I don't get it. How do they do this?
 

Okay, I've been quilting for almost 40 years. It's been a passion since I retired 9 years ago and I do something related to quilting almost every day. There was the 4 month layoff while my arm was broken last winter, and I can't do much when we have company. But that doesn't happen that often. But, I try to get on QB for a little bit everyday and I read on here that some people are making 50 quilts a year. How do they do that??? I mean, I'm not that much of a perfectionist but 50 quilts a year??? There's no way I could do that.

Are they just talking about making tops? I've done a few tops in a week but not that many. I mean, really..... I'm lucky to get 12 done a year. Actually, I don't think I've done 12 in a year unless you're talking about baby quilts.

Right now I have one quilt on my quilting frame..... hope to finish it in the fall. I'm working on a cathedral window quilt that I've been working on for over a year (Those do take awhile.... especially since it's a queen sized.) I brought 5 UFOs with me to the cabin this summer to try and finish but I'll feel really good if I accomplish that.... 3 months before I go back downstate. It will take me a week to just do the quilting on the first one..... I said I'd join in on the UFO group trying to finish 1 quilt a month. I sure haven't met that level yet.

So, How do they do this?

I have also wondered that - - - -

Maybe they're in a guild. I suppose if you get that many women together, then you can accomplish a lot more. I'm happy if I finish one a season! I'm a mom, married, have other hobbies and work full time. There's no way I'd be able to finish even 12 baby quilts a year. When I don't know what to make and don't have anyone in particular in mind, I make crib size quilts and donate them to the NICU next to my unit in the hospital. I give one to a nurse that's being nice to me and then she holds onto it until she meets a newborn or family she feels deserves it.

I haven't made 50 a year but I have made 20+, 5 of those were queen or larger, in 2012.
I either LAQ mine or have them LAQ'ed.
If I'm working on a labor intensive top, I may take a day or 2 and make something quick to break that thought process. All of my quilts have homes before I start them, and my list always has 3-7 on it, and I would say the majority of mine are used on a regular basis if not daily.

Goes without saying, there is a huge time difference in having a LAQ. I have however, spent 52 hours quilting on one and 46-48 hours on another on the LAQ. Can't even imagine how many months that would've taken by hand.

They either have absolutely nothing else to do or have some others do everything else (i.e.) chauffeur, cook, housekeeper, wet nurse, personal vet, yard man, mechanic, errand runner.

I will confess that I make at least 200 Linus quilts a year but they are simple child friendly prints backed with flannel and made envelope or pillowcase style. I do very little piecing and they are simply machine quilted and do not have separate bindings. I also make a number of them by just crocheting a decorative edge on fleece. I like to work with cheaters cloth when I do a lot of hand quilting. Last year I purchased preprinted fabric that looked like piecing, added a border to made it bed size and then hand quilted it. I think I made four of them in a couple of months. While I am very fast at hand quilting I do not like to piece and confess that it is not my strong suit.

I know several charity quilters that produce at least 50 a year. One in particular uses a simple pattern and precuts several quilts at once and then sews them up. She does simple, machine quilting and machine binding. She literally can do a quilt a day.

I could no way do 50 quilts a year, nor afford to. Quilting is my fun afraid trying to do that many that fast could make me very nuts!!!!

I have done six tops in about five weeks; queen sized...for gifts in the family...and three quilt tops in four weeks. Quickest one was for gs in about two hours...one piece quilted by machine by neighbor on her long arm...for him to just have to carry around. I try to have a quilt for him every time he gets to Grandma's house, which is never often enough for me. LOL!!

Then again, I have taken five to ten years to finish other quilts to satisfy what I 'seen' my way to be happy with the quilt...finding the right fabric for the stash that I have. Always have at least twenty to thirty quilts in various stages from ideas to starting stage.

I am excited now, because I finally have my quilt room set up with new sewing tables and two new sewing machines or will have next Wednesday. May be even get Grandma's treadle out of my closet.