Interview with Lady Bug Threads, a Longarm Quilting Business – Bountiful & Layton, Utah

Hello, quilter! Today, we are interviewing Shauna of Ladybug Threads!  In addition to owning a longarm quilting business in the Bountiful, Utah, area, Shauna is also a Handi Quilter National Educator! She’s excited to share her story with you today.

Handi Quilter: How did you start longarm quilting?

Shauna: I got into quilting because my aunt offered her longarm to me when her health declined. I had never finished a quilt top before and figured I should learn how to quilt so that I could use this big machine. I didn’t understand at the time how big longarms were and when my aunt asked if I wanted the machine, she followed up with, “Do you have the room for it?”

I’ve talked with Aunt Kathy since she gave me the machine and I’ve told her how her one small decision has changed the entire trajectory of my life. She told me that it’s like Harry Potter. Much like the wand chooses the wizard, she said the longarm machine chose me!

Handi Quilter: What made you decide to start a longarm quilting business?

Shauna: I decided to go into business with my longarm as Ladybug Threads because we had three small children, and it was a good way to bring in some extra income while I was able to stay home with the kids. It also allowed me to look at all of the beautiful quilts that people make without having to make them myself! There are so many amazing quilt patterns out there and there’s never enough time to make them all. I’ve been quilting now for about eight years and I think I’ve done probably 500 quilts in that timeframe. It’s hard to guess exactly how many I’ve done but during the Christmas season, I definitely get more than my fair share of quilts finished in a short time.

Handi Quilter: What do you love about running a longarm quilting business?

Shauna: I found one of the most helpful things in running a longarm business is making sure to discuss the quilt with the quilter! I love to find something I love about every single quilt that I’ve worked on, and that lets my customers know that their hard work is appreciated. I also love talking with all of my clients. It’s pretty amazing how I can come away from a quilt intake appointment feeling like I just had a therapy session. So many of these quilters have their own stories to tell and quilting has become a cathartic outlet for them. I feel so blessed that they choose to share that healing experience with me as well.

Handi Quilter: What do you love about running a longarm quilting business?

Shauna: Something that I do offer for my clients is to trim their quilt when it it’s off the Longarm. This makes it easier for them to take it home and start binding right away. However, I always have to ask to make sure I understand how they want to finish their quilt. If I assume that they’ll be doing binding the traditional way, then find out they were planning to do the fold over method, it can cause some problems! Luckily, I haven’t dealt with that yet because I always ask how they want to finish their quilt. I do offer binding services as well, using the long arm to attach the binding to the quilt top while it’s still loaded on the frame. I have one sweet lady that loves to do the hand binding And so I attach it on one side of the quilt and trim it up for her and then she will sit and do the hand binding at home.

Handi Quilter: Where are you located? Who can send their quilts to you to be longarm quilted?

Shauna: A lot of my clients come to me based on word-of-mouth, but I try to do a lot of posting on social media to encourage potential clients to find me that way. I serve most of the cities and counties along the Wasatch front in Utah. The majority of my people are in Davis County, but I have people shipping me quilts from all over the United States as well. I even have a customer that likes to bring her quilts to me from Hawaii when she stops to visit family.

Handi Quilter: How should a longarm client prepare quilts for you? Put another way, what are best practices?

Shauna: I’ve learned it’s best to have standard practices for accepting quilts from customers. Some quilters have a background in hand quilting, and they are used to trimming the backing to the same size as the quilt top. To make this more streamlined I have a page on my website that explains the process and expectations for quilts that will be sent in to me. I also offer an intake form on my website so that people can fill out the form before they ship or bring in the Quilt to me. After someone fills out the intake form, I reach out to them to follow up with their Quilt. Most of the time I can get a quilt finished in 2 to 4 weeks, but as we get closer to the Christmas rush, it takes a little bit more notice to get quilts finished in time.

Handi Quilter: What happens once a quilt is finished being longarmed?

Shauna: After I get a quilt finished, I always open it up and show the customer when they come to pick it up. I like to look at it with them to make sure they’re satisfied with the results. IIf I’m shipping out the quilt instead then I make sure to take several pictures to send to the client before I ship it out. I want them to see the finished results and let me know if there are any issues so that I can take care of it before I send it home. This means that I have almost more photos of quilts on my camera roll than photos of my kids. Almost, but not quite!

Handi Quilter: Do you have any advice for current or aspiring longarm business owners?

I upgraded my machine from the original HQ Sixteen to an Amara 20 in 2020. Getting computerized was the best decision I ever made for my business. My business tripled because I could get Quilt finished a lot quicker. To me having Pro-Stitcher is 100% worth it!

I upgraded my machine through a local retailer and they offered classes through Handi Quilter for new owner training. While I was there I made good connections with some amazing people and they (Kaye Collins) told me to apply to the program to be a National Educator.

Handi Quilter: What do you love about longarm quilting in Northern Utah?

Shauna: I love meeting people, building relationships with my customers, and, of course, longarming their quilts! I love to hear the story behind why a quilt was created and who it’s for.  I’m really so lucky to have the job that I do!

Thank you, Shauna!

Thank you for sharing your story as a longarm business owner on the Handi Quilter blog, Shauna! If you’d like to connect with Shauna, you can check out her website HERE!