Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lankhorst.
Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my quilting journey through my day job. I went to SCAD and got an Interior Design degree and was working at a furniture dealership as a designer here in Savannah. I was a member of the International Interior Design Associate (IIDA), and for our local chapter, we had a pillow event to make a pillow out of fabric. I loved making the pillow so much that I looked up sewing and quilting videos and was immediately hooked.
That was over ten years ago now. I started my Instagram page, Quilt Please, as a way to stop posting so many quilt pictures to friends and family. I then started selling quilts and teaching classes. Last year, I decided to take the leap and make Quilt Please an LLC and get what is called a longarm. This machine helps put the final quilting texture on top of quilts to fuse all the layers together. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any road in life is never smooth. This has been an interesting journey from hobby to side hustle. I didn’t know if I could get the funding for the long arm.
They are not cheap machines, but thanks to family, I was able to accomplish my dream. The most gratifying thing about this road has been the people I have met and grown close to. There is something amazing to be said about friends who share your love of something. You can create such a deep connection with others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Quilts are so personal and labor intensive. The combination of those things creates a lot of love and pride for what you make. People send me their labors of love and trust me to help enhance their creations. Whether it’s for themselves, a friend, a new baby, or whomever. I get to be a part of that quilt’s story.
I take such pride in that honor that I believe that is what sets me apart. I love to share the stories of the quilts and the process and remain honest. I also believe that with such a social media-facing company, it’s important to be real with people and not just fun to look at but educational and relatable.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
Learning to make something can heal parts of you. While slowly learning the skill, you’re slowly mending and coming to terms with things you can’t control and the things you can and finding joy where you can.
Pricing:
- Longarm quilting starts at $0.022/sq.in.
- Custom quilting starts at $0.035/sq.in.
- Custom quilts starting at $250
- T-shirt quilts starting at $225
Contact Info:
- Website: www.quiltplease.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quiltplease/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuiltPlease
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJ8s5NBAxmvfzRJUL9XGTw
Image Credits
Zach Barnard
