Key takeaways
- Kate charges 2.8¢ per square inch for edge-to-edge quilting and recommends reviewing prep time and workflow when setting rates.37:30
- A fast, reliable turnaround (two weeks) is a major differentiator and key to winning and retaining customers.4:16
- Building a customer base takes time and word of mouth—guilds and charity quilts helped establish trust.25:40
- High-volume production is possible with careful workflow, multiple machines, and clear division of labor.14:09
- Charging for quilt preparation is important for fairness and profitability—Kate wishes she started this sooner.40:42
- Continuous learning and using available training resources can dramatically shorten the learning curve.18:23
The numbers
| Metric | Value | Basis | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||
| Edge-to-edge rate | 2.8 ¢/sq in | 37:30 | Kate and Tom's stated edge-to-edge rate per square inch |
| Thread and batting charges | Not specified; thread and batting charges not discussed in detail. | stated | |
| Volume and capacity | |||
| Quilts per year | 800–900 quilts | 37:41 | Kate and Tom's stated customer quilts per year |
| Turnaround time | 2 weeks | 4:16 | Maximum turnaround time they set for their business |
| Edge-to-edge share of work | 100 % | 28:42 | They do only edge-to-edge, no custom work |
| Time | |||
| Quilting hours per week | 50–60 hours | 34:46 | Described as 8/9am to 6/7pm, most days, including weekends; estimate |
| Money | |||
| Annual earnings (est.) | $198,000–$222,800 | estimate | quilts per year x edge-to-edge rate x 9000 sq in (queen); at 50–60 hours a week |
| Effective hourly rate (est.) | $69–$93/hr | estimate | annual earnings (est.) / (50–60 hours a week x 48 weeks) |
| Equipment | |||
| Machine (model, throat, table) | Gammill Statler Optimum (30-inch throat, 12-foot table); Gammill Classic (26-inch throat, 10-foot table); Gammill Optimum (30-inch throat, 8-foot table) | 10:09 | Three machines: two 30-inch Optimums, one 26-inch Classic, various table sizes |
| Number of machines | 3 | 4:21 | Three longarm machines in production |
| Business profile | |||
| Years in business | 8 years | 7:59 | Eight years in business as of interview |
19 other metrics were not covered in this interview
- Custom rate
- Queen-size price, edge-to-edge
- Queen-size price, custom
- Average price per quilt
- T-shirt quilt price
- Backlog / waiting list
- Time per quilt, edge-to-edge
- Time per quilt, custom
- Mail-in share
- Hourly rate (stated)
- Annual revenue (stated)
- Worst year revenue
- Lifetime revenue per machine
- Machine cost
- Machine payback (stated)
- Machine payback (est.) (have: annual earnings (est.) $198,000–$222,800; missing: machine cost)
- Studio size
- Years quilting
- Customers
What the numbers say
What the numbers say
The available figures show that Kate and Tom’s quilting business operates at a substantial capacity, processing between 800 and 900 quilts per year, all using edge-to-edge designs,37:41.28:42 With three longarm machines in use,4:21 and a self-imposed maximum turnaround time of two weeks,4:16 the business appears to be efficiently organized to handle a high volume of work.
Pricing is only partially clear: the stated edge-to-edge rate is 2.8 cents per square inch,37:30 but there is no information on custom rates, average quilt prices, or additional charges for thread and batting. This limits any detailed analysis of their pricing structure and customer mix.
Estimated annual earnings, based on the edge-to-edge rate and assumed queen-size quilts, fall between $198,000 and $222,800. This calculation rests on the stated throughput (800–900 quilts/year), the per-square-inch rate, and an assumed quilt size of 9,000 square inches. The effective hourly rate is estimated at $69–$93, based on 50–60 hours of work per week over 48 weeks per year. These are rough estimates, as actual quilt sizes, time per quilt, and possible extra charges are not specified.
Payback on machine investment cannot be determined from the data provided, as machine costs and explicit payback periods are not stated. Overall, while the figures suggest a high-throughput, edge-to-edge-only operation with significant estimated earnings, most details on pricing, costs, and customer mix remain unclear.
Setting Your Longarm Quilting Rate: Why 2.8¢ per Square Inch?
If you’re searching for how much to charge for longarm quilting, Kate Wellen’s approach is clear and consistent: she charges two and three-quarter cents (2.8¢) per square inch for edge-to-edge quilting.37:30 This rate has allowed her and her husband Tom to build a sustainable, high-volume business, quilting between 800 and 900 quilts per year.37:41
Kate’s rate is not the lowest in her area, but she’s found that price is rarely the deciding factor for her customers. “It’s not price sensitive. It’s not like I’m going to go somewhere else because I’m going to spend $18 less for my queen-size quilt. Got nothing to do with price,” she explains.39:53 Instead, turnaround time and quality are what keep quilters coming back.
She also notes that she didn’t start out charging for quilt preparation (ironing, squaring, trimming batting), but wishes she had: “We should have started earlier on charging preparation fees, because we spend a lot of time getting the thing ready to go”.40:42 For those setting rates, she recommends considering all the time spent on each quilt, not just the stitching.
