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loraquilts

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Posts posted by loraquilts

  2. Bars that go over rollers.

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    Hello.  Does anyone know what I'm talking about?  .... On my current quilting machine I have a pair of metal bars by Hartley that go over the rollers to hold up the side clamps.  My new Millie 30 is due to arrive on Tuesday :lol: and I'd like to get bars for that machine also, but I don't remember what they are called.  I've searched the web and can't find a Hartley website that deals with quilting.  Ugh.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks much. 

  3. Help. My machine is loose on the carriage.

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    Yesterday when trying to show someone my Ultimate I, I was trying to show her how easy it was to make beautiful feathers.  Unfortunately, I was not able to make nice looking feathers because when stitching on a slight diagonal, the machine would "chunk" as if it were going up a stair step.  Sorry, I don't really know how to describe it any better.  

    After she left, I started looking for obstructions, loose thread in the wheels, etc. etc.  What I discovered is that the machine head, which is connected to the carriage at the rear wheels and midway over the center wheels, is loose over the center wheels.  How can I fix this?  Do I have to remove the machine head from the frame (please, please, please say no ; )?  What type of adjustment do I have to make to secure the machine head to the carriage again?  Does anyone know whether the screws that hold in this area are flat, phillip, or allen?  

    I don't want to bugger this up, so any kind words of help and encouragement will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much!  

  5. Piecing on the Longarm

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    I've been thinking about doing a mosaic pieced on the long arm for quite some time.  Need to finish some UFOs before I start on another project though. 

    I like the idea.  I saw a video on youtube that inspired me (sorry, it's been so long ago that I don't recall the specifics of the video).  Basically the quilt sandwich was loaded onto the long arm and then additional fabric pieces were sewn down on top of the top fabric to create the mosaic look.  I found it a very interesting way to use up scraps. It was kind of like machine applique.

  6. Pull down design wall

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    I tried the link for the vanishing design wall and wasn't able to find it.  All I got were lists of shops selling all kinds of unrelated items.  Any other link?  I'd love to take a look at it.  I'm recently in the process of a whole house remodel and just now putting stuff back together, so if I could incorporate a vanishing design wall before I "finish" the sewing and quilting rooms, that'd be great.  : )

  10. Loyal customers. ???

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    Just a quick update.  I talked to one of my customers at the sewing club this morning and asked her why she was taking her quilts to another quilter instead of me (not in those words of course).  I just wanted to hear from her what I could do to improve my business, my relationship with customers, etc.  I could tell she was a little uncomfortable at first, but I assured her that I was not trying to coax her into coming back to me, just curious about the change.  She said that she uses the other woman for all over panto work, and would be using me exclusively for custom work - something the other woman doesn't offer.  She showed me an invoice from the other woman and her pricing was very similar to my new pricing, however, one thing she includes in her pricing is trimming the quilt and attaching the binding strips to the back of the quilt.  

    gkazee, I really like your idea of making a sample quilt with the pantos that I would do for 1 1/2 cents a square inch.  Linda, your suggestion of having a sale month is a great one too.   I'll make up the sample quilt and promote my sale for the month of November and the first two weeks of December.  We'll see what happens.  

    Thank you all for being candid with me.  I had checked around and found that my previous prices were about a cent below the average in my area.  I had been told by many that I wasn't charging enough, so I raised my prices a little after I got the computerized system.  Now I see your points about customers not caring that the stitching is perfect and just wanting to get the quilts finished quickly and as cheap as possible.  Also, I recognize now that showcasing all of my custom work probably scared some people off.  I think you are right - they see the detail and amount of effort in the quilting on those quilts and think $$$$$ cha-ching! and don't want to pay for that.  

    Next year, I'm going to try to show off two quilts a month (probably lap size) - one with custom quilting and one with an all over panto.  Hopefully, that will convey the message that I can do both.  

    Thanks again.  I really appreciate your honest feedback and input!!!!!  Thank you. 

     

  11. Loyal customers. ???

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    First I'm going to start this post with an apology.  I don't want anyone to be offended that I'm broaching a sensitive subject like pricing and customer loyalty, so if you don't want to share, that's fine. 

    I've been quilting for others for a little over 10 years now.  Most of the ladies that I have quilted for have been steady repeat customers.  Before I had my computerized machine, and especially when I was really green, I charged about 1.5 cents per square inch for an all over panto.  I know that's really low, but I figured that I was trying to grow my business and at the time I was just learning as well, so I was just happy for the little extra income.  I was constantly busy and I really enjoyed it. 

    About three years ago I upgraded to the IQ computerized quilting module.  As those of you who have it can attest, it wasn't a cheap upgrade.  So to help offset the price of the IQ and to be more in line with other long arm quilters prices, I increased my pricing to 2 or 2.5 cents per square inch depending on how much time I have to spend programming the design into the IQ or if the customer wants custom free motion quilting.  I don't think this is outrageous, but I did notice a considerable drop in the number of quilts that have come in, especially this year.  It's really confusing to me.  The quality of the quilting is flawless because of the computerized part, I have hundreds of pantos and custom quilting designs for my customers to choose from, my turnaround time is very good (usually one week).  I just don't understand what I could be missing.  

    The thing that really just burns me is that there are several of what I thought were loyal customers that I see once a month at my local sewing center who during show and tell show off their quilts that they have had quilted by someone else.  All of them, and I mean every single one, is quilted in just a simple pantograph.  None of them ever have custom quilting at all.  When I do show and tell on my own personal quilts, I always do custom quilting.  I like getting in there and really trying to make the quilt sing in the piecing as well as the quilting.  Since my customer workload has dropped off, I've been making a lot of personal quilts (actually finished 8 UFOs so far this year YAY!.  Two more will be done before the end of the month. :D ).  Last month when I was at the sewing club, one of the ladies asked me if I every quilted for anyone else.  ...... She had to ask!?!  Duh!  I very nicely said that I did and gave her one of my cards.  Then she asked me if I ever did anything simple like an all over design.  ......again I was dumbfounded...... Of course!  I can do whatever style of quilting you want on your quilt, is what I told her.  She thanked me and then pocketed my card.  

    Am I missing something?  Can I be scaring people off because I show off my custom quilting and that's not what they are looking for?  Are my prices too high?  I really am at a loss and scratching my head.  If  you don't mind, would you please share your thoughts, pricing methodologies, and other factors that could be affecting my situation.  I really appreciate you taking the time to read and respond.  Thank you. 

     

  16. Spa Treatment

    in Gone Quilting...Chat About Anything

    Posted

    Thanks!  My machine is an older one - Ultimate I.  I have used it since 2007 and am the 3rd owner, so don't really know how many quilts have been done on the machine.  Right now it runs fine, but I have to adjust the needle bar height every few times I warm up the machine -- a little drag sometimes.  Fixable, but a bit of a bother.  A few days ago I noticed that my hopping foot has a little movement to it now when doing ruler work.  Never noticed that before.

     

    I had been debating about whether to upgrage to the latest Millie, but decided to keep my current machine since it still works great.  I think a spa treatment will be just the ticket to get it all performing perfectly.  Hope they still service the Ultimate I machines.  :rolleyes: 

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