I would advise against it. I am in the KC area and we have a TON of longarmers. Myself, I have a Statler and am still paying for it. There are about 10 longarmers in my guild alone. Some have backlogs, but most do not. As some of the others have stated, it does become a job at a certain point and you lose the fun aspect of it. If you go ahead with your friend, I would keep your current students as a backup plan.
Musicmaker: This is an interesting thread. Here is something that I do not think has been mentioned. Prior to purchasing a long arm machine, how does one know a.) if it is an activity that one would enjoy and b.) if one has the necessary talent to reach a professional or even semi-pro level of competence? If it ends up that it is not enjoyable or if you just don't measure up to expectations, you've invested a large sum in a venture that does not work out. I wish you well, but thought this should aspect should be out on the table for consideration. Pat in Virginia
That's an interesting thought, Pat. We noticed at a quilt show recently that lots of the quilts had been quilted by the same longarmer - in the same pattern. Adequate but uninspired and boring. Was it the choice of the quilt top makers? Possibly. If Musicmaker has the tenacity to learn the piano and to learn to teach the piano, I'd guess she has the self-discipline to do just about anything. If a person has mastered machine quilting on a small SM, longarming should be a happy next step - but I don't know that it is required. You're right. It is a heap to think about. Polly
It would be helpful if one could apprentice or rent time on another long arm before investing in one. Once upon a time, I thought it might be 'fun' to run a small second hand book shop. Then I did a stint as a co manager in one (as a volunteer fund raising type store) just one day a week for several months. The customer base was pleasant and the shop clean and tidy. I liked getting first or second dibs on good books, but other wise .... Boring!! I was glad to find out that it was not my cup of tea. Pat in VA/USA
We have a local long arm quilter that only does a large meandering pattern. Does a nice job but pretty utilitarian. I have no doubt MM could learn to do a great job and probably artistic enough to have the creativity to offer neat designs. It is a big committment though. One thing I know is that there are a lot of second hand machines floating around. Some folks must find it just isn't their cup of tea. Taria
Polly Esther wrote:
Pat, I think being able to rent time on a machine and maybe hang out with a longarm quilter for a while would help. Also, it might be smarter to buy a used machine. If she decides it's not for her, or does and wants to move up, either way, she'll be able to get much more of her investment back. Kind of like cars, the biggest loss in resale value is from new.
The feeling of quilting on a frame is so totally different from sit- down quilting that I don't think much of either experience transfers. As someone else described it, frame quilting is like moving a pen on stationary paper while sit-down is like moving the paper under a stationary pen. For instance, stitching in the ditch or following a marked line is pretty basic for sit-down, but much more of a challenge on the frame. Complete freehanding and stippling is, I believe, much easier on a frame.
When we got the HQ16 in February, I had some thought of making it into a part-time business. The more I think about it, the less appealing it is, especially if it's to make any kind of income. I saw a poll recently (I think it was on a Yahoo longarm group) that showed very few full-time quilters grossing much over $20k even after several years. Having been self-employed [more than!] full-time as a graphic designer for 13 years, I learned how much income is eaten up by expenses and the 15% self-employment tax. I also learned how turning a hobby into a business can make a stress reliever into a stress producer! I was charging $65/hr in 1999 and had nice repeat clients and as much work as I could handle. But I also had deadlines, lots of their mistakes or poor choices to make the best of, and, of course, the stress of risking my own errors. (It's also important to note that $65/hr doesn't mean 8 billable hours/day--at least half the time was taken up with non-billable stuff)
I wouldn't mind doing enough quilting to make the machine pay for itself, but I'm beginning to think that's about it and that, all in all, I'd rather enjoy the hobby without the headaches!
--Heidi
There are a few places here in the Phoenix area where you can get "training" on a long arm and then rent the machine to do your own quilts. There is a fee for the training, but it is certainly a good way to find out if long arming is something you really want to invest in. (One of the shops where I am teaching has this set up. All day training is something like $100 or so, rental of the machine can be by the day, and I know of some who have managed to get 3, maybe 4, quilts loaded and quilted in a day. Can't remember the daily "rental fee" though. )
Have fun, Pati, > It would be helpful if one could apprentice or rent time on another long = arm
Three or four a day? Wow! I'd love to know their secrets - I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who's been able to do more than one a day (well, maybe two if they were small), and that's someone working at it full time. Wish I could watch them to see how they manage it.
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