I live in the DC area and if you want a quilt done in less than 3-4 months forget it. I do not know anywhere you can buy time on a machine. I send my quilts away to be quilted for about 25% of local cost and I get it back in 3 weeks or less, beautifully done. Is it needed, yes. Economically, you are safe here due to the gov. Money. Check with the LQS and Guilds to get an idea of needs. This is a growing industry, each year brings out more new Quilters. I do commission work for Architects and designers. They like to have fabric quilted to cover couches, etc. That is not something a reg. LAQ will do but it's a job for money.