Millennium and quilt shop??

[lucy]

I am new to the boards... just want some feed back from anyone pls. I have researched long arm machines and decided on the millennium. I want to start up a business and it will probably be out of my home for now. The only concern I have is we have no quilt shop in our area. I belong to a guild, and there are around 35 members +. The closest quilt shop is 45 minutes away from us, and the closest long arm quilter is 1 hour away. Should I bite the bullet and just open a shop along with the long arm?

[fabric007]

Just an idea...start in your home..add backing and batting...then add a few choices of really basic colors...see how that goes , then go for the shop. Start small and go from there. from experience, your quilting will be your profit..the fabrics, patterns, etc. in a shop pay your bills. This way, you can test the waters for your area.

[lizziesgirl]

I have my quilt shop in an insulated 12 x 24 cabin that is attached to my house by a breeze way, then through my sewing studio, to the use to be family room but where the Millie is. I have about 1000 bolts of fabric, thread and notions and patterns. Its small but its busy and the community is happy cause we didn't have a quilt shop close by either. Hope to build a bigger place someday with classrooms but for now it works.

[mrsbishwit]

Here's my opinion, since you asked for some

I would open the quilt shop & put the LA machine on hold because if the closest quilt shop is 45 minutes away chances are people will be beating down your doors to have a local quilt shop. Once that is established and you get your quilt classes set up in the shop then add the Millie.

Oppertunity is knocking & it's time to open the door to your new quilt shop!

Good luck

Joann

[QuiltFaerie]

Originally posted by fabric007

Just an idea...start in your home..add backing and batting...then add a few choices of really basic colors...see how that goes , then go for the shop. Start small and go from there. from experience, your quilting will be your profit..the fabrics, patterns, etc. in a shop pay your bills. This way, you can test the waters for your area.

For what it is worth.... I really like this idea! I think it is a great way to get your feet wet and not shell out a ton.

[lucy]

thanks for the feedback, I am getting very excited. My husband and I have built our own home, so if we start up here in our home, then there would be no problem adding on later, as he does woodworking as a hobby. He is out in the woodshop right now finishing my sewing table, he decided last weekend to build me a sewing machine table that extends to 4' x 6'. Such a dear, and he is backing my decision 100%. The only room we would have large enough to accomodate the machine is our master bedroom, or our living room. Unless I buy the 12 ft model:(. Anyhow, would quilters actually travel for materials if I did open the shop? We do have a Joanne Fabrics 20 minutes from here, but the consensus at the guild meeting is the materials are much better from quilt shops. any feedback on that one?

Thanks again,

Brenda

aka... lucy

[katie.mac]

Lucy,

Please email me off list.

Thanks,

Katie

katiemac101@yahoo.com

[CucumberQuilting]

Be careful of "flat folds" and other GREAT bargains. They can often be strike offs. The lengths of fabric run to test the pattern and print quality before they actually get it just right to produce the entire run. Sometimes these are done on low quality greige goods so as not to waste the more expensive fabric until they have everything going just right.

Liscened fabrics, the popular movie and cartoon characters, are often printed more cheaply also to appeal to the immediate mass market, not intending to have a long lifespan in the quilters market.

The better quality fabrics are all printed overseas.

[stitchinsally]

Lucy, if you want my opinion to your question - NO! Don't do either unless you are just really rich and are willing to throw away lots of money. See my response under the "Ranting and Raving" post for more info. In regard to even buying the machine, if you have not already done so, may I highly suggest that you take some of the beginners classes at APQS or even Gamill to test drive a long arm machine for longer than a 15 minute try at a dealer or a show. Usually the fee for the classes are applied towards the machine if you decide you really want to make the investment. I spent a year + researching if buying a machine was really the right thing to do as a business. I knew about the beginners classes but, didn't take them and now wish I had because I would not have made the investment. Just look at how often a used machine becomes available on this website! Best of luck in whatever direction you go in your venture.

[smhowell]

I've been reading and learning everything about quilt fabric and the marketing thereof for about 2.5 years, ever since I decided to get back into quilting (took a 25 year break). First thing I did was get the Harriet Hargrave book "From Fiber to Fabric: The Essential Guide to Quiltmaking Textiles" to figure out what quality fabric is. Then I threw out all the fabric I purchased (on sale) 25 years ago, when the only place to buy from was TG&Y.

I've tried various methods to get some prints in the color that I wanted, including ordering whole bolts. This has shown me that it is not as simple as it would seem.

Buying for the public is even more complicated, because you may spend $5.00 per yard buying a whole bolt (and you don't know how long a bolt is until you get it, the average is 15 but they may send you 10 to 20 or anything in between). So if you know that you have people wanting 13 years of something, you may get a 12 yard bolt. There is a very limited time to get what you think you want because they don't print a run until and unless they get enough pre-orders for it, and they rarely print a run twice. You may wind up not getting everything you wanted or getting some and selling two yards and keeping the other 13. Also, unless you constantly keep new things coming in, people won't come in to browse, and if they don't browse, they won't buy. I don't know how the quilt stores stay in business.

The seasons colors are decided 4 years in advance and modify with each season. This is to create the shelf life problem. So something you bought last year might blend with this years, but probably will clash with the year after. (I find this comforting, since I am not crazy about shocking pink with chocolate brown So fabric bought from different manufacturers will probably go together if purchased during the same time frame, except for that Shamash & Son fabric that got me restarted into fabric collecting, that has colors that just don't blend with anything (but it is unique and fabulous, so I bought dyes and prepared-for-dye cloth to custom match it...another fun hobby). I don't buy many blenders or batiks now, unless it has a pattern on it that I can't do myself.

And different people like so many different colors and styles. The shop in Edmond tends towards the autumn tones, because that is what they perceive their customers like most, while the shop in Hennessey is loaded with Thimbleberries and reproductions. None of any of the above are my favorite things.

[smhowell]

I was a little too negative yesterday.

I think that the success of a new quilt store is based on the local market...whether there is one (a market) or somewhere that a market can be developed. Basically, success is founded upon finding a successful niche, and that may take some trial and error. Some people are making a living by doing both storefront and internet fabric selling and quilting. There is a niche for premium services as well as cheap services.

Around here, we've lost several major sources (Walmart and 2 Hancocks) of cheap and easy fabric, so I anticipate that the local quilt stores should pick up some extra business, as long at the people don't quit quilting.

Regards,

Sharon

[CucumberQuilting]

Oh well, we ALL have those days, Sharon. today tomorrow. That's why they give us so many smileys to choose from!

You are so right about finding your niche. Our LQS specializes in western fabrics and besides a good local following, a huge part of their business is filling orders online. I think they said at one time, most of their business in Westerns comes from the great state of Texas. What a surprise.

And you never know where your inspiration will come from. The western idea for the shop came from the partner gal who relocated here from Seattle. The homegrown gal, the one you would think would have been our cowgirl at heart, took some convincing to even carry the western fabric! Turns out they are a great combination of personalities and abilities and they have both brought something special to the shop.

If you'd like to see the site it's at: http://www.e-prairiegirls.com/

I don't think people are going to quit quilting any time soon. Quilting is certainly not a necessity these days but the need to express ourselves and be creative is universal and timeless. Enjoy! ~~ Eva H.