Patricia C Barry - ABCs of Long Arm Quilting

This book is written for anyone who is contemplating getting into longarm quilting and for those of you who have purchased a quilting system and now are looking for more detail.

I became a professional quilter when I opened my studio in 2002. My original business proposition was to start a retail quilting studio. I wanted to teach people to use my longarm quilting machines so they could finish their own quilts. I read every book on the market (both of them) and talked to other professional quilters (if they would talk to me) and searched for other businesses with the same objective (and found none). So, I collaborated with my husband on a business model, and we got very busy implementing it. We made some mistakes, but we learned a lot and now would like to share our knowledge and help quilters transition confidently from rookie to expert.

Most quilters know how to sew, and so did I. But my sewing experience did not prepare me for the world of quilting. I remember the first time my good friend, Maria, tried to describe a rotary cutter to me. I could not imagine why a razor-blade weapon was necessary for quilting. Then she told me about free-motion quilting on a home machine. I wasn't sure what feed-dogs were, much less how to drop them.

After retiring, I did a special project as a computer consultant. Suddenly I had some spending money, and I remembered seeing a longarm quilting machine in our local quilt shop. I told my husband I wanted to buy a new sewing machine. Boy was he surprised! But he was so intrigued with its engineering, he hardly complained about losing his pool table and dart board to make room for it.

Once the machine was delivered and my initial fears were overcome, the idea of a retail quilting studio took form. I really thought I knew everything I needed to know to set up a small business. Wow, was I in for a shock. I had retired after over twenty years of experience in Information Systems with a major corporation. I assumed that if I could teach e-mail to sales people, I could teach quilters to use a longarm quilting machine. That was the last time my business assumptions were accurate.

This book is written for the benefit of any quilter who wants to start her (or his!) own longarm quilting business. It talks About the longarm quilting world and describes the Basic techniques for running the machine. And I describe the necessary steps toward building Confidence so you are ready to start your own business and take in customer quilts. I believe quilting is one of the most creative and satisfying occupations possible, and I am really encouraged by the incredible growth of the quilting industry.

I hope this book provides a path for you to travel so you can avoid many of the mistakes that I have made. I invite all of you to share your personal experiences with me, too. Please write to me in care of Krause Publications, Iola, WI. I would love to hear from you!

To Al, without your support this would still be a dream.