Do you allows others to "try out" your machines?

[Jones3327]

Have any of you had someone ask to try out your longarm? Someone from my local quilt guild has asked me several times about coming to "play" on my machine while she is trying to decide what brand to buy once she convinces her husband to allow her to buy a LA. Honestly, I'm not too crazy about the idea but am wondering if any of you have had this happen and how you handled it? If not, do you think I should allow her to do this?

[Ferret]

Yes I have. A lady I know from the local quilt shop wanted to try an APQS machine. I explained that mine has no bells and whistles and loaded up a test piece for her. She picked it up really quickly and loved the machine. She still hasn't decided which machine she wants, but she does talk to people about mine and what I do far more knowledgeably. Realistically they let people play on these machines at shows, and we were all beginers once, I don't think there is that much hard that can come from it. In my case I feel it did me nothing but good.

I have also had friends play on it, just because it looked fun. Again they now have a far better understanding of what I do.

Ferret

[sewingupastorm]

I have allowed several people to "play". I load a test piece and stand right next to them and tell them what to do. I do not think I would walk away and let them just go with it though unless they really look like they know what they are doing or they have used a longarm before.

[Mary Beth]

I have loaded a piece of muslin for my own practice an my dh has "played", I have told others they can try it, but they act like the machine is going to gobble them up....that's okay with me. The less people that touch Lucy the better.

[Myrna Ficken]

Being a dealer for APQS I have people trying my machine all the time. I pack it put it in my truck and take it to shows and classes. These machines are e awesome and they will not be hurt by others "playing on them? We have them at shows where tons of non quilters play on them.

I know some can't get to a show or have a dealer they can get to so the next best thing is to find someone in the area and ask to try their machine. If you are not comfortable doing this just tell them you would rather not.

Now I will add it they are looking to buy a machine and want to try it or if they just want to play for a few hours you might look at that a little differently. Again if they are trying out the machine before putting down that money, if you have time just put on a small practice piece and you will be supervising them for the time they are trying your machine.

That brings up another point; a lot of machine owner host educator in their homes and several people are using their machine for classes. It is a great way to get classes you might not otherwise be able to take. And it is much easier on the traveling teachers. I?m off to load my machine in my truck and head to California tomorrow to teach classes. I will put my machine and carriage my hostess table so we will have two heads for the students.

Myrna

[Stagecl]

Yes, I have let others play on my machine. It is a great way to introduce them to APQS. I don't go far because I want to make sure nothing happens...I am a little overprotective. They have fun and learn that not everyone wants to own a Gammill:) and they need to test drive all the machines to find the one that works best for them. Being a previous gammill owner (for 2 years) I think I can say that Gammill is not for everyone.

Cheryl Mathre

Stone Creek Quilting

Sandy Hook, VA

[chickenscratch]

Hey, Norece trusted me with her machine LOL

And what a NICE machine she has.

[shadows4]

At first, I let people use it who knew what they were doing, mainly because I didn't know enough to fix any problems (namely tension, etc.) Now it is easier to let someone use it now because I have more knowledge about my machine, though I still remain close by.

When I'd had it about 7 or 8 months I had a "friend" who wanted to use mine, she said it was because she couldn't afford to pay anyone to do her quilt, so she thought she could do her quilt if I let her use my machine, and she complained about the workmanship on one she had just paid for. She'd never touched a LA before. Then I found out she had asked another friend of mine to quilt hers and paid her, though she tried to get her to charge less. That friend wants no more business from her. Apparently she wouldn't use me because she didn't like the thread I used at the time. Recently I talked to the "friend" and she was talking about several quilters she was checking into doing her quilts, though she knows I do it. I know that sort of thing doesn't happen often, but I felt really used by her.

If someone wants to play with my machine just to play or see if they'd like it, or to see if they like an APQS, that's ok, but I don't believe I'll be open to someone using my machine just to save them money. Or if another LAer needs it because of problems with theirs, that's ok, too.

[CucumberQuilting]

Give It A Try

You've had lots of response to this question already. Must be because we all go through it. I was invited to take a test drive on another quilter's machine before I bought mine. I was more nervous than she was! She was very welcoming and encouraging. From the beginning though, she knew I was serious about buying a machine to quilt professionally. We have a great relationship and she has been incredibly generous in helping me, and others, get started in business.

Now that I have my own machine this question comes up a lot. Sometimes the answer is Yes and sometimes it's not. It really depends on my schedule and what I believe their intention is in wanting to come to my studio.

Last year I mentored a high school senior through her senior class project, a major year-long project required by each student in order to graduate. Some people couldn't believe I would let a teenage kid use my machine. SHE couldn't believe I would make her quilt her own quilt! I did, she did and it all worked out beautifully. She was incredibly respectful of my time, my workspace and my machine.

Gals from the two guilds I belong to are frequently asking to come "play." That sort of puts the request on a different level for me and I have to come up with very diplomatic answers. I don't have time to "play", I have plenty of work to get done. One gal has been making charity quilts like there's no tomorrow and I know she'd like to get a bunch of those quilted up fast. I already take on a bunch of charity quilting and for her to come into my studio to do more only takes up precious hours on my machine so I'm not keen on that idea.

Like the previous post, I have had requests from people who wanted to bring in their own quilts to quilt. Well, that's probably not going to happen. It feels like they are manuevering to save paying a fee to have their quilting done for them. Let them buy their own machine. I'm not set up to rent my machine or to teach someone how to get started using it.

People are surprised how much our machines cost. Usually they guess about a tenth to about a half of the price. Another quilter in our area explains it like this:

[align=center] "You can have 10 Queen size quilts quilted for 10 YEARS! before you

could pay for your own machine."[/align]

If they are looking to SAVE money, they should pay their personal quilter to quilt for them! The calculation above doesn't even take into consideration the other costs of going into business and setting up a professional studio; the batting, thread, lessons and hours of practice to get proficient enough to quilt as a professional. I tell people my machine is financed like a new car with payments to match. That usually gives them the idea. Would they ask to "play" with my new car? Probably not.

Be kind, set your own rules, be firm and have lots of fun! ~~ Eva H.

[GERRY]

Hay Jones

I asked the other local LAer (a A-1 owner) many times if I could come over & try her machine, she was always polite & never said no..................but ya know, it never happened. I'm not sure if that's because she didn't want me to, or if she had some another reason.

But that didn't keep me from getting my Milli., in fact I had never even seen a LA machine up close...& I bought her sight unseen.

I do know that some LA owner's rent out their "treasure" to people who feel the need to quilt their own tops, but that's not for me......no one in my family has asked, & I can't get my DH to try it, but the boy's were happy to give it go, the rest of the family know how much she cost, & at that price, she's no toy.

If you feel uncomfortable.... Why risk it.

[John Mitchell]

I'm not the quilter here at Country Lane, Janet and Mary are the quilters. I am the service tech and do all the work on our machines and I repair many others (including non APQS machines). I have been repairing long arms for about 8 years.

Being dealers we have many people test drive our machines in our studio plus we do several shows a year. One is one to two weeks long and we have hundreds of non quilters test drive (from seniors to children). The worst thing that has happened is a broken needle and blown fuse.

We have an enclosed trailer that we can take one table put together and two more tables taken apart plus 3 heads and the CompuQuilter so our machines travel a lot. They are sturdy and well built so no problems.

If some one wants a test drive fine, but to use our machine to do their own quilt is something that we do not do, nor do we rent out time.

If they want to come and play for hours that is OK, but we do not just "turn them loose"

John