How Alex Wilhelm Built a Longarm Quilting Business from the Ground Up

Discovering Quilting and the Leap to Longarm

When Alex Wilhelm first discovered quilting, she was already a fabric lover and avid crafter, but quilting itself was new to her. ‘I’ve been long arming for two years, and I’ve actually only known quilting existed in the last six,’ she recalls.3:12 Her journey began at a local shop’s stitch night, where a fellow crafter’s quilt project caught her eye. Within days, Alex dove in, starting with a challenging Elizabeth Hartman pattern. She admits, ‘Not a beginner quilt, but I was like, oh, I got it. And I just did it’.4:23

Four years after that first quilt, Alex’s curiosity about longarm quilting led her to a retreat, where she tried out professional machines for the first time. The experience was eye-opening: ‘I was there for three days from 8 AM to 6 PM and just going. I’m like, this is awesome’.6:37 Watching Paige Johnson work on a custom stained glass applique quilt inspired Alex to consider longarming as more than a hobby. The push to make it a business came from her husband: ‘Why don’t you make your own business so that way you can grow with it, do something that you can do with it. And as you get better.’ 7:41

Alex’s story shows that you don’t need to grow up quilting or have decades of experience to break into the business. Her leap from beginner to business owner happened in just a few years, driven by curiosity, encouragement, and a willingness to dive in.

Building a Business Plan—and Facing Equipment Challenges

Surrounded by business-savvy family and friends, Alex took a methodical approach to starting a longarm quilting business. She costed out every detail, from thread and batting to machine maintenance and startup expenses: ‘I had it all broken down to a science’.8:44 This preparation helped her secure a loan, and she purchased a 2016 Gammill Statler for $27,000.20:16

The journey wasn’t smooth. After transporting the machine from Texas to Wisconsin, a freak snowstorm delayed setup. Undeterred, Alex set up the machine herself: ‘I have the information on how to set this up. So I’m going to try… And I did it. And it wasn’t that hard’.11:22

But disaster struck with her very first quilt: a minor bump to the controller fried multiple components, resulting in $7,000 in repairs and weeks of downtime.18:56 ‘That added up to the cost of the system. Yes. So that was not fun’.19:14 Her foresight in securing extra loan funds for backup payments kept her afloat during this crisis.

The technical challenges didn’t end there. Alex struggled with tension issues and discovered her bobbin winder was set too tight, warping bobbins and causing inconsistent stitches. She also realized her needle height and hook timing were off, requiring her to learn the machine inside and out.22:06 ‘I know every inch of my machine now, everything,’ she says.22:12 These hard-won lessons underscore the importance of both preparation and adaptability when starting a longarm quilting business.

Marketing Beyond the Local Scene

Alex didn’t limit her ambitions to her hometown. ‘I actually marketed the entire state of Wisconsin. I was not just focused on here,’ she explains.14:51 She compiled a list of every quilt shop in the state, called each one, and identified those without a preferred longarmer. She then visited these shops in person with samples and cards, offering a free quilt to key shops with a strong online presence in exchange for a display and social media post.15:55

This approach not only expanded her network but also gave her valuable insight into the broader quilting community. ‘I had visited so many shops that I didn’t know existed. So that was really cool,’ she says.16:17 While not every connection led to immediate business, the effort built relationships and visibility that paid off over time.

Alex also became a vendor at quilt shows, displaying her work and clarifying to attendees that she was selling her quilting services, not machines. ‘I’m not selling the system. I’m selling myself. I’m selling my business,’ she recalls.17:33 These events helped her reach quilters who might not otherwise have heard of her, and she credits this proactive, statewide marketing with helping her business gain traction, especially in the early months when local referrals alone weren’t enough.

Balancing Life, Work, and Growth

Running a longarm quilting business hasn’t been Alex’s only job. She continued waitressing on weekends and even picked up a third job at times: ‘I’m a waitress on the weekends and sometimes I pick up more shifts and like last year I had a third job to where I was… worked at Target for a little bit’.23:16 Managing a sleep disorder added another layer of complexity, making it essential to balance productivity with self-care.23:43

Quilting now takes up 20–30 hours per week, and as business picked up, she was able to reduce her serving hours.24:07 ‘Now I’m finally back to having a full open schedule,’ she says, highlighting the gradual shift toward making quilting her primary work.24:27

