In August, 2015, LLQ switched from an hourly longarm machine rental rate to the studio block rental approach. With more quilters interested in rental longarm quilting machines, splitting the day into blocks creates more opportunities to turn those tops into quilts.
But not everyone needs a whole four hours in the half day block. What to do? Offer a three hour block of studio time in our mix.
It occurred to me this week that not everyone may know one of the little tricks at Laurena’s Longarm….
We sell batting by the inch in widths between 93″ – 122.” The wider batting accommodates king size quilts. Not all of us make king size quilts, but….
If you have a 65″ quilt and a 36″ quilt, you can often use the same piece of king size batting, saving a bunch on batting costs. An added plus… there’s a just a little batting leftover when you’re done quilting.
Customers who have us quilt their tops already benefit from our frugal secret. With the new studio block pricing, quilters often arrive with more than one quilt top in tow and this is working out for them, too.
So now that we’ve told you, our frugal little secret is open for the world to hear. King size batting, we salute you!
Wish you had a longarm machine? When you rent a Gammill quilting machines at Laurena’s, you grow familiar with the different models AND you get guidance on how to use them. There are currently four Gammill longarms which you can rent at Laurena’s Longarm Quilting.
Take our Introduction to Longarm Quilting class (there’s still openings for the October 13th class!) to get an overview of the Statler and hand guided machines. Then reserve a half day or whole day studio block to begin your longarm quilting adventure.
The Statler Stitcher is getting more and more popular choice for longarm quilters. The computer guided machine has a ten foot table, which means the short side of your quilt can be up to 115″ long. Laurena has a nice stash of computerized patterns from which you can choose… modern, traditional, textured and thematic motifs. An edge to edge quilting pattern can totally change the impact of your quilt!
Laurena also offers a selection of border and block motifs. This takes a bit more understanding of the Creative Studio software, so not a perfect choice for your first time on the Statler. There’s plenty of learning opportunities for the latest version of the software.
Our Gammill Plus hand guided machine rolls along a 10′ table, so the short side of your quilt can be up to 115″ long. Thanks to its motorized leg lifts, you can adjust table height to your needs. Whether free motion quilting at the front of the table or following a pantograph at the back, the Plus is a smooth longarm!
Both the Statler and the Plus use 126″ zippers to attach your quilt top and back to the frame.
The Gammill Vision longarm quilting machine has a shorter 8′ table. It’s happy to quilt tops with a short side of up to 88.” Like the Plus, Vision has adjustable table legs for the perfect ergonomic quilting experience. Don’t forget to pin your quilt to the 108″ zipper.
Looking for a free motion experience like a domestic machine but with more room and smooth as silk stitching? Then rent our Gammill Charm. There’s no introductory class needed. This sit down longarm rents for $12/hour with a two hour minimum. We also have a large table for an effortless quilting experience. You simply baste your quilt sandwich before arriving (or use the Charm’s basting stitch to do it when you get here) and you’re ready to quilt.
For all of the longarm rentals, Laurena keeps a wide selection of Superior and Signature thread on hand to find the right choice for your quilt. The thread cost is included your studio block price.
Laurena also offers a rental reward program. After renting for 25 hours, you receive a free half day studio block. A half day block earns you four hours and a full day block earns you seven hours, so it doesn’t take long to rack up rewards!
Now is the time to turn those tops into quilts! If you’ve been interested in learning to longarm quilt, definitely contact Laurena at (781) 229-0734 or by email at info @ burlingtonlongarm dot com to register for the Introduction to Longarm Quilting Class.
As of September 8, Laurena will offer choose half day or whole day studio rental block.
How does this impact the frequent renter program? You earn hours at 4 hour and 7 hour increments, receiving a half day block of free quilting when you accrue 25 hours.
Laurena began renting longarm machines in 2008, with one hand guided Gammill machine. Today, LLQ offers two Gammill hand guided long arms and a Statler Stitcher for Boston area quilters to rent.
Laurena’s shown nearly 500 people how to use the longarm machines. She’s seen that quilters need space to practice, learn and experiment on longarm machines. Many of our customers enjoy the extra space to pin, trim and spread out. We enjoy helping you make your quilts the best possible. It’s great to see you turn those tops into beautiful quilts! The studio block program gives you all of this for a set price.
The hourly rental rate will continue on the sit down free motion Charm machine.
Turning a top into a quilt is a great feeling! For many of our customers, becoming a Longarm Subscriber is a fabulous way to make sure that feeling happens every month.
What is the LLQ Subscriber Program? It allows quilters to pay monthly for longarm rental hours. Quilters purchase these hours at a reduced rate and use them as needed. If the hours aren’t used up in a month, the hours roll over and do not expire. If the subscriber needs more hours in a month, he or she is able to purchase additional hours at the reduced rate.
