Bonnie H Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Business may be finally starting to pick up (yeah!) and I have a backlog of quilts to be quilted. I've done 10 quilts in the last two weeks and each time I think I'm caught up, the phone rings. So I don't know if it is a busy time of the year or if word is finally getting around, though I do have a happy lady from guild who has referred a lot of quilts my way since she found me. What is your busy time of the year, other than Christmas, of course! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Generally, September through the end of the year is the busiest. However, this year, the local guild is having their show in September, so the phone began to ring off the hook about two months ago and has been going strong ever since. No rest for the wicked, but I love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 This summer has been crazy for me. Last summer I didn't do much of anything but I can't get ahead right now. I guess after my son & fam move to Florida I will have all the time in the world to quilt, except when I fly to FL for a visit. Am going to miss them terribly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchanted Quilting Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 April, May are always busy with wedding/graduation quilts this along with already mentioned summer through Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 i just finished 2 quilts for a customer...and now onto helping my kids finish their quilts for the fair in middle august. does that count?!?! i am thinking of starting a penny an inch sale and trying to see if I can get some new customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathrynA Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 think word must be getting around. congratulations. once that happens it's quilt blizzard time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Congratulations on the up-swing in your business! Isn't that a wonderful feeling?! Depending on your location and type of quilting you do, you'll be busy before Christmas, graduations time, county fairs if they have a quilt division, and local guild quilt shows. If you belong to a guild, gently remind your customer base to schedule ahead for these events so they don't miss out. VERY IMPORTANT--as you get busier and build your business, decide how many quilts you can realistically quilt in a month and then STOP taking reservations for that month when you reach the limit. I can guarantee you without a doubt that you will under-estimate the time it takes and over-estimate the number of quilts you can take--and spend long hours away from family and fun trying to accommodate all your customers. This will only happen to you once!:P:P My first December when I started out was spent quilting and quilting and quilting. I had no tree that year, did my shopping last-minute and I was miserable. Even the extra money didn't make up for the loss of the holiday. Don't be like me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Originally posted by ffq-lar Congratulations on the up-swing in your business! Isn't that a wonderful feeling?! Depending on your location and type of quilting you do, you'll be busy before Christmas, graduations time, county fairs if they have a quilt division, and local guild quilt shows. If you belong to a guild, gently remind your customer base to schedule ahead for these events so they don't miss out. VERY IMPORTANT--as you get busier and build your business, decide how many quilts you can realistically quilt in a month and then STOP taking reservations for that month when you reach the limit. I can guarantee you without a doubt that you will under-estimate the time it takes and over-estimate the number of quilts you can take--and spend long hours away from family and fun trying to accommodate all your customers. This will only happen to you once!:P:P My first December when I started out was spent quilting and quilting and quilting. I had no tree that year, did my shopping last-minute and I was miserable. Even the extra money didn't make up for the loss of the holiday. Don't be like me!! Good advice, Linda! Though I would love to "be like you" when it comes to your quilting skills Just this week I told a customer who needed a quilt done right away that I couldn't accommodate her request and that it would be more than a week. It felt good to have that control and actually for once I was proud when it came out my mouth (sometimes I surprise myself by what I agree to do). Maybe I am busy because fair time is coming, seeing that some of you are, too. I will take it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Originally posted by sagebrushquilter i just finished 2 quilts for a customer...and now onto helping my kids finish their quilts for the fair in middle august. does that count?!?! i am thinking of starting a penny an inch sale and trying to see if I can get some new customers. Kristina, that counts! I looks like fair time is a busy time for others, too. I had been quilting for 1.25 cents an inch to get started and it was killing me! If the gals are smart, they will come running to your sale -- maybe I should send you mine!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 glad your business is booming.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 That is awesome and congratulations. My time depends on what is going on. Right now I get mostly custom and those just take a whole lot longer. I'm booking in Jan. I don't quilt from Thanksgiving until the new year because like Linda said it just isn't worth it. I also have a full-time day job so it is really easy for my quilting to take over my life! I have decided in Jan. I will only take 1 custom quilt a month, queen or bigger. If I get a few small ones then I'd take 2. I over-booked myself this year and I haven't had any time for my stuff and that isn't why I got a machine. I'm blessed to have great customers. They know if they want me to do their quilt they need to book early and it might be a few months. I'm taking off Aug, Sept. and half of Oct. for my daughters wedding so that is why I'm so booked this year. If I were quilting I'd probably still be booked but I would have more on my log. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janette Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 I was my busiest so far in Feb, Mar, Apr and May, December was quiet and January was very very quiet, July has been better than June though - no two weeks seem to be the same.... I generally quilt about 3-4 days a week, varying hours depending on what else is going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I usually get a lot of calls right after the new year. I think people are done with the holidays and ready to schedule in some quilting. Spring is also busy with quilts for baby showers, weddings, graduations. CongratuLations on becoming a sought-after quilter, Bonnie!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I usually get a lot of calls right after the new year. I think people are done with the holidays and ready to schedule in some quilting. Spring is also busy with quilts for baby showers, weddings, graduations. CongratuLations on becoming a sought-after quilter, Bonnie!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Bumped due to spaamers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I've been in business since mid 2007, so I have a good customer base and my business has been very steady and consistent year round. I sometimes notice a lull in quilts in early January, after Christmas, but things ramp back up in February and March, and I stay pretty busy the remainder of the year. I try not to have a "backlog" of quilts in my posession for more than a few weeks. That bugs me... so if they come in, I get them finished and back out within 2 weeks. I'm not one to keep 6 months + of a backlog quilts hanging around at my house.... I do not want the liability of those things sitting here waiting in a line for months while they are in my posession! Anyway, starting this summer, on purpose, I decided to really slow down quilting through the summer months. I have taken a few quilts a month so far this summer and it has been fine for me. But with a full time job, taking summer classes + homework at University, plus I'm the superintendent for the quilt exhibit at this summer's state fair, I have been very busy lately juggling all of the balls in the air (including the quilting biz). So far I have managed OK but I will be so ready in 2 weeks (mid August) when the fair is over with, and my University class is done. I'll have a big sigh of relief. (so far I'm getting an A). I have five more classes and then will have my degree in Business. Slowly chipping away...... Anyway, I do pretty well business-wise. I have customers (strangers) calling me who got my number through a friend --word of mouth, and I have been telling most of them I need to slow down and take a break through summer months. It's been a nice break. When I ramp back up after summer, I will begin scheduling 4-5 quilts per month so I can maintain a balance with my life. Otherwise, like in the past I will be working full time, quilting full time and I'll probably be flunking University full time, too! Not to mention my DH will want to divorce me cuz I will NOT have time for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Originally posted by Bonnie H Originally posted by sagebrushquilter i just finished 2 quilts for a customer...and now onto helping my kids finish their quilts for the fair in middle august. does that count?!?! i am thinking of starting a penny an inch sale and trying to see if I can get some new customers. Kristina, that counts! I looks like fair time is a busy time for others, too. I had been quilting for 1.25 cents an inch to get started and it was killing me! If the gals are smart, they will come running to your sale -- maybe I should send you mine!! I am thinking a large meander for a penny a square inch...nothing fancy. I let word out to a couple of gals I know..and they are penny pinching so badly right now...they aren't even biting at it. most of the guild ladies I hear are quilting their own quilts on dsm's...or tying them. Never seen that happen here before. Well, one daughters quilt is done...now to help the rest of the kids. Going to be a busy couple of weeks helping them finish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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