The Electric Quilt Company: Users: Newsletters and EQ Mailings

CONTENTS: Announcements - Ask EQ - Free Stuff - Works For Me - Show & Tell - Quilt University - Printing on Fabric - Quilters' Colors Patriotic Pin - Tips For Printing On Fabric - Linda Franz - Betty Ensz & Laura Jane Quint - Create a Coloring Book.

An interview with
Betty Ensz & Laura Jane Quint
Owners of Applique Graphics

Overlay Sheets

Betty Ensz and Laura Jane Quint are EQ users and new business partners in a company called Applique Graphics. They produce printable self-adhesive template sheets and clear overlay sheets for applique -- perfect for printing on with EQ. We got to know Betty and Laura and their products when they helped demo EQ at several quilt shows. Admiring their products and their partnership, we thought they might have some helpful information for other EQ entrepreneurs.

Q: Tell us about each of your quilting backgrounds.
A: Laura Jane: I've been quilting for over 10 years. I started with machine piecing and was intrigued with applique. I like a challenge and the possibilities that applique give me.

Betty: I've been quilting for more than 20 years. I began quilting by helping my mother, but I never really did a quilt by myself until about eight years ago. I also started with machine piecing, but I always longed to create one of those "wow" quilts, and for me that meant applique. I enjoy the portability of an applique project, since I have lots of opportunities to 'put in a few stitches' at inopportune places.

Q: How did you two get together?
A: We both attend the same church and learned to know each other through various women's events. We also started going to the same quilt guild. We realized that we had similar interests and frustrations, particularly in regards to applique, and got to be friends.

Template Sheets

Q: How did you decide to start a company?
A: The inspiration for using applique graphics was born because we wanted to promote applique to people who would not normally even try it because of the labor-intensive preparation time associated with applique. We wanted to get better results with less prep time, and decided that there had to be a better way. It was going to take someone, and why not us, to think of and implement this better way.

Laura: I tried sticky label paper but it was too rigid and did not hold to the fabric when handled during the applique process. I searched for an alternative material. Then I discovered this 'stuff.' Because it is not paper, it conforms to the fabric and adheres to fabric very well. This 'stuff' is easy to cut, does not require an iron, is printable and allows the applique project to be totally portable. We call this stuff " Self Adhesive Template Sheets."

Betty: We live in a "microwave" world today and time is of the essence. We all want to make the most of our time. With our products, we now have more time to practice our stitching instead of wasting time proving that we can trace a design onto fabric, freezer paper, etc. Our method and products are designed to take the Big Waste of Time (BWOT) out of applique by reducing preparation time to a bare minimum. The best part is that these products are not just for applique but are applicable for so many other quilting/fabric art applications. Much of what Applique Graphics is today was "dreamed up" during the night while sleeping.

Q: How do you divide the work load between the two of you?
A: Laura: I have a full-time job, so Betty spends most of the day being available for phone questions, orders, e-mails, etc.

Betty: Laura has been blessed with the talent of being able to draw, design, and dream. I've got more time available she I don't have a job outside the home and therefore can spend my time creating the actual project. I keep the books for Applique Graphics, Inc., write instructions, determine fabric requirements, produce patterns, and do whatever needs to be done to keep the office going. On the average we also work together two evenings a week.

Q: What are some of the things you've learned, or that surprised you most, about having a business?
A: We learned that having a business is like taking care of a newborn - a newborn is helpless and dependent upon its mother every minute of the day, and a business of our own is continually dependent upon us. In order for a business to be successful and survive it must be given continual attention even when it is not convenient.

The biggest surprise has been how often we have been asked to speak. We have spoken at various quilt guilds as well as at the Schoolhouse Series at Quilt Market, given demos, and have also taught classes. Women are "hungry" for a better method and are eager to learn about it. We never dreamed this business would lead us to speaking in front of large groups.

Q: How do you use EQ4 in your business?
A: Maybe it would be easier to answer what we do that does not include EQ4. EQ4 is the first place we go when we begin to think about designing a pattern or begin to prepare for a class. We presently have four patterns and three of these patterns were designed by using EQ4 exclusively or in combination with another EQ product. Our patterns include pre-printed self-adhesive templates and pre-printed clear overlays. EQ4 generates the template shapes which we print on the self-adhesive template material, and EQ4 also generates the overlay design so perfect placement is possible.

Q: Based on what you've learned, what words of wisdom would you have for other would-be quilting entrepreneurs?
A: - Go to a Small Business Development Center and ask for help in starting a business. Drawing up a business plan was not the most desirable job in the world but proved very necessary and informative. We learned so much by going through their process.

- Always be open and attentive to your business developing in ways that you never dreamed.

- Listen to what the quilting market is saying and be willing to make adjustments in your plan.

- Be prepared to work long, hard, and tirelessly.

- Don't try to hold down a full-time job and start a new business at the same time. It is very hard to do justice to either one - very stressful too!

Electric Quilt Company carries Applique Graphics Clear Overlay sheets, Self-Adhesive Template sheets, and the Combo Packs on our Other Products of EQ Interest page.