Leslie Reid of Reedy River Quilts

Each month in the Longarm League, we hold a coaching call with one of our members to talk about their business. This month I sat down with Leslie Reid of Reedy River Quilts. We talked about her quilting journey - moving from decades of hand quilting to finding a love of longarm quilting after developing arthritis, using social media to find your quilt community, and strategies for building a client base.

While League members have full access to the recording of the call, we asked Leslie to share a little more about herself and her business with our blog readers.

Without further ado, let's meet Leslie...

Leslie Reid, Reedy River Quilts

Located: Greenville, SC
In business: 8 months
Machine and software: Innova Mach 3 with Auto Pilot
In the Longarm League: Almost one year

Where to find Leslie
Website: https://www.reedyriverquilts.com/
Instagram: @reedyriverquilts
Best way for someone to contact you for quilting? Fill out my intake form here, or email questions to [email protected]

Q&A

Tell us a little about your business and the services you provide at Reedy River Quilts.
I offer computerized edge-to-edge longarming services to both local and mail-in clients.

How did you get started longarm quilting?
For close to 30 years, I hand quilted all my quilts. Several years ago, I developed arthritis in my hands which makes it hard to hand quilt. I started looking at longarms, but my first experience with them was free motion quilting which was not for me (I have zero drawing ability). About two years ago, I was facing a layoff and really wanted something I could fall back on financially. I looked at longarms again, but this time I looked at computerized models. I purchased an Innova with embroidery functionality from one of my local quilt stores.

To learn all I could about my machine, I took additional classes and earned a Certificate of Longarm Mastery last spring, signed up in the summer for Rookie Season and had my business started in the fall.

Could you tell us about a favorite "win" you've had?
I entered a quilt show for the first time in 2022, and won first place in the large quilt category for my quilt Neptune's Gift (pictured below).

What pantograph(s) have you been loving lately?
While I personally lean toward more traditional pantos - swirls, flowers, and feathers, I like to use a variety of pantograph styles on my quilts so that clients can see a range of samples when choosing the design they want for their own quilt.

What's your favorite part of making a quilt?
Definitely choosing the fabric!

Favorite snack while sewing?
I don't usually snack while sewing; I'm afraid I'll get stains on the quilt. :)

What other hobbies do you enjoy aside from quilting?
Reading and baking

If you'd like to watch the coaching call with Leslie or are interested in being a guest, we'd love to have you join us! You can learn more about membership here. And if you're interested in starting your own longarm quilting business, check out our Rookie Season course! You can see all the details, read about how the course has helped previous students, and get your business journey started here.

Thanks so much for talking with us this month Leslie!