Goodbye old friend!

7 years ago, I purchased a brand new APQS Millennium longarm, intending to start a longarming business from my home. "Millie," which I called her, and I had many adventures of quilting several customers' and my own quilts.

"Tulip" quilt was one of the first quilts I designed and quilted on "Millie," this quilt won "Best of Show at the Charles County Maryland Fair that year.

While waiting for a few customers to come in, I added a T-shirt and custom quilt making in the midst of my longarming business. For several of my customers' quilts, they would be custom-designed, then quilted on the longarm. It was about this time, I discovered I really enjoyed designing quilts for people.

Crossing Swords (First Quilt Pattern)

Over the next couple of years, I discovered a real passion and talent for Quilt Pattern Designing. My longarming business was transforming into a Quilt Pattern design business. Although, every Quilt Pattern I designed eventually went on "Millie."

GetAway

Over the last couple of years, "Millie" had become very lonely sitting idle in her room, due to I was spending more time on new pattern designs. The only time she would be used was for finishing a display quilt. Also, I was starting to discover that the quilting was eating up my time and taking away from the designing process.

This past year, I had to hire other longarm quilters to do my quilting for me, because I was short on time with all my deadlines to meet. Which led to my husband and me to have a heart to heart about what we should do to free up more time for developing my patterns. First I want to talk with a good friend who has quilted a couple of my quilts in the past, to make sure that she could do my quilts for me, I made my decision to sell "Millie."

Two weeks ago, she went on the market, and we had several people come and look at her, but no real reasonable offers. Then, yesterday we had a lady come who really want to start a longarming business, and "Millie" went home with her a couple hours later.

I wish the new owner the best and hope she has great success in her new business.

After "Millie" left, I had really mixed emotions, and it was almost overwhelming to see the machine that got my business started to go. Moving forward, I know I will have more time to develop quilt patterns and hopefully more personal time which has been missing for a while.

GoodBye, Millie, you will be missed, but I hope you will not be as lonely in your new home!

Tina,

Designing to Inspire

Customer Quilt Top

Life has been crazy the last couple weeks.  I been working hard on completing and finishing up several quilts for the patterns we have in final stages of development.  We hope to be going to the printers here in the next couple weeks. 

I finally received another quilt top to finish for a customer yesterday.   I finished it up late last night.  The quilt top is named "Old Glory". This Red, White, Blue star quilt top measuring 71 1/2" x 91 1/2" was made by a first time quilter.  She did a fabulous job for her first time. 

The customer requested a star design pantograph.  So we found "Star Dance" on the Digi-Tech Designs website.  The batting that I used was Quilters Dream Black Poly with Superior So Fine Thread.

The quilt came out beautiful. Now, just waiting for the customer to pick up the quilt.

Time to get back to work on these pattern and quilt designs.

If you have a quilt that needs to be quilted, please check out our services. 

Live, Inspire and Create,

Tina

Big Announcement!

Quilting Affections has exciting news!  In just one week, we will be launching our new expanded and redesigned website. A complete new look and feel!

With this new website, we are adding an online store that will offer Moda Fabrics.  In the store we will have specialty cuts and fabrics off the bolt.  The specialty cuts will include the most current fabric collection in Fat Quarter Bundles, Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls and Charms.  Come back to the store often due to we will be adding more and more fabrics each month. We also are offering Quilter Dream Batting in packages for your quilting needs.  Spend $50 or more in our on line store and earn a 10% discount on your next longarm quilting service.

With this new website we have added a price estimator for our Longarm Quilt Finish Services.  This prices estimator will allow you to estimate the cost you to have your quilt top finished with us.  As an additional cost saving for every 5 quilts (lap size or larger) you have us finish, we are offering a 15% discount on your next pantograph service

Also we have expanded and added more designs to our T-shirt Quilt Services to give you a larger selection to choose from.

In addition, our blog will be moving to the new website and a monthly newsletter will be added, which will cover new fabrics and sales happening at Quilting Affection.

Next week we will send out another blog about the website launch, so stay tuned.  We are very excited! Also make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and other Social Medias for more!

Tina