Kate and Tom also offer add-ons such as binding, minor repairs, and label making, but these are not a major part of their business.37:12 Their main focus is on efficient, high-quality edge-to-edge quilting, and their pricing reflects the value of their speed and reliability. “Once you get them, you got great service and great product, you’re able to keep them,” Kate says.39:40
“We should have started earlier on charging preparation fees, because we spend a lot of time getting the thing ready to go.”
“It's not price sensitive. It's not like I'm going to go somewhere else because I'm going to spend $18 less for my queen-size quilt. Got nothing to do with price.”
Turnaround Time as a Competitive Edge
When Kate and Tom started Creative Longarm Partners eight years ago, they saw a gap in the market: local longarmers had turnaround times of seven weeks or more.2:00 From the beginning, they set a goal of a maximum two-week turnaround—and have stuck to it ever since.4:16
“That basically, that was our differentiation,” Tom says. “You give somebody a quilt back in five or seven days and they’re all excited to just go on to their next project”.31:38 This commitment required investment in equipment and workflow, but it quickly became their signature. Kate emphasizes, “Being able to turn the quilts around and have them being quilted properly is a huge thing”.26:22
Kate and Tom’s approach to turnaround is not just about speed, but about predictability. They keep their backlog low and communicate clearly with customers about timelines, which builds trust and repeat business.45:59 “We have a backlog that we like to keep down to next to nothing. So when we’re busy, it’s like we’ve got to work,” Kate shares.45:59
This focus on fast, reliable service has helped them stand out in a crowded market and win over customers who were frustrated with long waits elsewhere. “Some of these other places, they forgot what quilt it is that’s at the place,” Tom notes.31:43
“You give somebody a quilt back in five or seven days and they're all excited to just go on to their next project.”
High-Volume Workflow: Three Machines, Two Operators
Kate and Tom run three Gammill machines—two with 30-inch throats and one with a 26-inch throat—on tables of varying lengths.10:09 Their edge-to-edge focus allows them to keep all three machines running most days, with Tom handling the bulk of production and Kate focusing on customer service.11:43
“The workflow that’s most efficient is if you can get all three…loaded with some backup loading, then one person can keep three machines running. But if one person cannot keep three machines running and take them off and check them and trim them and then load something else on. So, there’s diminishing returns,” Tom explains.14:32 They’ve found three machines is their sweet spot for the two of them; a fourth would not increase productivity.
To minimize downtime, they use standalone bobbin winders and keep duplicate cones of each thread color, so bobbin winding never ties up a machine.42:05 “We’ve looked hard at the whole product flow, to try to keep everything moving in a direction that’s getting stitching done, as opposed to waiting on,” Tom adds.42:30
Kate and Tom also use zipper leaders and have adopted time-saving techniques like stapling quilt backings to leaders instead of pinning, which Tom estimates takes about 15% of the time compared to pinning.16:13 They keep backups of essential equipment, including a spare bobbin winder, to avoid single points of failure.43:53 Their workflow is designed to keep the machines running as much as possible, maximizing output and minimizing delays.
“The workflow that's most efficient is if you can get all three...loaded with some backup loading, then one person can keep three machines running.”
Building a Customer Base: Guilds, Charity, and Word of Mouth
Getting started wasn’t instant. Kate joined multiple quilt guilds and offered free quilting for charity projects to build trust and get practice.17:02 She also showed finished quilts at local shops to demonstrate her work.17:21 “It took a while, I would say a good six or eight months to get the confidence from anybody that wasn’t our friend or didn’t know us and want to try us out,” she recalls.17:26
Word of mouth, especially through guilds, was crucial. “They played a fairly significant role. And they continue to, because they’re my quilty friends and they want to help a friend,” Kate says.28:27 Over time, satisfied customers referred others, and the business grew steadily—especially once the quick turnaround and quality became known.30:20
Tom notes that building a customer base was slower than expected: “It’s like being the new dentist in town. Why are they going to come to you? They’ve got a dentist, you know, it’s really hard to break, to get them here the first time that’s hard to do”.29:50 But as more customers tried their service and shared their experiences, growth became exponential. “Once you get a customer for the first time and do a good job and do it quickly…then it takes off, but it’s a long runway,” Kate adds.30:24
Charity quilts also provided valuable practice and exposure. Tom recalls doing 17 charity quilts in one week for a summer camp, which helped them hone their skills and get their name out in the community.27:31
Why Kate Avoids Custom Quilting—and What That Means for Pricing
Kate made a deliberate decision not to offer custom quilting: “We just made that decision in the beginning because custom quilting takes so long. You typically don’t make the money unless you’re doing quilts for big shows”.32:38
Edge-to-edge work allows them to maximize machine use and throughput. “Doing edge to edge on three machines, we can keep, one person can keep two or three machines running, but if you’re doing custom work, more or less, you’re standing over that machine for the entire time,” Tom notes.33:05
This focus has shaped their pricing structure and business model—high volume, consistent rates, and predictable turnaround. Kate and Tom have found that most of their customers are looking for quality and speed, not elaborate custom work. “We don’t do any custom quilting. So that’s off the books right away. So it wasn’t like they were giving us custom quilts to do,” Kate says.28:42
By specializing in edge-to-edge quilting, they have streamlined their workflow and can offer competitive rates without sacrificing profitability or burning out on labor-intensive custom projects.
