My Longarm Quilting Business
Little House Quilting
Twelve years ago, I had no idea what a longarm quilting machine was. As far as I was concerned, either you were a hand quilter, or you used your domestic sewing machine to quilt the three layers together. As I was exploring ways to earn extra income from home, I learned that one of my cousins from another state had purchased a longarm quilting machine for a home-based business. Her success peaked my interest, and I decided to find out exactly what this “long arm” thing was.
Equipped with the knowledge that my newly found dream of opening my own longarm machine quilting business was in the realm of possibility, I set out to learn all I could about this amazing machine. By definition, a longarm quilting machine is a large, commercial sewing machine with an extended throat space of up to 36”. The pieced quilt top, batting, and backing are loaded separately onto the frame, which eliminates the need for basting the three layers together. The frame comes in 10’, 12’, and 14’ lengths. The choice of frame size depends on the size of the quilt studio. The machine itself rolls freely on a rail system and can be moved in any direction over the surface of the quilt, thus enabling the quilter to create intricate designs on the quilt top. The most popular machines today are hand guided with the stitch length being controlled by an electronic stitch regulator. Also, gaining in popularity are the fully computerized models that enable automatic quilting.
In 1999, there was not nearly the amount of information on longarm quilting machines that is available today. However, my research revealed enough evidence to convince me that I had found an outlet for my creative energy and my love of quilts. I discovered that there was a high demand for longarm quilting services in my community. This bit of information was extremely important to me, considering the expense involved in setting up a quilting business.
Keep in mind that in those days I had never heard of a longarm quilting machine, let alone operated one. I decided it would make good sense to try one out before making such a large purchase, in the unlikely event that I would not like quilting this way. I enrolled in the Longarm University and boarded a plane to Seattle, Washington with the intention of learning all I could about starting a longarm quilting business. The classes were all I had hoped for and more. I learned all about the legalities of starting my own business, in addition to hands-on experience with several brands of longarm machines. I was instantly hooked and ordered my machine of choice upon my return home. I became the 2nd owner in my state of the newly developed APQS Millennium.
The rest is history! In January 2001, Little House Quilting was born. In these past eleven years, I have gained a considerable amount of expertise by taking classes from well-known longarm machine quilters and practice, practice, practice! My business is thriving with a long row of beautiful quilts constantly in queue. I have found that the most unexpected benefit of having my own longarm quilting machine business is the gift of friendship. Many of the women who entrust me with their creations have become my friends. I look forward to analyzing problem areas with them and rejoicing over their successes. Together we bring quilts to life and create the heirlooms of tomorrow.
—Cat
- Coming soon...