How Much to Charge for Longarm Quilting: Lessons from Charlene Smith’s 13 Years

Setting Your Longarm Quilting Rate: Why 2¢ per Square Inch?

If you’re wondering how much to charge for longarm quilting, Charlene Smith’s approach offers a clear, practical benchmark. In Baton Rouge, she charges 2 cents per square inch for edge-to-edge work—a rate she helped establish locally. “I contacted all the other quilters in my area and I said, I’m going up to 2 cents. And they’re like, you’ll lose business. And I’m like, I’m doing it. And you guys should follow me. And actually all of them, but one followed me and we all raised our prices but the one, and the one said, no, I can’t afford to lose business. And then she figured out that none of us were losing business. And so then she raised her price to 2 cents”.19:25

This rate has held steady for about six years, though Charlene notes that it may be time for another increase. She emphasizes that pricing varies by region, but standing firm on value and communicating with peers can help lift the whole market.19:52

Charlene’s pricing journey began after years of charging 1.5 cents per square inch, which was the local norm. She learned from conferences and classes that other regions charged more, prompting her to advocate for a local increase. “Going to different conferences and classes and things, I was finding out, people were charging more in other areas and people were charging less in other areas. And I decided that we needed to go up”.19:15

Her willingness to lead on pricing, even at the risk of losing business, ultimately strengthened her business and the local quilting community. “None of us were losing business” after the price increase, she recalls, showing that clients valued quality and reliability over bargain rates.19:50

Volume, Workflow, and Turnaround: Managing 600+ Quilts a Year

Charlene’s business runs at high capacity: she quilts 50–60 quilts per month, totaling 600–720 quilts per year.25:46 She works 60–70 hours per week, often quilting six or seven days, but structures her day for both efficiency and flexibility. “I get up first thing in the morning, I get up about six. Well, I load a quilt before I go to bed so that when I get up in the morning, it’s loaded, it’s basted down. All I got to do is get up and turn everything on and get it going. And I have my coffee and I might quilt a row or two and then I take a break and I run out into my garden and I’ll do work out there”.13:02

Her workflow balances client appointments and production. Some days are filled with back-to-back client visits, while others allow for more uninterrupted quilting. “Some days I’ve got somebody coming every hour on the hour and I might have five minutes in between people, you know, to catch my breath or whatever. And so it just kind of depends, but I’m probably 10 hours”.13:47

Charlene’s turnaround time is consistently two to three weeks, a point of pride that keeps clients returning quickly. “When someone drops off they know they can expect it back in two to three weeks… I noticed that the faster I get them back the faster they bring me another one”.33:54 She believes this quick turnaround is a major differentiator, especially compared to the months-long waits she experienced as a customer before starting her business.34:09

She also notes that her volume has steadily increased over the years. “Every year I make a little more, I get a little busier and steadily going up”.26:17 Even during local disasters like the 2016 flood and the pandemic, her business remained steady or grew, as more people turned to quilting during difficult times.6:20

Why Edge-to-Edge Quilting Is Her Bread and Butter

Charlene focuses almost exclusively on edge-to-edge quilting—98–100% of her work—because it allows her to serve more clients and keep her single machine productive. “Custom takes so much longer and I only have one machine. We obviously don’t make as much custom quilting. We make more, our bread and butter is the edge-to-edge. And so I quit doing custom”.17:44

She makes rare exceptions for longtime clients, such as custom quilting baby quilts for a client’s great-grandchildren, but generally avoids custom jobs to maximize workflow and income. “I have a couple of people that I do, but I try not to because I just, I can’t tie up my machine that long”.18:13

Charlene credits computerized quilting for her consistency and speed. “To me, it’s consistent quilting. So my feathers here look the same as the feathers here”.8:54 She believes computerized edge-to-edge patterns deliver reliable results that clients appreciate, and they allow her to complete more quilts in less time.

Her decision to focus on edge-to-edge was also influenced by her desire to keep her studio inviting and homey, rather than crowded with multiple machines. “I use a room in my house. I’ve converted the den to keep overhead down. And I really want my studio room to be inviting and feel homey and not feel like a workshop. So putting two in just didn’t do it for me aesthetically”.10:01

Building a Client Base Without Advertising

Charlene attributes her steady business to word of mouth, relationships with local quilt shops, and active participation in guilds—especially in her early years. “I do not advertise. I try not to advertise because I’m already busier than I can take… I’m working six and seven days a week sometimes”.12:26

Early on, she approached local shops to ask if they needed another longarm quilter and quickly built a reputation through quality work and visibility at guild meetings. “One quilt shop was just gave my name out exclusively, which was awesome. So I did quilts for her, like maybe my first four or five paid for quilts I did for her and she hung up in her shop and she gave out my name exclusively”.12:01

Charlene also invested time in charity quilting, both for practice and visibility. “I did a lot of charity work, a lot of charity work, especially in that first six months… I was buying cheater cloth and panels and you know, just quilting everything I could get my hands on and donating it”.23:38 She found that charity quilts for fundraisers, where her card was displayed, brought in new clients: “I just asked that you put my card there and I got calls off of that as well”.24:51

As her business matured, she intentionally stopped advertising and even reduced her presence at guild meetings to avoid becoming overwhelmed. “I quit putting my cards out because I don’t really want new business. I’m staying busy enough with what I have”.31:57 Still, referrals from long-time clients continue to bring in new customers.

