How do you know??

[cegates]

I have some questions that may not have answers, but I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this topic.  I think the biggest source of stress in my new quilting business is worrying about what customers really want.  I just spent a lot of money on toys and tools that will make my quilting more precise and uniform, even though I personally love the look of hand guided quilting that is more free form with lots of 'personality'.  But I worry that is not the look that most people want.  I also dread hearing the words "Just quilt it, it doesn't matter."  or "Keep it simple, this quilt is just for a teenager/child, etc."  I think that even the simplest quilts represent a significant investment of time and money, and I don't want my customer to be disappointed with the finished product.  Do you have any secrets for getting at what your customer really wants?  How do you guide an inexperienced quilter who may not be aware of the many options?  Sorry for the long post, but I bet I'm not the only one with this question!

 

Carol

[LCQuilts]

I too want to know the answer to this question. My worst fear is not being able to give the customer what they want.

[Darlene Epp]

No, you're not the only one Carol! I've been at this since 1997, and it's still the #1 challenge. I find that customers just want their quilts finished so they can get on to the next one. One of the first questions I ask is "Who is the quilt for?" , then "How will it be used?", "How much do you like the person you're giving it to?" (Big grin here) The next question is "What is your budget for the quilting?" Once I have the answers to those 4 questions, the choices have been narrowed drastically.

 

MOST quilts are utility quilts that will be used, tugged on, etc. Those automatically get allover quilting. I have a DWR to do right now that the lady thought needed to be custom quilted. It doesn't. There are only DWRs in the center of the quilt, with a LOT of white space and 9 patches around the outside. The edges will be scalloped after quilting and it will be given by the aunties, who all had a part in making it, as a wedding gift to a niece. The quilt will get a LOT of use. After knowing their budget, I showed them some of my allover feather patterns, that will fill all the white space beautifully and they decided on a pattern called Gypsy Feathers by Donna Kleinke. I'm lucky I have a CompuQuilter because I can do beautiful, dense quilting without breaking my back! I know the quilt will be gorgeous when finished and the customers will be happy. Educating them on their options, showing them the patterns, and the thread I'll be using (Silk Kimono in a pale grey), gave them confidence and a vision for how it will look when finished. Even tho' you don't feel like it now, you ARE the expert. Educate yourself by reading this forum and looking at the pictures you can find. Start a file of pictures in your computer, so you have a resource of ideas.

 

Good luck!

[BethDurand]

I completely agree with Darlene.. To use an analogy, I have been having Warren cut my hair since before I could drive.  I have natural curl, and will go in with a photo of straight hair and ask him to make mine look like that.  Warren kindly informs me that "your hair won't do that."  However, by asking various questions, he can then go from my comment of "Just fix it" to making it a cut that I like and that works with my hair.

 

You are the expert, even if you don't feel like one right now.  Ask your customers questions as Darlene has suggested above.  Who is it for?  Where do they live?  (If they live in a warm climate, no wool batt for them!) How will they use it?  I took a class from a woman who hand quilted many of her quilts.  One son would not be receiving one of these hand quilted quilts because he like to lay on the floor with his dog, and needed something for them to rest on.  If this is going to be used with the dog or cat or lizard, I wouldn't probably want to pay for heirloom, but an edge to edge could really be lovely.

 

Darlene could also toot her own horn here a bit and suggest her pocket guides to freehanding.  I often will let customers look through those to get ideas for how they may want a quilt quilted.  If you don't have these, I HIGHLY recommend them.  Keep asking questions, keep looking around.  There was a great blog posting on the main APQS site recently talking about where to find ideas for quilting. 

 

Keep in mind, in the end, this is just a blankie, not rocket science.

[mamu]

Most of my customers seem to like what I do for designs...knock on wood.  With that said, I do worry about whether they will like the quilting.  I think the main thing is asking what their budget is.  That really will narrow things down a lot.  If they want custom but are only willing to pay for E2E, then I tell them that.  Then they understand a bit better what they will be getting for the amount they want to pay.

However, with custom work...I fret and spend way too much time on a quilt.  Then I am a nervous wreck till they tell my they like or love the quilt.  To me 'like' is not in the same category as 'love'.  Needless to say, I don't do much custom because of the stress it causes me.

[witha'K'quilting]

i too ask who is the quilt for, how do they expect it to be used, and what the budget is. these answers lead me in the right direction with the quilting to offer.  we agree on a design and thread color before i start.  as far as i know, i have not let any customers down. 

[JaniceC]

This is my very first post here (although I have been following this site regularly for months). I felt, though, that perhaps I could add some insight because until very recently I was one of 'them' (aka a customer).

