlotte). What area are you looking at? I have a pretty good client base, and am conserned about moving away to where no body knows me from Adam! I have asked my "regulars" if they would consider mailing their quilts to me and so far all have said yes. BUT when it comes right down to it, I don't know if they really will. The extra $ for shipping might stop them. I am hopping to maybe set up at some Christmas markets and such to get my name out there. I will probably make some quilts to sell at those and get my name out there as a quilter.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Longarming is hard work, but rewarding. I do it because I love the art of quilting. We bought my Millenium in 2007 & started the business in 2008. Took a while to build a client base & I do have some now, but the income is not enough to equal the income of my former office job or support a family. I just turned 60 and I thank my God for my DH, all my expensive Longarm training & toys & skills plus experiences to support my expensive hobby & make some money along the way. It is good that I don't have payments, paid cash for Milli & IQ. Corey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NollR Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I was fortunate to be able to stay home when my kids were very small and only went back to substitute teaching when the youngest was in kindergarten. A couple years after that I started quilting becuase I wasn't going to get a full time teaching job and substituting was not worth it time wise, stress wise and money wise and a few years after that bought my longarm machine and started a business. In the 6 years that I'm quilting ( 3 doing long arming including my first year with an actual store), I have spent soooo much money ( business start up, continous things to buy for the machine whether it be thread, books, dvd's including classes etc.) Honestly I need to break even this year so I'm trying very hard with the multi-faceted businesses that I run. I was in my late 30's early 40's when I started and am now 46. Honestly, I LOVE what I do and I really feel that God has given me a talent that I can use to my benefit. However, I have a husband with an excellent, flexible job and benefits, he's also an accountant (enough said about doing taxes etc?) cheap rent at a place that is all my own and 1/3 a mile from where I live, the added convenience of working from my house the other days and working my schedule around our crazy ones ( an 18 year old, 15, 14 and 11 - enough said? - all involved in mutiple sports plus other activities). Some people think I do this to "keep me busy" - heck I have enough of that! I am trying to run a business and bring some income to our household, but if I had the chance without going nutso - I would go for the extra schooling and get a different type of job. But I know in my case going back to school won't work out so I'm very fortunate to be able to do this and love it. You need to think long about longarming just for yourself and a few select people or starting a business that is always more involved than you think. Remember the business will own you and you get out of it what you put into it, but that's a hard decision with the cost of any longarm machine. Good luck in your decision!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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