The better quilters have a long list and their work is worth waiting for. When I'm making a quilt for a gift and there is a deadline, I reserve my spot and communicate my deadlines ahead of time. My LAQ tells me the date that she's ready for it in her line of other quilts. That gives me extra time to work on it and when I give it to her, she's ready to get started on it. Sometimes I reserve my spot 3-4 months in advance. I have also started using a long arm to do my own projects--- we have a dealership that teaches you how to use the machines and then you rent time and do the work yourself (with help from the staff). It's a great feeling to do the project start to finish!