Anyway, as has been said already, YOU are the expert. Unless your customers are very experienced piecers who have been taking their tops to be quilted for many years, you almost certainly know more about long arm machine quilting than they do. They may, in fact, be in awe of you and afraid that their tops are not square enough, flat enough, professional enough etc.

Suggestions:

You may want to keep a photo album of things you have quilted to show how different patterns look depending on the style, color, complexity etc. of the quilt top.

You could also show them different pantos (if that is what you use) and explain how different ones would complement their quilt top - or not!

I went to a quilting class recently where the instructor had 4 identical quilts, but each one was quilted differently. The first was a very simple all over meander, the last was a fairly intricate custom, and the two in the middle were somewhere in between. They were all very nice and - as a customer - I would have been pleased with any of them, but it certainly showed me how different the same quilt top could look when quilted in different ways.

So, my advice is, be confident in your ability and knowledge and don't be hesitant to give your clients your opinion onthe best option for them.

Hope this helps,

Janice

[Laura Farnham]

Often times,  I get the comment,  "Just do Whatever".  So I respond with,  "Okay,  I will just put a big X on your quilt and call it good".

This is my joking way of asking what they are really looking for,  and it gets my customers to really tell me what THEY want. 

I too ask what their budget is as well as things they like to see in a quilt and what they do not like in a quilt. 

I do mostly Custom work with E2E in between.  By the time intake is done,  I already have a plan for each specific quilt and

the customer signs the Contract agreeing to Price and design. 

Always remember to be proud of what you do.  You will not please everyone all the time. 

In time,  though,  YOU will get much better at understanding what they want.

Another tidbit I stand true to, is,  I have found what type of quilting I do best.  And that is what I stick too. 

I only offer 2-3 E2E Freehand designs.  If a customer wants something else,  I refer them to a LA'er that offers more options. 

IT's a win-win for me as well as the other LA'ers in the area, 

Hope this helps,

Happy Quilting,

Laura

[Darlene Epp]

Laura has made a very good point, one which I neglected to mention. It is very important that you ask what the customer doesn't like. If they say they don't like "that overall quilting", have them clarify. They may have seen a quilt that had rows quilted 6" apart, or an allover pattern that didn't enhance the quilt top.

 

I once had a customer bring me a lovely quilt that was made with cross stitched teddy bears doing all the activities a child would do. The detail in the embroidery was incredible! The lady was not a quilter, but couldn't afford to have the 12 blocks framed, so put them together with dark blue sashings and made a quilt top out of them. She had actually done a very good job of the piecing. When I started to make suggestions, it was evident that she had VERY strong dislikes. When I suggested crosshatching in the background, she shook her head, almost violently. When I suggested an "X" in the small sashing posts, she just shuddered. Several other suggestions were met with the same physical reaction. We finally settled on stippling behind the cross stitch, as long as no lines crossed, and a heart and loop (GOOD! reaction) design in the sashings. She finally told me what was going on. As a child she had been abused by her mother in every way imaginable; yes EVERY way. Her personality fractured into many parts, and she had undergone intensive therapy for Multiple Personality Disorder. These cross stitched blocks were her way of making her wished for childhood come to life. Why she could make all the "X"s when cross stitching, but couldn't bear the thought of me stitching lines that crossed, evaded me, but there it was. "X"s to her, were a symbol of all the evil she'd had to endure as a child. The hearts stood for love and the loops were the hugs she'd never had. When she first brought the quilt top to me she said "Just do whatever you want." Thank goodness I didn't listen to her on that score!

 

I know this is an extreme case, but it still is very smart to ask your customer if there are any styles of quilting they don't like, and why.

[klwheeler]

I used my website to show my freehand work and prices. I keep quilts that show various types of quilting and explain how each might look on their quilt. I have a folder of digital designs that the Quilt Path can do. And I ask them if they plan to wash and dry the quilt. If the person it is going to has a pet or child in the house. If it is for a show or not. I have taken a picture of the quilt top and placed it in EQ so I could add quilting on it and give them jpgs of various patterns to narrow down the patterns. I also ask if they plan to reverse the quilt so we choose top and bobbin threads. They sign a quilting agreement form and release for me to post pictures of the quilt on my website or Facebook or anywhere online and use the pictures as promo for my quilting if needed. I give them a copy aith date of completion so they know how long it will take. As I work I give them lots of pictures so they see it and can feel involved. I invite them over to be part of the experience. I also give them a garden tour and listen to their stories about the quilt and family it is intended for. All that adds to our relationship and helps me see the quilt through their eyes. That seems to be the best ways I have worked.