ffq-lar Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I just spent four wonderful days at Innovations and in almost every class the instructor would ask how many students have a business, hobby-quilt, are newbies, or are searching for a machine. Here is my promised observation--there are a TON of newbies out there!! I met and talked to literally dozens of new owners, wanna-be's, and people with money in hand looking for their dream machine TODAY. And a lot of younger quilters--30s and early 40s--are taking the leap. So now I wonder what their motivation is. Were they down-sized and are looking for a new way to make money at home? Or is it just their time and they are ready to take the next step. So much for a slow economy! I hope all manufacturers are doing well so our field stays healthy. Also, the Canadian Dollar is getting stronger and I met at least 15 Canadian longarmers. They seemed thrilled to be here and stimulating our economy! Thanks to all! (I steered almost every brand machine around and am still thrilled with my choice of APQS.) :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Good to know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katydids Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Thanks Linda for that observation. It is good to know, I sure hope some of those people "with money in hand" are in Fl as Lisa and I are about to vend at the Jax Quiltfest. We sure could take some of that money and swap it for machines!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbi Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Here in NE Ohio, there are hundreds of us and lots of "competition" for tops... I get a few tops, (would love more) but I guess I've found a "niche" in the complete package. Most people want me to design, piece and quilt the entire quilt.... Now if I can just figure out how to not give such great deals.... I might make some money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhend Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I can't wait to retire so that I can keep up with my orders. But then again, maybe if I could quilt full time I'd be needing more work. OOOOh, then I could quilt for me lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltlover03 Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I am totally amazed at the money that is out there. I quit trucking and do this full time now along with making Quilts for my store between customer Quilts. I just did my Quilt run (I drive about 5 hours to a Quilt store in a small town and pick up anywhere between 12-20 Quilts of various sizes every months, complete them and drop them off next months and repeat the cycle) and marvel at the productiveness of these ladies. With good quilting cotton starting at $14.00 cdn, there is no shortage of quits to quilt. I would love to meet some of you at these shows and I hope to see my way clear one of these times to come and say hello. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Thank you Linda, it's good to hear how the market is with our machines! Are you having too much fun at the expo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 This can't be good news!, LOL I mean it is good news for those who sell these machines...but bad news for the rest of us longarming as a business. Here's why... these people are buying right now for 2 reasons both not good for current longarm businesses because either they are buying to do their own tops to save $ in the long run from sending their quilts out or 2 to get into the business of quilting which makes less tops to go around for existing businesses. So this is actually bad news because ecconomics 101 states "supply and demand" the more competition there is out there it will end up driving our $/profits down just to be able to compete with more longarmers out there. So again good news for those that are selling the machines , bad news for us who are in business:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I wouldn't worry about the competition. Not everyone who buys a machine will becom as proficient as the quilters on this forum. You have a customer base already, and a new quilter is not going to be able to compete with you. It doesn't bode well for the new quilters, but I don't think experienced quilters have much to worry about. As for me, I decided to purchase my Millie now, before I'm half dead in a nursing home! I learned my lesson about denying myself things I really want when the investments we had lost a huge chunk of their value. We had saved for years, living frugally, not taking vacations, buying new cars, etc. We would have been just as well off to either stuff it in a mattress or blow it on a trip to Bali. Lesson learned: if you really want something, get it now because you can't really "plan" for a future that is out of your hands. I think I am not alone in that regard. That might account for at least a few of the folks buying machines now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted September 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I'm glad this generated some interest. My Guild (which has two professional longarmers) can support at least four. Lots of members have purchased some kind of system--either a small set-up, an expensive shortarm like the new DSM stretched systems, or an HQ. They are still bringing me the big ones and the special ones. I am lucky to have a waiting list and to be well-established. So where I am in my business and our local economic situation doesn't seem to have impacted longarming here. Even the people buying the newer and cheaper systems learn that it isn't easy. The good ones and/or tenacious ones will succeed. The dabblers and the wanna-be's (the ones who think it is easy) will learn and either stay or go. I love a comment Linda Card made recently--Longarm quilting takes talent, skill, and heavy machinery. She is so right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 And don't forget...there are alot of us out there that think we want one...die to get it and then either find we don't have the time to do it or the talent to make a business of it, so these machine then become used machines and are on the market once again in just a few short months, and then there are those who just buy for themselves to play with which is fine.... Not trying to be negative here, but just the facts of life. Not everyone