technically, i suppose this should be posted over in the Links thread about her shop (which is where i'm headed next), but since this is where we started talking about her strip cutter, i thought i'd put it here.
I asked Lorri what she used and whether she'd tell us where she got it. The news is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. It's a one of a kind, custom built machine. fine tuned and perfected over the years to such a degree it's truely priceless and not available for rent or sale anywhere.
it's her husband! he cuts everything by hand!
anyhoooo, we struck up an email conversation; i bounced a few ideas off her she found interesting.
if a customer wants the fabric(s) cut into custom size squares, rectangles, etc, so they arrive ready to assemble for a quilt, she'll do it if she and the customer can negotiate an extra charge fair and agreeable to both. if, over time, it proves to be a popular service, she'll be able to develop a standard price list. in the meantime, it would have to be negotiated case-by-case.
if a customer can't find the fabric she/he needs in lorri's inventory, she can email lorri; negotiate the fee; buy the fabric elsewhere and have it shipped to lorri, who will cut it into strips, etc, then ship it to the customer. naturally, the fee would include the cost of final shipping.
she's also willing to talk to customers about custom cutting fabric we already have. we'd pay shipping there and back, plus the charge for cutting.
what neither of us knows yet is whether she'll be able to come up with prices that compensate them fairly for the work yet remain affordable for us. the important thing is that she's willing to give it a shot.
if it works ... just think what a difference it could make to quilters who - for one reason or another - have either had to give up complex patterns because of cutting issues, or who don't tackle them because of how much time it takes to cut all those pieces. when i think of how much fabric i waste from just about every project because i goofed on the cuts ... i won't be surprised to find i actually save money overall the first time she and i negotiate something for one of my quilts - especially if i'm making it for a paying customer. only time will tell, but i'm excited by the prospect!
and, oh by the way, we board members are still eligible for the 10% discount until the end of the year. :P
A P.S to Dear Admin: it was my idea to put so much of this info at the board. neither one of us intends this to be a tricky way to get free advertising for lorri. we won't abuse your generosity by making a habit of it. :wink: