ThreadWaggle Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I picked up 3 quilts from one customer yesterday. Just got a call from a friend that I showed how to piece a couple of weeks ago, she has 3 tops for me. And I know of 2 more that are in the mail. I never expected to start getting this many quilts this fast. I just delivered one today too. So I have a question, how many quilts do you keep on hand at any given time? I was orginally think no more than I can do in a month which would depend on the size and what they wanted... My business insurance covers their tops, but I want to be able to have a reasonable turn around. I have atleast 2 weeks of work with these 8 quilts and I am taking classes the next week so will not be available to quilt a whole lot. Maybe a little more time because 2 are custom. The 3 for my friend will be E2E, plus the binding as I have not taught her to do that yet and they will be here until I go to visit her later this spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Honestly during Christmas time I would have at times 10-15 stacked on shelves with dates and times promised for delivery... Your question should be answered by yourself knowing how many you can handle and if you have insurance to cover costs should you have a fire or be robbed..... If you don't want that responsibility, maybe you can do like some do that you have a calender schedule where a customer will bring you a quilt on a certain day and expects to pick up a certain day....and they aren't laying around your studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaildrake Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Good answer Bonnie. I take in all that come in and always ask when they are needed and I always tell my customers then if it is possible for that time span. Usually they will still leave it with me. I do have insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I take what comes, but I do get stressed if I have more than about 10 waiting. Then I tend to quilt like a mad thing to get the number back down to around 4. I would say that is my optimum. Not enough to make me panic, but a nice buffer of payment due. My view in the current economic climate is that I will take any jobs I am offered. It means some long hours but I will have a financial safety net when things get quiet. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 My problem is that I don't have alot of space to store customer quilts. I have a clothes rack and usually have 6 or 7 quilts hanging on hangers waiting. Customers further down the list know that they can expect a phone call from me when their turn is approaching. Janette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Farnham Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Angela- Not sure if this will help, but my husband built me a nice cabinet for underneath my machine. It consists of 6 shelving units and a center area for storing my air compressor and a few Panto's. I can easily fit customer quilts 2 deep and 4 across each shelf. I have one unit designated for my customers that bring me Smoky quilts. This unit keeps me organized and space is not an issue. Hope this helps. Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Well, I am a part-time quilter and just do this as a side job (mostly it's for my own pure joy to quilt) because I have a FT job outside the home. I don't advertise; it's all word of mouth and I just get a few quilts here or there from guild members or referrals. I am happy if I get a couple of quilts a month to keep me busy, otherwise I just play and PPP on my own quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April W Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I usually have 4-6 on hand that I'm working on. As soon as they pick up or I deliver more seem to come in, so it's fairly steady at my house. There have been times when I might have 12-15 in the house but I prefer less on hand to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreadWaggle Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I am more concerned about getting them back in a reasonable time. There are a couple of people that have had quilts at longarmers for years. (I really do mean more than one year.) And I don't want that reputation. I was planning to schedule kind of like Janette described and only have what I can get done in a specific amount of time, but with the economy being what it is I was wondering if people are taking in more quilts if they are offered. My turn around was under a week, but it just got a lot longer and I just told someone April, which is still earlier than they would get it from my local competition. I actually could store upwards of 40 and my business insurance will cover that many or more, but I just don't want that kind of pressure. This is my job, but I really want to enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 My turn around regardless of size or quilt was about 5 -7 days. Generally if I got your quilt on Monday, you would see it no later than the next Monday, but most likely by thursday of the same week....if I had 10 or more in I would some times have to do 2-3 a day to keep on that schedule so again its what works for you...and depending you what you want to kill yourself with for a turn around. about 95% of mine were custom, but I did not do what you would call heirlooom custom, it was simple and quick...SID was done on the DSM not on the longarm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Angela, I am like Ferret in that I always seem to have 4-6 on hand and alot of times up to 20 on hand, I take them all in and promise them up to 3 mos away. It is still quicker for them than my competition and I try to get them out asap..I do like having them around for a little while before I quilt them as most of my customers say just do what you think would look good so I like to hang the next one up in line and look at it throughout the day while I am quilting one and think about what I will do with it. It also gives me time to have the right panto or thread on hand so I am ready to work on it when it's turn comes up. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I am part-time and always have at least 10 quilts on hand all the time. Seems like when I think I am startging to get somewhere...another person calls and wants to drop more off. Like Ferret said, I will take as many as they want to bring me. We don't know when it will stop with the economy. I will say this, I have ran into JoAnn's to pick up a pattern for Haylee and today a spool of thread...the store is packed all the time!! That is good, because they could be buying fabric to quilts. I know, in the past we have been quilt shop fabric snobs...but we may need to step off the high horse a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sspingler Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Whatever I can get. And it's first come first served.....unless there is a rush and I can squeeze it in. I take a quilt and fill out the invoice with the persons name and phone number, the date it came in and the promised date and any information on that quilt.....pattern, thread, their cost etc and it gets hung up in the order to be done. When