Lessons Learned: Training, Prep Fees, and Workflow Tweaks
Looking back, Kate and Tom agree they would have invested more in training early on. “We could have become much more proficient, much quicker than just doing the work and flying by the seat of our pants and learning as we go,” Tom says.18:10 Kate urges new longarmers to “take 100% advantage of all the training available out there”.18:23
Another lesson: charge for prep work. “Some quilts are just, you know, the backing is in a bag that they got from Amazon. So it’s got all creases in it, it has to be ironed, it’s not squared…We should have started earlier on charging preparation fees”.40:42 Kate points out that not all customers bring in ready-to-load quilts, and it’s unfair to charge the same price for those who require extra prep.
They also recommend investing in workflow tools—like zipper leaders and standalone bobbin winders—and always keeping backups of essential equipment.43:53 Tom describes how they keep two cones of every thread color and have two bobbin winders, so production never stops for lack of supplies or equipment.42:05
Kate and Tom also learned the importance of clear communication and a positive attitude with customers. “If I keep positive from the minute they call me until they’ve picked up that quilt and walked out the door, I think that that influences how they respond,” Kate says.48:30 This approach has helped them avoid most customer issues and build lasting relationships.
Work-Life Balance and the Realities of High-Volume Quilting
Kate and Tom typically work 50–60 hours a week, often from 8 or 9 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m., including weekends.34:46 But the business gives them flexibility: “If Tom wants to go play golf, he goes to play golf…We get stuff in and we have children and grandchildren. So, it’s not like we’re totally glued to the machines, but overall, we keep them running all day, every day,” Kate says.34:53
They value being able to set their own schedule, take vacations, and enjoy family time. “It gives us that flexibility to be able to do, to live our life the way we want to live it and not be glued to a nine-to-five or whatever, you know, a boss,” Kate shares.45:10
Still, the work is demanding, and both admit they’d like to scale back eventually. “At this stage, we have less, we have more money than we have time,” Tom reflects.36:25 Despite the long hours, they appreciate being able to work from home and the ability to fit work around their lives. Tom jokes, “I never wanted to work for myself and I never wanted to work from home. But I have loved working from home because…you can decide I’m going to, I’ve got a quilt loaded and I’m going to watch the hockey game. So I’m just going to go out there every 15 minutes and start maybe as many as three machines and get the stitching done while I’m watching a hockey game”.46:29
They also emphasize the importance of keeping work enjoyable and maintaining a positive relationship with each other and their customers, even when the workload is high.
Advice for New and Aspiring Longarm Quilters
Kate believes there’s still room for newcomers: “I do. I think that it’s going to be a continuing business for a long time”.53:31 She sees younger quilters entering the field and encourages anyone interested to take advantage of today’s abundant resources, from online videos to guild support.
Her final advice: focus on service, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to charge what your time is worth. “People come in, and I don’t care how good a quilter they are…I always start by saying, you know what, there’s no quilt police…that usually puts them at ease”.51:43
Kate is also generous with her knowledge, offering advice on piecing, binding, and troubleshooting to customers who ask. She encourages new longarmers to be open to learning and to help others in the quilting community.50:38
For those worried about competition or market saturation, Kate points to the steady demand and the importance of reliability and service: “Once you get a customer for the first time and do a good job and do it quickly…then it takes off, but it’s a long runway”.30:24
“I do. I think that it's going to be a continuing business for a long time.”
Questions this interview answers
How much should I charge for edge-to-edge longarm quilting?
Kate Wellen charges 2.8¢ per square inch for edge-to-edge quilting, and recommends factoring in all your time—including prep work—when setting your rate.37:30
How do you build a customer base for a new longarm quilting business?
Kate joined local guilds, quilted charity quilts for free, and showed her work at quilt shops to build trust and word of mouth. It took six to eight months to gain traction beyond friends.17:26
How important is turnaround time in a quilting business?
Turnaround time is a major differentiator. Kate and Tom’s two-week (or faster) turnaround helped them stand out and retain customers, even when others had seven-week waits.4:16
Should I charge for quilt preparation?
Yes. Kate regrets not charging for prep work (ironing, trimming, squaring) from the start, as it can be time-consuming and is not fair to customers who bring ready-to-load quilts.40:42
Is there still room to start a longarm quilting business today?
Kate believes the field is still robust, with younger quilters entering and plenty of demand for quality, reliable service.53:31
Source
This article was written from Episode 47 of Quilting Business Success with Kate Wellen. Quotes are verbatim and link to the moment in the recording. Full transcript · Markdown version.