Subscribers agree to participate in the program for at least 6 months. If they find themselves accumulating too many hours after the initial time period, Laurena allows them to freeze the subscription for up to 3 months in a calendar year. If, after 6 months, the subscription doesn’t turn out to be the right fit, you can cancel with 30 days notice. The hours are in your “bank” to use as needed.
What a deal, right? This is one way to make sure you get your longarm quilting fix at a great price. Rates depend on the number of hours in the subscription.
Become a Longarm Subscriber at 4, 6 or 8 hours per month at only $17.50/hour. You do need to reserve blocks of at least 4 hours each time you come to the studio.
Need more time? Become a Longarm Subscriber at 10 or 12 hours per month at $15.00/hour. You reserve at least 6 hours each time you come to the studio.
And wait, there’s more (just had to say it!)…
Longarm subscribers still benefit from the frequent renter program. So, each time you pay for 25 hours of longarm rental, you receive 4 free.
Do you need any more excuse to quilt more? Definitely not!
Click to download the subscriber guidelines under the Subscription Program description for all of the details.
And if you have any questions, call or email and we’ll be happy to answer them!
What to do if you just don’t feel like piecing together that quilt back?
Bring it to Laurena’s Longarm Quilting!
We construct quilt backs in all sizes, from baby to California King.
Our costs are quite reasonable and you can count on a solidly pieced back. Take a peek at our brochure for a complete list of the prices and services available, but here’s the basic pricing for backs.
| Quilt Back Piecing (priced by square inch) | ||
| Quilt Top Size(length x width) | Single Seam | Surcharge formatch, multi seam |
| <2,000 sq inch | $15 | $10 |
| 2,001 – 6,999 | $20 | $10 |
| 7,000 – 9,999 | $25 | $10 |
| 10,000 + | $30 | $15 |
Let’s say you have a queen size quilt that measures 62″ x 84″. Its area (length times width) is 5,208″. If you just need one single seam, the cost would be $20. Does your fabric have a large scale or directional print that needs matching? Then it would cost $30.
(That reminds me, I said I’d write a post on how to match directional fabrics…)
If you’ve been a longtime Laurena customer, you immediately notice that this table is more complex than our old flat rate. It makes sense that prices reflect the actual time spent on the work involved, right?
Any questions? We’re always happy to help!
Join us, please!
Saturday February 7 from 10 am to 2 pm
There’s no place like home and we’re so excited about the opportunities that the Annex will bring. Along with Brian and Julie from Cowles Quilting, there will be door prizes and other goodies.
Will we see you there?
As you would know from Laurena’s emails in 2014 (not on the list? You could fix that now!),
she needed/hoped for a more spacious setting. In early 2014, she made a list of what she wanted/needed to create a better hub for longarm quilters. After numerous property visits, she found a pretty ideal spot… a couple of times. As you may have experienced, real estate is an industry with unpredictable moments. For different reasons, none of the places worked out. By fall, she was pretty discouraged.
Many of her customers asked, “When will you move?”
Laurena began to wonder how this would turn out. With a second Statler Stitcher, new employees, Laurena’s Longarm Quilting was bursting at the seams. Hmm… What about another space in her same building?
Hurray! While another space on the same floor didn’t have all of the wish list items, here was the space she needed at an acceptable price. It was just a matter of waiting for the previous tenant to evacuate their equipment, electricity and heating to be updated/installed, putting in new carpet, signing a lease, being patient, and YES! She got the keys to the Annex just a few days before Christmas.
Since then, Laurena’s replaced the ceiling tiles (phew! 30 years of nicotine charged dust), painted and prepared for the expansion. Custom quilting, storage and office work will all take place in the Annex. Longarm quilting customers will enjoy a much more spacious experience. There will be room for the additional mid arm stand up machine, joining the existing Vision, Plus, Statler and of course, the new sit down mid-arm Charm.
Laurena’s having a great time nesting in the new space. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
“What do quilters want,” our families may ask as the holidays approach? We love fabric, but do we need more? What we really want is time to quilt, right? May we suggest….
5 Holiday Gift Ideas for Quilters
Enjoy the season!
Who would have guessed that my first post would be about saving money?
“Save,” you ask? “How do you save?”
It’s just 3 steps….
That’s not too difficult, right?
This is perfect timing for quilts heading out with college bound kids, or to get a head start on tops for fall quilt shows.
Your top will be quilted using one of our Statler Stitcher machines. I love the way you can scale the pattern to your quilt, choosing the offset and stitches per inch. Bring your own batting, or choose from Laurena’s wide range of options.
Stay tuned! I’ll share some of the interesting patterns Laurena has already loaded onto the computer in upcoming posts.