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i think if you are going to buy a used setup for under 3000 it would be worth it but not if your planning to buy new. and if you have to take out a loan it wouldent be worth it to me
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I keep a spreadsheet of all the quilts I've made. For most of them I have the measurements. In order to figure out how much longarm services might have cost me, I added a field for the square inches and multiplied by .02, figuring that some of my quilts would have been custom quilted at a much higher price and most would have been quilted less expensively. I came up with over $4500, and I've only been quilting for about 6 years. I did a rough calculation like this when I bought my longarm, 2+ years ago. The calculations weren't enough to convince me that buying the longarm would save me money, but I am one of those quilters who wants every bit of the quilt to be done by myself. I quilted everything on my DSM before I bought the longarm, and I was getting tired of doing that. If I wanted to really save money, I would just quit quilting!
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I looked at a top of the line with all the bells and whistles a few years back after attending a show. Well at that time it was almost $30,000.00 investment. I very quickly figured out that even if I send out 10 quilts per year... its not worth it. Granted you can get used or less bells and whistles ... but even at a $10,000 investment .. it would take lots of quilts before it paid for itself.
One cost that is often overlooked is the start -up.. the learning curve... you will need supplies to practice . By using a pro , I can select a specific pro for the style of the quilt and I have no "learning curve" fo me to learn that style of quilting. I would love to be able to complete all my quilts start to finish ... but I also enjoy going further into my skills as a piecer. I did not think I would have the time to do both as well as I wanted. So for me even if I won the lottery ... I would not get one... and if I did win the cost of sending them out would no longer be an issue. Another note ... a friend bought a Long Arm set up .. and she has had a very tough time managing the expectations of quilting friends and relatives. She bought it strictly for her own use .. but is constantly pestered by those who want to "borrow" her machine or beg her to quilt "just this one quilt". She says its like being the only one in the neighborhood with a pool on a hot summer day. |
Originally Posted by MaryMo
(Post 5276803)
It sounds as if it were meant to be for you, Paper Princess. I've thought of a long arm but realized there is just not enough room in my home, but a mid-arm ... maybe, someday. But still have to do the research and justification .... do I really need this? It's just like buying a second car. Good luck, liont.
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Originally Posted by dunster
(Post 5276978)
I keep a spreadsheet of all the quilts I've made. For most of them I have the measurements. In order to figure out how much longarm services might have cost me, I added a field for the square inches and multiplied by .02, figuring that some of my quilts would have been custom quilted at a much higher price and most would have been quilted less expensively. I came up with over $4500, and I've only been quilting for about 6 years. I did a rough calculation like this when I bought my longarm, 2+ years ago. The calculations weren't enough to convince me that buying the longarm would save me money, but I am one of those quilters who wants every bit of the quilt to be done by myself. I quilted everything on my DSM before I bought the longarm, and I was getting tired of doing that. If I wanted to really save money, I would just quit quilting!
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Originally Posted by Lori S
(Post 5277008)
Another note ... a friend bought a Long Arm set up .. and she has had a very tough time managing the expectations of quilting friends and relatives. She bought it strictly for her own use .. but is constantly pestered by those who want to "borrow" her machine or beg her to quilt "just this one quilt". She says its like being the only one in the neighborhood with a pool on a hot summer day.
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I bought my LA after paying over $1200 to have 3 quilts custom-quilted....at $400 each and a LA that costs $10000...you'll be on top in 25 quilts....(I think that's the right answer...mind is somewhere else today so please double-check....)let's see; 400X25=10,000...yep, seems to be correct. Then of course, there are all the additional costs associated with LA'ing like thread, needles, pantographs, etc., etc. But to me, it's worth it. I do quilting for my shop, myself, charity organizations and my family...so I figured it was money well spent. Good luck if you decide to go for it!
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I bought a small Gammill last year and have never regretted it. I do quilt as a business, but only to keep me in quilting funds. I don't need to make a lot of money just enough to pay for fabric and retreats. I have found that I really love it. I am branching out into custom quilting and am enjoying the challenge. It is just another dimension to quilting. If you are thinking about it and weighing the pros and cons, I think you might be ready to take the leap.
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So what does the average quilt cost to be quilted by a quilter with a long arm? I know that it varies, but say, a typical twin sized--from the simple wavy lines to the complicated?? My guess between $75-$300? Just a guess as I have no idea...none whatsoever...maybe someone can correct my guess...
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The idea is floating in my head now -- has been for several years. But I haven't been able to make space for it in my home yet. In the meantime, I'm renting time on a long arm at one of two places. If I ever can figure out how to get the machine in my space, I will look at used machines. I've enjoyed quilting my own quilts, but would like to do more time custom quilting, but with the meter running, I stick to quicker freehand panto type quilting -- all appropriate for the quilts I've done.
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