So frustrated

[maggienoella]

Getting this machine to try to make money was one of the top mistakes I've made in my life.

Some people are quilters, some are not. I guess I am not & now I'm stuck.

I panic when I have a quilt to do & I panic when I don't have a quilt to do.

I have an hour of down time every day. That isn't quality of life for me.

Just venting I guess.

Joan

[sewingpup]

Hi,

 

I only quilt for myself....but even there...there is a learning curve...some days are rough.  The skills needed are to learn the technical aspects...learn how to deal with wonky quilts...and learning how deal with customers....I don't know if I ever will quilt for others....I am retired...so now have time to quilt....but I have a long way to go before I would be comfortable quilting for others...if I needed to do this to make some money....at this point, I only would take utility quilts with very simple over-all quilting as that is were I am at.  but...when things are going badly....and I am getting frustrated...I find I need sometimes to just take a break...do something else....and come back when I am less stressed....look at what you have mastered....and pat yourself on the back for that....I don't know how long you have had your machine or what you are having difficulties with....but if you post them a bit more specifically, there are a lot of folks with a lot of good experience on this forum that would have some ideas.....hang in there....but if you decide it is not for you, then you can always sell your machine......or just keep for yourself and find a different job....or what ever...there are always a lot of options.....Lin

[LisaC]

I think we all feel the same frustration at times. I didn't purchase my machine to quilt for others and I went through the "OH WHAT HAVE I DONE?" I spent all that money and I don't have time to quilt; and I'm not good at it, ..............This time of year is very stressful as well, without adding anything else. You are not alone and have come to the right place.........Hang in there; I'll put you in my prayers!

[Merryjo2003]

I tell my students it takes about 1 to 1 1/2 years to build up a good customer base.  We all have our ups and downs.  Just part of the process.  You do have to market yourself to get clients.  It will build up.  Just keep plugging along.

[anniemueller]

I remember feeling like that too.  I felt a huge relief when I bought the Circle Lord system and saw how easy it was to make beautiful quilting with minimal skill.  

 

Groovy boards are far easier than pantos.  CL sells them, so does R&S.  You just need a different stylus to switch between them.  Another easy way to quilt beautifully and relieve that stress!

 

Of course, the computer is the ultimate stress reliever.  With a much higher price tag.  But if your goal was to quilt for others, and if you want to do a lot of all-over panto quilting, think seriously about investing in a computer.  Run the numbers and see what it would take to pay it off.  I bet it's worth doing.  I've got IQ, which now makes a version that does only pantos.  Some other companies do too.

 

Don't despair, you can do this.  What exactly is discouraging you?  Sometimes making your quilting look better is as simple as choosing the right thread color.  High contrast between thread and fabric colors can be as bad as looking at yourself under fluorescent lighting.  Aagghh!  Keep the contrast low and bask in the candle glow

 

I'm feeling silly.  Hope this rambling helps somebody in a small way.

[JustSewSimple]

Equip your quilting studio with a bottle of case wine and a loaf of chocolate.  Enjoy those items when times are tough and remember  its ok to laugh at yourself. 

[RitaR]

right now a slice of fresh home-made bread, a couple pieces of cheese and a glass of wine sound so good.

 

Shall pass, just the thought of alcahol is making me tipsy.

[maggienoella]

Thank you for your responses and encouragement.

I'm finished for today. I got all the SID finished & one side of the piano keys.

She wanted gold piano keys on black fabric. It looks much better after I use my magic marker. :-)

It is a very slow process to learn & get better.

I remember I almost quit when I started piecing. I'm glad I didn't.

Joan

[lisae]

Miss Sylvia, I love how you think!

I did quilt for others at first but I found it very stressful. My hobby soon became a job and I didn't like that. Now I have much more experience but I only quilt for myself. I have a quilt I'm working on right now rpthat has been on the machine for about 32 hours and is nowhere near being done. And it has some issues. If it were a customer quilt, I'd be freaking out. It's not, so I'm just mildly disappointed. It's therapy for me.

I have often said if I were quilting for others, I'd really only do pantos or E2E. And I'd have one computerized machine dedicated to customer quilts. I'd save the custom quilting for my own quilts!

Don't be too hard on yourself. Enjoy the process and the joy of quilting!

[lisae]

Lisa C, you are too good at it! I've seen your quilting in person!

[shirleyl]

It takes time. I met a quilter Friday, who has a Millie, quilts for others, but said she didn't realize she would have the school of hard knocks. Her stippling is beautiful. She lives an hour and a half away, I told her that I would mentor her a bit and show her a few things and help her along and we can learn together. I am far from knowing everything, but I am willing to share. In Wyoming an hour and a half is a normal trip for a lot of things. Find a quilter close to you to bounce ideas off of. We are our own worst critics. There is no reason to regret your purchase, but we all wondered what were we thinking at some point. You will see improvement with every quilt. Cut yourself some slack. Pantos are a love them or hate them thing. Others only like to freehand, then there is the ones that just love custom. Some like it all. You just need to find your own specialty and it takes time. Hang in there, we are all here for support.

