I agree with many of the above comments and feel compelled to add my own 2 cents, too! Remember the saying , "You get what you pay for." ? Please keep in mind when you take a quilt to a quilter that is more going on behind the scenes. When I started long arm quilting 2 years ago, I had NO idea how much learning I had to go through before I could make even an old sheet look good with quilting. Long arm quilting requires a quilter to educate herself about the different threads available for quilting. The threads are not the same as for piecing in most cases. A long arm quilter needs to learn about troubleshooting a variety of problems that can pop up at any time-wavy borders, open seams, tucks in piecing seams, thread that won't cooperate, saggy backing fabric, linty thread, thread that breaks, machine that acts up, tension problems and the list could go on! It is a different story with each quilt top that I take in. Sometimes things go quickly and sometimes it takes much longer than I think.
Very seldom have I had a quilt top that was a snap to decide what to do on it. I spend hours of time on some quilts trying to figure out what design is best for the quilt if it is to have custom quilting done on it. I have also learned quite a bit about batting since I am a former hand quilter and used thin poly batting before. Now I know with machine quilting and the experiences I have had that different battings can give a different look to the quilt when it is done. The same can be said about thread as well. My customers really look to me for good practical advice about these things and it's up to me to research and keep on top of the latest trends and products too. Many long arm quilters travel to national quilting shows on their own dime and a trip can be very expensive to take, not to mention time away from their frame.
A long arm quilter also has the joys and trials of running her own business and having to keep track of a number of things besides doing the quilting.They need to keep track of ther schedule, thread inventory, batting inventory, appointments to be made and kept, records to be kept and taxes to be paid, etc. Long arm quilting can be a challenge at times to do well and it's something that I really enjoy. I have heard that there are many long arm quilters that are doing it for supplemental income. It would be a true challenge to make a good living at it these days.
Just some of the things that I have learned along the way in my journey as a long arm quilter!