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The local newspaper is doing a little story about me and my award winning quilt. I plan to tell her how I got started quilting, what led me to buy my machine, and other personal stuff like that. I can also advertise Chicken Scratch Quilting Company in this article.

What I need from you gals (and guys) is a list of all the reasons people would want to hire a longarm quilter.

I know that it is quicker than handquilting, and it is easier for a longarm quilter to quilt something than it is for somebody to try to quilt it on their DSM, but I need GOOD stuff for this article.

Okay??? Thanks a million. Y'all are the greatest.

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Hay Teresa, good question:)

I would think time is the biggest factor, thought with the quilting industry grossing billions of $$$$'s a year, there are a great deal more "Piecer's" than there are hand quilters. Plus so many ladies work full or part time, add kids to the mix, & T.V., you land up with a lot pieced tops with no time to quilt them. I, myself have made many quilt tops & have never hand quilted any of them.

I also think that for myself, the washing machine has something to do with it. Quilts today need to be fit for the consant washing that our lifstyles require. A hand pieced hand quilted item would not stand up to it. The over all stability of a machine quilted quilt, can with stand many washings & not fall apart.

My 2 cents, from a new LAer, 13 year piecer, & a happy Mom with 4 kids/5 grand kids.:)

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Congratulations on the article... Things are really going your way!

For my 2 cents worth:

A lot of piecers say that the quilting is boring and they enjoy making the tops much more than the actual "quilting" and binding. By using a long-arm quilter, they get beautiful finished quilts instead of a closet full of guilt-laden UFO's (OK, that's putting on a bit thick, but you get my point)

There's also the economic side. No, we don't work cheap, but how much would it cost if you paid someone to hand quilt a top?

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Teresa - It just does my heart good hearing about this! I am soooo happy for you. A month or so ago you were down in the dumps. Now you are an award winning quilter with the news media knocking on your door! You GO girl! I am confident that you will do just fine on your own.

Linda

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Tereasa, I must have missed your "down in the dumps" post! What a difference a day makes, huh? Besides the time factor for having someone else finish your quilts, think of the wrists!How much effort it takes to move a quilt for just a few inches of quilting under a regular machine...the limitations!And all the basting ,and puckers...besides, when you finish piecing a top you want to be done and move on yet you still have to fight your machine to get it quilted...what takes weeks can be done in hours on a long arm...yep, that's my reason! Elaine

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Teresa, wow girlfriend, how totally awesome and much deserved. You know what, I think you just need to sit down with your paper and pencil and quiet yourself and write down the things you love about your long arm and all that it can do. My goodness you are now an award winner and not just because you do such good work but because of the belief in yourself and your perserverance.

Congratulations and I hope you have your seat belt firmly fastened cause you are about to get launched on a wild and crazy ride that is going to go fast!!!!!:P

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Hi Teresa,

I've thought about this question alot each time I am in a quilt store and see a fabulous quilt on display or when I see many beautiful quilts in photos made by a long arm quilter.

I think some people look to long arm quilters as their quilting partner, pairing up what they do best, piecing or applique etc., with someone who has really invested the time and learned how to do the quilting of the quilt. After all, how many people are the best at everything? Some are, but for those who are very gifted in one area, but not the other, pairing up with another gifted person seems to be a winning combination for many people who send their tops out to long arm quilters.

I think people who are creating quilts that are not necessarily for show, but for everyday use, might want to have their top done by a long arm quilter, because they are too busy with the other demands in their life like work and family. Even though it is an added expense for them, its "worth" the investment to them because you are helping them do something they might not have the time for.

Then finally, I think some people who are relatively new to quilting, who haven't taken all the classes, might feel more confident having someone with more experience finish the quilt for them, which might give them a greater sense of satisfaction with the final look of the quilt. I think after all their hard work piecing together the top, some people are afraid to take risks and make mistakes with the quilting. I think they look to a long arm quilters as a professional with a level of expertise they haven't acquired yet.

But mostly I think its just all about seeing their work and simply falling in love with what you see and deciding, wow, I'd really love to have a quilt one day that looks that beautiful! I think long arm quilters log in more hours than your average quilter and have moved through a learning curve that gives them the opportunity to develop a level of skill that alot of people may never be able to achieve, not because they can't but perhaps because they lose motivation, run out of time, or their interests take them elsewhere. It takes alot of time and patience to get to be one of the best, so there are only two roads to owning one of those much beloved quilts, join 'em or hire them!

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Thanks everyone for the fantastic responses. I typed up a little blurb and emailed it to the reporter. I have to meet her between 4 and 4:30 tomorrow to have my picture made with my ribbon and certificate. She said she may have more questions at that time. As soon as the article comes out I will scan it and upload it onto my website for you all to see.

OOHH, I can't believe this is really happening.

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Mary Beth (and everyone else)

First of all, thanks for the help. I can always depend on my APQS friends.

Secondly, I went to the newspaper office. She took a picture of me with my ribbon and certificate(I had previously emailed the picture of the quilt). She asked questions about where I work, how I got started quilting, what made me enter the competition, how I got the idea for the quilt, who it was dedicated to, etc. Then she started focusing on my hobby, quilting. I tried to explain to her that I have a quilting business; quilting tops others have made or making quilts start to finish for people on special order. I told her about the machine, the website, etc. She kept trying to bring it back to "but quilting is just what you do part time, right? After you work all day long at the middle school? "

I don't know what will be in the article, but she did promise to put my name, the town I live in, my company name, and a picture of my quilt.

I will just wait and see. I'll post it to my website as soon as it comes out.

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Congratulations! Just read your old posts and it sounds like quite a turnaround!!

I couldn't find pictures of the quilt though...so can you post it or at least let us know what show you won a ribbon at and what the name of the quilt is?

Again this is a fantastic thing!!

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Teresa,

Is it my computer failing me once again or do you have a problem with your website...have been trying to sneek a peek and all I get is either I'm not authorized to view this page or the page isn't found. Went also to Quilt Channel Links Directory and it wasn't working there either.

Just thought I should let you know of a possible problem.

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I think the biggest reason someone would want long arm quilting would be the different type of patterns that we use to benefit the all over design of the quilt, which in many cases, people notice the quilting faster than the actual piecing.:P

Think about it, what draws you to a quilt to begin with? Colors, design, pattern, quilting, and presentation. :P A good long arm quilter can, like a black dress, dress it up or dress it down.:) We make more stitches that will last for years to come unlike Grandma's day, when hand stitches began to frail and fall apart.

What I love the most is the vriegated threads that we use. :P

Keep smioling, Lyn

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