I promise a done date, I usually add 2 or 3 days in case something comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm like Shannon. I keep on hand what I can do in 2 weeks and then customers go on a waiting list. As I get 2 weeks out I give them a call and tell them I'll be ready for their quilt in 2 weeks. They then have the option of moving back on the list or scheduling a drop off time. I don't want a ton of quilts hanging out at my house and it just stresses me out to have them there undone! I use software manger to do this so it is very simple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 My normal quilts on hand has always been about 15 with a turn around time of 6-8 weeks. As like the others when the completed ones got picked up then the same amount was usually being dropped off the same week. But since the first of the year my quilts on hand got as high as 50! with a turn around of 6-8 weeks, no custom all easy meandering so I was quilting 2-3 per day. I have been working my but off though clearing most of my back log due to my surgery which has been set for Thursday March 12 (currently have 10 in house 3 of which will be done by Sunday) the rest don't have to be done until May. But that doesn't stop the phone from ringing I have several drop off appointments already scheduled for the last week of April when I plan to start working again. I am like Ferret when it comes to taking what comes, when it comes. You just never know when the qults will stop comming due to the economy so for now I will be happy to have a larger amount of quilts on hand and the 6-8 week turn around. With the $ I have been making I have been supporting my local quilt shop and other on-line quilt shops as well...I would hate to see them go out of business Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I have up to 15 quilts here some due soon and some not until June. I do a lot of custom work and it takes time to plan and execute, some quilts just don't tell you what they want on them easily! I have a calendar and map out how far out I am and I do take what I can get, the money comes in handy these days! I will not however get myself over stressed anymore, that is not healthy or fun and if I don't love to be quilting then why would I do it? Angela, you need to decide what you are comfortable with in your space. I have wooden pants hangers that I hang small quilts on, and Ikea cubby unit called Expedit, and 2 clothes pin bars that DH made for me that I hang quilts on that I need to think about and create designs for. Many piecers want the quilts out of their house when they are done and then it's not on their horizon anymore until it's quilted! Make sure that you have an intake sheet and spell out your time frame for having quilts done. Have lots of fun! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Yes yes and yes to all of the above!! I have a set number that I will do in a month. They are put on the list and have the option of waiting to bring it the month before, or dropping off right away. This allows them to make the decision. The most I had backed up was 40-(I do 8 quilts a month so that was way out there!) To control my anxiety, I keep one month's tops in the studio and the rest in the house. I have lost customers who will get on the list, shop around , and find someone with a shorter wait or cheaper rate. This doesn't stress me too much--I just move another one up or throw on a charity quilt for my guild. You will soon discover what works for you. There are no hard rules in longarming--thank goodness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaildrake Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 WOW LINDA; I NEVER KNEW THEY SHOPPED AROUND AFTER THEY COME TO YOU AND FINE SOMEONE ELSE. WHATEVER HUH! I AGREE THAT WE ALL MUST BE SO THANKFUL THAT WOMEN ARE STILL QUILTING WITH THE ECONOMY AND PAYING FOR QUILTING. I LOST MY JOB IN SEPTEMBER AND MY QUILTING HAS NEVER SLOWED DOWN, EVEN AFTER CHRISTMAS THEY SEEM TO BE COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK SORT OF SPEAK!!!!! I HAVE ALOT OF NEW CLIENTS THIS YEAR ALSO. I AM COUNTING MY BLESSINGS. THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T MIND HAVING LOTS OF QUILTS PILING UP, ANOTHER WAY OF KEEPING THEM ORGANIZED IN A CLOSET IS TO PUT THEM IN GARMENT BAGS. WOW, REALLY NEAT AND TIDY AND OUT OF THE WAY. I DON'T GET MANY SMOKEY ONES BUT OCCASIONALLY ONE COMES AND I SPRAY IT TO DEATH!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calicoquilter Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Angela, You also need to think about insurance and if some tragedy struck, i.e. a fire, and those quilts in waiting were destroyed, would your insurance cover them? Colleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eula Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 i haven't started la for customers yet. i'm still ppp. a lady in my bee has a quilt that has been at the la's for over 1 yr. why would a la keep someone's quilt for over a year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasews Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm up to 30 on my shelves right now and I just finished 9 last week. I just keep taking them in because I'm paranoid I'll not get any more. I know, it's a sickness. I don't mind the large number of quilts, though, because if I get really tired of doing the 5 dresden plates in a row, I skip some and do a few edge to edge with IQ and manage to get some cleaning and laundry done. All in all, I consider myself incredibly blessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Originally posted by eula i haven't started la for customers yet. i'm still ppp. a lady in my bee has a quilt that has been at the la's for over 1 yr. why would a la keep someone's quilt for over a year? If I was you I would advise her to go get it....I know of a lady in Reno who kept quilts of over a year and when the customers finally went with the sheriff's Deputy to get hers, they were GONE...they had been stolen and the quilter was scared to tell anyone. there is NO reason for someone to be that slow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Not to make excusses for the 1 year thing...because that is too long...but, it is easy to have some customer's call you after dropping off a quilt and making you feel rushed...then you move their quilt up, then before you know it another and maybe another and you can have some quilts for a while. I can see that happening unless you are strong and tell the customer....this is where you are in my line up...if you want me to move the quilt up, I charge $XX for rush jobs. I know a local quilter who had a quilt for a long, long time and the police were called in to pick it up because she would not answer calls from the customer. That customer became my customer and she is the sweetest 84 year old woman you could meet - who can applique like nothing I have ever seen!! I'm glad I have her as a customer!! Sometimes I think we get too many irons in the fire...try to do too much with our guild, families, church, work and then throw machine quilting into the mix.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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