The Role of Face-to-Face Service and Customer Experience

Personal interaction is central to Charlene’s business model. She welcomes clients into her home studio, aiming to make each visit an experience. “I think that people enjoy coming here. It’s an experience and I try to make it an experience. They like coming and they come and they get inspired and I’ll drag them into my sewing room if I need to, showing things and it’s just, you know, it’s a little trip for them”.16:22

Appointments are scheduled with enough time for conversation, thread and pattern selection, and sharing the stories behind each quilt. “Most people, I’m spending maybe 15, 20 to 30 minutes with. It depends on how many quilts they’re bringing me”.15:12 Some clients use their full hour, enjoying the personal attention and creative atmosphere.

Charlene believes this relationship-building not only differentiates her service but also leads to strong client loyalty. “They like knowing and seeing where their quilt lives and how I care for their quilt”.16:42 She notes that many of her clients have been with her for years, and some even refer friends and family from out of state who insist on sending their quilts to her because of the trust and connection she’s built.22:48

Handling Mistakes and Setting Boundaries with Clients

Charlene is upfront about the occasional mistake and believes integrity is more important than a single payment. “If I do have a little snafu, which they happen, and I’ll tell them that. I’m like, I’m darn good, but I’m not perfect. And things happen. And they pretty much know that because they’re sewing and a needle breaks or things happen in life. And I just remind them things happen in life and they happen to me too. And I’m upfront with them and I do the best I can to make, if I have to give them that quilt, I give them that quilt. It’s a hundred dollars. So if I’m at a half a day’s work, I give them a hundred dollars on a quilt, but they leave happy because they know I’ve done my best and I’m not gonna charge them for this little snafu”.45:56

She also sets clear boundaries: if a quilt needs fixing before quilting, she gives the client the choice to do it themselves or pay a premium for her to fix it. “When I take a quilt in if I see problems with it I give them a dollar amount for me to fix it and I make that a high amount or I tell them they can have the happy quilter homework and they can take it home and do this and bring it back to me and they won’t lose their spot in line”.28:48 About half her clients choose to fix issues themselves, and the rest pay her rate, but most learn to prepare their quilts better over time.

Charlene also avoids poaching clients from other quilters. If someone comes to her who already has a quilter, she checks with the original quilter and encourages loyalty. “If you’re happy with that person and you’re just out shopping around to be shopping around, you need to stay with your quilter. It’s more important to have that relationship with your quilter than to just be, you know, someone out there”.49:04

Work-Life Balance, Flexibility, and the Rewards of Quilting

Though she works long hours, Charlene values the flexibility and quality of life her business provides. “I love working from home because it’s a ponytail. I can do it in my pajamas on days when I’m not seeing clients… and I can stop at 10 o’clock and decide to go do something and come back so I have total flexibility”.39:34

She schedules time off for travel and family, and her clients are understanding when she needs to be away. “If I want to take the day off and go do something with my friends or… go to a garden club meeting or something. I can come back and do my job at eight o’clock at night. So the flexibility is awesome”.39:56

Charlene’s story demonstrates that a quilting business can provide both a solid income and a fulfilling lifestyle. She notes that while she doesn’t make as much as she did in her previous career, the tradeoff is worth it for the freedom and satisfaction she enjoys. “I made enough money. I did not get alimony. My child was grown, so I didn’t get child support. I paid my own way in life. I had a nice house. I had a nice car. I lived a nice life. I didn’t, you know, I didn’t buy Gucci stuff. I wasn’t rich but I made a good solid living off of quilting”.41:19

She also enjoys the social aspect: “You’re visiting with all kinds of ladies that come in with all these wonderful stories. And so it’s kind of, I mean, I’m having fun. I don’t really consider it a job”.41:01

Advice for New Longarm Quilters: Do Your Homework and Jump In

For those considering starting a longarm quilting business, Charlene recommends researching your local market and being realistic about the hours required. “I would definitely go around and ask the quilt shops and find out what the turnaround time is. I’ll tell you, turnaround time is important to people”.45:02

She encourages saving several months’ expenses as a buffer and stresses the importance of honesty and reliability. “Obviously, I try to keep several months of savings back so that if something goes wrong or there’s some sort of impact that if my business does drop for a while that I have reserved to work off of”.44:47

Charlene is candid about the challenges of the early years. “The first month I had this I probably was in the fetal position underneath it 50 percent of the time going oh my god what have I done… but it was just because it was new”.29:57 She notes that the learning curve is steep but manageable, especially with support from dealers, classes, and the quilting community.

Her closing advice: “Jump off that cliff. Have faith”.50:52 She believes that with preparation, integrity, and a willingness to work hard, new quilters can still build a thriving business today.