Alex’s experience demonstrates that starting a longarm quilting business doesn’t have to mean quitting your day job immediately. She grew her business alongside other work, using the stability of a regular paycheck to weather the unpredictable early months. This approach gave her the flexibility to invest in her business, recover from setbacks, and avoid burnout. ‘I try to keep it as like a normal work day as possible… I would love to have my machine actually out of my house,’ Alex adds, noting the challenges and benefits of working from home.46:50

She dreams of eventually moving her studio to a more social, downtown space, where she can host other quilters and create a vibrant community.48:34

Edge-to-Edge, Custom Work, and Pricing Lessons

Alex offers both edge-to-edge and custom quilting. Her edge-to-edge rates are straightforward: 2.25¢ per square inch if she supplies the batting, 2.1¢ if the customer supplies it.33:35 She uses introductory and referral discounts to encourage word-of-mouth growth: ‘If you’re a new customer you get 15% off your first quilt… If you recommend someone… you get another 15% off your next quilt’.34:01

Custom work, however, is a moving target. Early on, she experimented with rates from 5¢ to 10¢ per square inch, adjusting based on density and time. ‘I did that one by like 10 I think I did 10 cents per square inch or something but like that one ended up being like a thousand dollars and that she kind of was like I was not expecting this’.36:16 Alex now tracks her hours and consults with other longarmers to refine her estimates, acknowledging that pricing is still a work in progress.35:36

She’s candid about the learning curve: ‘It’s still something I’m learning, it’s still something that I’m getting better at… getting more proficient at and it’s learning what to do to… make it faster and easier’.38:03 Alex’s willingness to adjust her pricing, seek advice, and learn from each project is a reminder that pricing in a creative business is rarely static. She also demonstrates her process live, calculating prices for custom jobs on the spot when asked by potential customers.43:32

Learning the Machine—And the Value of Mentors

Alex’s early technical setbacks forced her to learn every inch of her machine: ‘I know every inch of my machine now, everything’.22:12 She credits mentors like Christine Nelson and Paige Johnson for their guidance, especially when navigating tricky customer quilts and tension issues.40:17

She emphasizes the importance of learning your specific machine—every unit has its quirks. ‘Each machine is its own thing and you need to learn it for itself… what my machine likes is 175 [TOA gauge]’.50:22 She also points out that new owner training, even if it seems basic, is invaluable for understanding proper setup and maintenance.51:11

Alex’s story highlights how mentorship and community can help new business owners overcome technical and emotional hurdles. She found support not only from established longarmers but also from unexpected places, like regulars at her serving job who built her website and connected her with her loan officer.41:22 ‘Literally talking to everyone… I have made so many connections from serving,’ she says, underscoring the value of networking in all aspects of life.41:15

The Emotional Highs and Lows—and Finding Your Style

Despite early setbacks, Alex found affirmation in her work. A custom quilt for a friend won her ribbons at the Marshfield show, including Best Machine Quilting—just six months after getting her machine.26:48 ‘I was like oh my god… this is super awesome’.27:06

She encourages others not to be discouraged by slow starts or setbacks: ‘I have no choice but to go forward and keep working’.30:56 Over time, she’s seen her style recognized and requested: ‘People will come to you if they like your style regardless of what you’ve done because I haven’t been doing this a long time but people go I like what she’s done so I want her stuff’.56:55

Alex’s story is a testament to the importance of perseverance, self-belief, and developing a unique artistic voice. She notes that even with limited experience, customers are drawn to her distinct style, and that building a reputation takes both time and authenticity. ‘Your customers begin to reflect… the ones that like the style that you impart to the quilt they will be your customers and you can steal them away because they like the work,’ the hosts agree.57:37

Looking Ahead: Sustainability and Community

Now two years in, Alex sees her business as sustainable and growing. ‘Now that things have started to pick up… I’m actually getting savings back… this is actually working I am actually making money’.53:32 She dreams of moving her studio out of her house and into a more social, downtown space where she can host others and collaborate.48:34

Her advice for others starting a longarm quilting business: learn your machine, talk to everyone, and don’t be afraid to market yourself widely. ‘There’s so much power to having a fire lit under you… and having your own style’.55:53

Alex’s journey shows that with preparation, persistence, and a willingness to learn, starting a longarm quilting business is not only possible, but can be deeply rewarding. She continues to grow her skills, her client base, and her vision for the future, offering a model for other aspiring quilting entrepreneurs.