Today, we’re delving into what every longarmer should know about insuring and protecting their longarm sewing machine! In fact, every quilter should make sure that all of their quilting supplies and equipment are adequately protected!
At Jukebox Quilts, we recently chatted with a young woman that experienced a nightmare with her sewing and quilting supplies. She moved, and everything related to sewing magically disappeared off the truck: her longarm sewing machine, domestic machine, fabrics, rulers, all of it.
Sometimes, we experience disastrous events that are out of our control. In fact, we’ve had customers’ machines damaged by lightning strikes and entire homes consumed by fires and floods. But, have you taken the time to make sure you and your quilting supplies are protected? Read through our different tips for insuring and protecting your equipment.
If you’re looking for quilting supplies — including sewing machines — visit Jukebox Quilts in Fort Collins. Our team is here to help you finally finish that project you’ve been working on or feel inspired to tackle something new.
Insure and Protect Your Supplies
Whether you quilt as a hobby or set out to operate your own quilting business, you want to make sure all of your supplies are insured and protected! That’s why we’ve come up with a list of thirteen things that we believe every quilter should know and consider.
But before you read it, we just want to acknowledge that our team is not in the insurance industry — we just want your sewing machines and quilting business to stay protected! That’s why we are only offering suggestions. If you are ready to move forward with insuring your longarm sewing machine and quilting studio, make sure you discuss that decision with an insurance agent!
Take Video Records of Your Quilting Studio
Every few months, walk around and video your sewing studio. Show what is in drawers, closets, your machines, fabric stash, books, rulers, etc. The girl we mentioned above was asked to provide this kind of proof, but Who takes the time to photograph their ruler collection?
This is actually a good idea to have for your entire house if you experience a house-wide disaster.
Keep Track of Your Spending
Keep your purchases in a spreadsheet or accounting program. Make sure this information is backed up somewhere beyond your computer!
Save Your Receipts
Scan all receipts and also store in a cloud account.
Keep Your Files Backed Up!
Backup all digital patterns in a cloud account. If you purchase encrypted patterns, keep your receipts in the cloud. The company that provided the patterns may require proof of your purchases and that the machine was destroyed and not sold in order to reissue them. You’d think they’d have records, but if they have changed accounting or point of sales systems it might mean it would be difficult for them to track everything down.
Take Inventory of Your Quilts
Document, photograph, and get appraisals on your quilts. This is a whole other topic to discuss with your insurance agent.
Meet with Your Insurance Rep ASAP
The second you decide to purchase a longarm, call your insurance rep. If you plan on using it only for your own quilts, a rider may not be necessary, but the value of the machine might change that.
Insure Your Business
The second you make any money on quilting, whether it’s a $15 prize at the county fair or doing customer quilts, you’re no longer a hobbyist. We’ve known California quilters who learned this the hard way after wildfires destroyed their home. If the insurance company finds that you have a “business,” you might find all of your quilting supplies are no longer covered under your homeowner’s policy.
Look at the Replacement Value
Insure your longarm for replacement value, if possible. We’ve worked on three machines affected by lightning and one was unfixable. Fortunately the owner had it fully insured and we were able to retrofit it to a computerized model.
Be safe.
We’ve had customers pack up their machine head and customer quilts prior to losing their homes to a fire. Please: machines are replaceable (especially if properly insured) so never put yourself at risk! There are probably more important and irreplaceable things to pack in your car if you have time.
Unplug Your Machine
If you only take one thing away from this bit of information, let it be that you should UNPLUG your machine when it is not in use, especially if you are away from home or a storm is predicted. Do not think that a surge protector or battery backup system will protect it from lightning — they won’t. A nearby strike will potentially damage items left plugged in. We had a strike that came in through our cable, blew out our router and a cable box. It spared my machines, but was a valuable lesson.
Make Sure UPS Are Safe
Speaking of uninterrupted power supplies (UPS), make sure you speak with your dealer or the machine manufacturer about using these. Generally, they are recommended for your computer but not for the controller (robotic system/motion control). If you have an outage, save your project on your computer, close everything down, and unplug your equipment. This will prevent damage if there is a surge when things come back on.
Additionally, UPS systems are not meant to be used so you can continue sewing. They can also fail over time. If you unplug, turn the unit off or it will continue to beep.
Save, and Save Again!
The second you set up a new project, name and save it. Some programs won’t auto save unless you’ve done this. We’ve learned this the hard way for the second time this last weekend at a show. Someone (who will remain nameless) unplugged the booth lights and the power strip to the machine in the middle of a edge to edge. There are ways to recover, but it was rather annoying and, believe me, he heard about it!
Insure Your Customers
Finally, make sure you have the right insurance coverage if you have customers coming into your home to drop off or pick up. A trip and fall could be devastating. Most insurance companies can provide an inexpensive policy to protect you from this — similar to a policy that is used by home piano teachers, etc.
Jukebox Quilts
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Instead, take the proper steps now to ensure that your sewing machine, quilting supplies, and business are insured and protected. On top of that, you’ll get peace of mind knowing that, in the event of a disaster, your important investments are secure.
At Jukebox Quilts in Fort Collins, we offer a wide selection of sewing machines and quilting supplies. Once you feel confident in protecting your quilting business, come shop for all of the supplies and materials you need!
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