pvquilter

I agree, it depends on busy the longarmer is. For awhile I was out 4-5 months, at present it is 6-8 weeks.
I do the quilts as they come in and always ask if they need by a certain date. All longarmers are quite busy I hear, so be patient they will get it done.

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Scissor Queen

One of the longarmers I know has a waiting list a year long. She won't take your quilt though until about a week before it's your turn. You call her and get your name on the list and then when it's close to your turn she'll call you and you go drop off your quilt. After she has your quilt the wait time is only about two weeks at the most. I have a couple of friends that just make appointments for twice a year just so they have a slot available.

StitchinJoy

It definitely depends on the longarmer and also on the time of year. I find that I am crazy busy in April, May and June, and from September until Christmas. During these busy times I am booked solid for months.

Quilters are a generous bunch, always making their beautiful quilts and then giving them away as gifts. My clients keep me hopping, quilting bride and graduation quilts in the second quarter, and holiday quilts in the fourth quarter! I've already started getting in quilt orders for Christmas gifts. Usually my queue is filled by September.

I see no excuse for a work order to be on the bottom of any pile. That's an organizational issue.

I have been quilting for 40 years and I'm well aware of the time, energy, effort, and decisions that go into making each quilt. I consider taking in these quilts to be like taking care of someone's child. It's a huge responsibility and shouldn't be treated lightly.

When a client brings me her quilt, I add the quilt to my project plan as soon as I take it in. I can look and see what I have here, on paper, in one glance. I always have a current printed copy of that project plan on view in my workroom.

I also print out 2 work orders for each quilt with all the details. One goes home with the client so she knows what we agreed to (thread, design, price, due date, all my conatct information). The other work order gets pinned to her quilt top. That's what I use to tell me what to quilt on it and what thread to use!

The top and backing get folded neatly over an extra-wide padded drapery hanger and put in my workroom closet in the order it will be done. I can look in that closet and see what I have here, in reality, in one glance.

Not rocket science. But it works for me.

seamstome

I set up an appointment time with my LA when I want it done ASAP. I email her when I start a project and tell her the week I think I will have it done. For example, the one I am working on now, I told her will be ready after Labor Day. It is slotted in her schedule for Wednesday September 15. Then I get it back in 1-2 weeks, depending on the size of the project. I have never missed a deadline and neither has she. It has been close though.

The other way I do it is that I drop something off that I dont care when she finishes it. She may have it months and just works it into her slower times. No deadline.

Mattee

My long armer can usually finish something in a few weeks if you're on a tight deadline, but it can take months if she's really busy. I love her work, so I try to accomodate her, too. If I'm not in a rush to get something back, I tell her so, and only give her a deadline if I'm on a deadline for a gift or special occaision.


Mattee

newestnana

I just got one back after a 7 month wait. Ugh. In the meantime, my tastes changed somewhat and if I could start over I would have requested a different design.