Starting Your Own Business
Machine quilting services commenced operation in Australia in the early 1990’s. The only option available to those pioneering machine quilters was to import what was then a very basic machine quilting system from the USA and set-up business with a ‘learn as you go’ approach. Minimal instruction came with the machine, no demonstration showing ‘how to load a quilt’ or operate the machine and certainly no workshops or networking possibilities existed at that time. |
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Pantograph patterns were in short-supply and the designs were unimaginative and sparse. Quilting threads were almost non-existent and those available came in a limiting choice of one or two monochromatic colours. The wadding was manufactured from man-made fibre and they were lofty and thick. There were no tools, no templates and even domestic machine quilters had to either adapt a hand-quilting stencil or draw their own patterns using various items found in their kitchen. So it is not surprising that in the beginning despite every good intention, machine quilters found it very difficult to meet expectations and consequently, machine quilting struggled to gain a favourable reputation. Thankfully, things are very different today. Machine technology has advanced to a cutting edge level. Modern machine quilting systems enable the quilter to achieve amazing results with no limit to the possibilities. The machine manufacturers in the USA have established trained specialist agents here in Australia to market the machines and provide after-sale service and support. The variety and genius of tools available to a machine quilter is abundant. There is an endless supply of decorative threads in a huge range of plain or variegated colours. Really, with a little perseverance one can achieve any desired effect. Battings are imported from overseas and also manufactured here in Australia. Fibres such as wool, cotton, silk, polyester and bamboo are blended to produce very stable battings in various weights, thickness and colour. They are needle punched, chemically bonded or heat bonded. The manufacturing process has greatly improved and so has the quality. Today’s batting shouldn’t bunch-up or tear when washed. We can rest comfortably knowing that even with a minimal amount of quilting; today’s quilt will remain in very good condition for many, many years to come. A number of Australians are now designing very creative pantographs and the choice ranges from simple and open to very complex and creative designs. Patterns are produced in user-friendly format and can be delivered to a quilter within a few days of placing an order. The advancement of the machine quilting industry over the last couple of decades has enabled the machine quilting professional to offer, at their will, a complete range of machine quilting options, so in many ways now is a better time to be contemplating the idea of entering the business of machine quilting. To help you along with your thoughts I would like to offer what I hope will be some helpful advice. Firstly, may I suggest you research the market to discover the potential for business? Look-up the number of machine quilting services established in your area and try to ascertain their turnover. The waiting period will give you some idea of how busy they are but may not be a true indication of what market is out there. For example, one quilter might be offering predominantly edge-to-edge or pantograph services which will most likely mean their turn-around is fast and lower cost compared to the machine quilter offering, as well as pantograph quilting, a wide range of custom quilting services. Difficult to gauge what the demand will be at this stage in terms of what sort of quilts you will be asked to quilt and whether they fit into the category of either panto’ or custom quilting and so I guess you will have to be a little flexible and prepared to offer some variety when the call arises. Take note of the number of patchwork shops around….how busy are they? If the shops are running lots of workshops and turning over lots of stock that’s a good indication that patchwork is alive and well in your community. However, do the local retail outlets already have established working arrangements with other machine quilting services? Will they be happy to have another business card or brochure on their counter? If you reside in a remote area, a win/win association between you and the owner of a local patchwork shop owner might not be a possibility at all. There may not even be a patchwork group or guild in close proximity in which case you will have to rely on advertising to let people know you are offering a machine quilting service. Have you noticed how many machine quilted quilts appear in the local quilt show? Put your ear to the ground to gauge the general feel about machine quilting. Are people happy with the service they are getting? Hopefully they are, but if you hear negative comments, ask the question why? The answer will start to give you a good indication of the customers’ expectations. This is important information for you to know and will help you to decide upon the type of service you provide. Once you are satisfied that a business is a viable proposition the next step is to start looking at the various machine quilting systems now available here is Australia. I don’t envy you! So hard to evaluate and differentiate between them all especially when you don’t even know at this stage how to use one. How can you know what you need! There are two main sorts of quilting machine, in terms of their capabilities; at the lower end of the spectrum is the Home Quilting System. Many of the Home Quilters are imported and some, I am pleased to say, are produced locally here in Australia. A Home Quilting System is a domestic or industrial machine placed on a mobile trolley fitted to a collapsible table and frame. Some are designed that way, so that the owner/operator can neatly fold it away when not in use. The designers of these systems are improving the features all the time. So much so it is difficult to keep up! Handles with operating switches have been added, along with a stylus or laser light to allow the operator to follow the line of a printed pattern. These features assist the operator and increase the machine’s capabilities. Good news for those looking to quilt their own quilts and maybe their friends? A standard domestic sewing machine has a throat space of approximately 7” between the needle and motor and the height of that area is usually about 4 1/2“. Important to remember though that the throat space of any quilting machine is considerably reduced when the quilt is rolled on to the top roller which sits within that throat space. I notice the manufacturers of the Home Quilters are adapting the standard model domestic sewing machine to increase the throat space to approximately 9” x 6”. If you have ever quilted a large quilt using a domestic machine you will understand what an advantage that extra few inches can be. At the top end of the spectrum are the industrial machines specifically built for operators of a machine quilting business. These machines have wheels and handles at both the back and front of the machine and placed on a sturdy, heavy-duty table they become a machine quilting system. Most have stitch regulating sensors and all have different features to attract the potential buyer. They are heavy duty and built to last forever (so they tell us) and will hold-up to plenty of wear and tear. These machines also come in different sizes. Midarm, Shortarm, Longarm and Extended Longarm size and again, that difference in size mostly relates to the size of the throat space. I can only strongly suggest you look at them all and test them all. Listen carefully to all the dealers and make notes as you go. If a dealer isn’t located near you, search the web by googling the various brands. You’ll find lots of information and this will start you off on your search for just the right machine for you. A dealer might also help by referring you to a home demonstrator located near you. Most of the basic packages today include several accessories that are a ‘must-have’ but some optional extras you may never use. Most machines are imported from the USA so there will be an approximate 2 to 3 month wait on delivery but this will give you time to prepare all those quilt tops you are going to need to practise on! The purchase of a machine quilting system is a costly exercise so you will be wise to make this decision carefully and it isn’t the only cost of establishing your business to consider. You will need to contact your State authority to make enquiries about all involved in registering a business and also a good idea to make enquiries at the Australian Taxation Office. Public Liability Insurance is important especially if you are going to have customers visiting your home. Down the track you may need to employ the services of a bookkeeper and accountant. I hope you do because that will mean you are doing well! There will be other costs involved in stocking the bare essentials such as batting, thread, tools for the trade, etc. Have you thought about where are you going to operate? A long arm machine table is between 3.6 to 4.2 metres long and about 1.5mtr wide and allow extra room to move. Do you have the spare room in your home or will you need to get hubby to erect a Titan in the backyard? Marketing Your Machine Quilting Business If you don’t feel capable of creating your own promotional material, you might need to seek assistance from a desktop publisher and printer and investigate the cost of advertising. You might need to advertise as I mentioned earlier. You might like to start searching the library of books on the subject and access other relevant information via the internet. Most certainly, you will need the support that a network can offer you. There are lots of different chat groups at the Yahoo site where members discuss problems, ask questions, and share experience. There is a group for every different brand of machine and this avenue of support is invaluable to the home based business. Machine quilting professionals need to keep up-to-date with new technology and new ways of doing things. Any technique that enables us to effectively provide quality service in quick time is vital to the success of our business. I hope this article has been helpful to you and I wish you every success in your new venture. Happy machine quilting. | |
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