Shirley

[Corey]

We all have been there. I knew nothing about Longarming when I bought my machine too.

My DH bought me a trip and classes to Longarm University & I did learn a lot about the business and fundamentals of operating industrial Longarm machine. I thought it was tough to make it into money making venture at first, lots of competition in our area too, but I was determined to improve so I took more classes. They were expensive classes, accommodations & travel expenses add up but I know that No Guts, No Glory.

DH discouraged me from doing it for business because it might kill the fun out of my passion for the art but I know that the only way to produce quality is to accept challenges. PPP and hardwork and patience will reward you.

[RitaR]

A wonderful resource for learning to long arm designs freehand is Jamie Wallen.

 

Right now I forget the name of the CD / class, but his repetition of the design

element on paper, is what gives him the nearly perfect stitching of these designs

into other designs, such as a c into an e into an l into a curved heart, into feathers

down the one side and up the other, and going in the right direction.. the feathers

can be inside the heart, (or any other shape  you desire) and the outside..

 

It's not doing a lot of doodling with say the w c l c e w etc.. it is the wwwwwwww

then after several HOURS, add the c and go cccccccc,  then wwccwwccwwcc

get the motion instilled into the brain and hands and you can then move it to the

machine.   It does help, it is wonderful and fun to know you can go to the machine

and stitch pretty things.    He also suggests practicing a bit on paper before you

start for the day to make sure there is no glitch in your movements... and that

helps, also.

 

He has a lot of good info on You Tube.

 

Rita

[mamu]

When I started quilting for others I found that custom work was way too stressful for me and took too much time. I didn't get the money from custom work to off set the hours spent.  Then the customer base here really didn't want to spend a lot of $ on quilting.  So, I went to E2E/panto work only.  My customers are very happy with their quilts and I am happy that I don't have the stress.  Plus, I can do a couple of E2E/panto quilts a day, doubling my profit. 

I started my customer base by using my quilt group friends.  I also give out a 'free E2E quilting lap size or smaller' with every paid 8 quilts quilted for a customer.  This has really helped increase my customers and they are thrilled that they can work towards getting a 'freebie'.  I have found that doing all of this has helped me work as much or as little at quilting for others, as I want.  Way less stress makes for a happy quilter and happy customers.

Sometimes a person just has to figure out the 'comfort zone' with themselves and their customers. 

[cmkeindl1]

Hi Joan!  Best wishes to you - gold thread on black, SID - sounds like you had a really tough quilt!  You probably weren't paid enough for your time either?!  Learn from these great ladies on this forum and hang in there!

[maggienoella]

I thank you all & apologize for my outburst.

I had no idea it takes so much practice & I'm not very patient.

After this quilt & two small pantos, I'll get a break.

I'm going to focus on the fun while I do some charity quilts & a couple of my own.

I have a bad habit of trying to pack too much into a day. I bet many of you do that too.

Thanks again,

Joan

[jmcclannan]

I am amazed that you are just starting out and doing custom work.  I didn't have the confidence for that for a loooong time, so congrats to you! 

[maggienoella]

Maybe that's the problem...I'm trying to more than I'm comfortable doing. I just hate to turn down a job that's mostly panto.

Joan

[KathyG_Quilts]

This past June I ran into Karen McTavish at a quilt show and we chatted for a few minutes.  She is local to Duluth, MN where I live and I bought one of my machines through her.  She mentioned that even the best among us feel inadequate at least sometimes!  She included herself.  I figured that if I ever get half as good as she is I would surely feel good about my work.  If I look at some of the stuff I do now, I see all of the mistakes.  If I look at something I quilted five years ago, I really see how far I have come.  I really am much better than I used to be.  I will never get as good as Karen, or Marylin Badger, or LInda Taylor, but that is okay.  They have been doing it for a long time and they do it for a job, not as a hobby like I do.  They do it for a living and I have a day job.  I doubt they teach math as well as I do!  WE can only do our best and need to recognize that any skill worth having is worth practicing.  I tell my math students that too!  Where would Michael Jordan be if he hadn't shot basket after basket as a teenager?  Not the NBA super star he became certainly!

[quiltmonkey]

Dear Joan,

 

Your fears and feelings are perfectly normal! We've all gone through this phase.

 

Hey,,,, I do have to say that running a longarm quilting business and dealing with customers is not for everyone! Making decisions, taking chances... doing things you've never done before. It can be scary. It can also be very rewarding. Customer service is key to everything, even if you have to give a little more than you wanted to. There are times when you feel like you are balancing on a delicate tight rope. It can be a pleasure sometimes, and it can be difficult sometimes, too. Hang in there. Don't set yourself up for too many expectations, or too lofty of a goal. Take it slow and easy. Remember, this is your business. You get to choose how you want to run it. I began my business in 2007 and I didn't start making a profit until my 3rd year into it. This is perfectly acceptable for anyone starting a business. Give yourself a little bit of time to get up on step. It takes a while to build a customer base, build a reputation, build up your supplies and thread stash, etc.... Be patient!  You can do this.