who gets one becomes a quilter. Some of us are just meant to be piecers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 I am one who purchased my longarm to quilt my own tops. I had the money to purchase it, and didn't want to wait. I love my Frogger. I am learning something new everyday and am getting better, imo. I have quilted a few tops for friends who wanted custom work...and seemed to be pleased with the work I did. Maybe in a few years...when I gain more confidence, I will quilt as a business. I have lots more practice to still do. I do tend to run out of quilt tops rather quickly since I mainly quilt my own. I don't want to burn out like some of you who have had businesses, and now only quilt your own. I want quilting to be fun. Besides, I do have my children coming up behind me that enjoy quilting too. I see potential on my kids at an early age, and hope that the desire to quilt remains in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyA Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 I quilt for customers and love it as many do. I originally bought my Libby for myself but knew I'd move into customer quilting at some point. I don't worry about competition because I prefer to keep a low backlog. It reduces stress. Any more than 3 weeks out and i start working toooo many hours. It's nice to get to know the 'newbies' in town too. They always think you're amazing - such an ego boost...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingstitcher Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 You'll never have to worry about enough customers with your talent Linda. I would think that those who do a fabulous job will always have work and likewise those who charge too little will have lots of work. In Arizona our longarm group AZLAQ has about 60 some members. Yesterday there were 42 at the five hour meeting with several being new prospective members. We should probably do a survey to see what percentage are doing it for a business and how many are doing it for their own quilts, plus some friends and relatives, some charity quilts. I'm in the latter category where I wanted a Millennium so that I could expand my creative spirit and do some art quilts from design all the way through to finished art. I'm still working on the finish part of that plan. It's amazing that I've learned so much, started so many quilts, and have so few finished projects. Perhaps this is the year when I will assimilate all the input gleaned from classes, books, The Quilt Show, and experiments, and finally get it all together so that I have a sense of accomplishment on more quilts. My friend has had her small applique wall hanging at a longarm quilter's business in California for TWO YEARS. When she told me about this problem of not being able to get her quilt done, I said that I'd do it for her, so she had her sister go over to the longarm quilter's place and get it back. Turn around time is just too long for many piecers. I went through a similar experience with two of my quilts waiting for four months and that was a motivation for buying a machine. So I guess my advice for longarmers who do quilting for a business - make sure you follow through in a timely fashion for your clients so you keep them. I also believe that the baby boomer generation is going to change longarm quilting. The cusp of that age group is now in their early sixties. More retired people are going to piece and more are going to let their creative spirit loose. I think that more machines will be purchased for a hobby as an extension of having a sewing machine and wanting to do the full experience of making quilts. It's interesting that young women are getting into longarming as a business. That trend will be encouraged as you see more ads featuring young quilters. Quilter's Newsletter has a Gammil ad on the inside front cover featuring Gina Perks from Arizona and she looks pretty and youthful, a good face for the future of Gammil. Even the APQS ads have shown a young quilter in the cartoon style. Doesn't she look young to you? Guess the trick in advertising is to appeal to all ages. UFOs here I come! One is going on Alyce tomorrow. It's a two-year-old original design quilt in a contemporary style from the Weeks Ringle Bill Kerr class - one of my quilts from design stage through piecing, quilting, and finishing. Wish me luck. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae50 Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 I agree with Lynn/Zora. I finally purchased my used Millie after wanting one for years and even putting down money on a new one 4 years ago (cancelled the order when life issues arose). We, too had denied ourselves many things that we wanted in order to raise our kids, help them through college and to save for our retirement years. We, like many others, had invested our money in the hopes that it would grow. Well with the downturn in the economy and the stock market, we lost enough that I could probably have bought several new Millies. (I know that many other people lost more than we did and I am sorry for their losses too. I told DH that we should have just buried our money in a tin can in the backyard.) Anyhoo, DH and I decided that if this was something that I really wanted I should go for it. If things didn't work out, I could always sell it and still not lose very much money in the deal. I did decide to go with a used machine to save some money (old habits die hard). At this time, I don't plan on going into business. I just want to make my finished tops into quilts and make quilts for family, friends, and charity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilter 4 Jesus Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 I being a newbie recently did alot of research on LAing as a business. The stats show that people are getting back to basics, not going out but staying in, meaning more quilting in alot of households. I personally know alot of people picking up hobbies they haven't touched in years such as cross stitch etc. because of the economy. I am trusting there will be plenty of business for all of us. There are alot of new quilters making their masterpieces to send to us!!! This is not for everyone so I'm not worried about any competition. I can't do them all myself!! LOL!! Sherry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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