Meet Francine Blake of Buffalo Flatts Quilt Company

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 Francine Blake of Buffalo Flatts Quilt Company. We talked about her amazing time management and organizational skills, getting a consistent workload of quilts while teaching full time, and making plans for Quiltcon!

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

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

Francine Blake, Buffalo Flatts Quilt Company

Located: Roselle, IL (Chicago)
In business: 1.5 years
Machine and software: Handi Quilter Amara with Prostitcher
In the Longarm League: 2 years!

Where to find Francine
Website: https://www.buffaloflattsquiltco.com
Instagram: @buffaloflattsquiltco
Pinterest: Buffalo Flats Quilt Company
Best way for someone to contact you for quilting? Instagram message or email me through my website. 

Q&A

Tell us a little about your business and the services you provide at Buffalo Flatts Quilt Company.
We are an online fabric shop offering longarm quilting, fabric bundles, yardage and precuts.  We offer a penny of the month pantograph special, batting, binding, etc.

Do you have any advice for someone just starting out with their business?
Go for it! Jump in with two feet and just keep swimming through the trials and tribulations!

How did you get started longarm quilting?
As I became obsessed with quilting, I saw quilters with these amazing finished quilts that had details I could never get on my domestic machine. The more I saw, the more I researched and I knew I had to have a longarm! It's a great business that compliments my love of quilting.

Could you tell us about a business "win" you've had?
Gaining consistency! A 2022 goal was to have a minimum of 2 quilts per week and that goal has been achieved!

What pantograph(s) have you been loving lately?
I always love Marmalade, Diagonal Plaid, and Feathered Spirals.

What is your favorite notion for longarm quilting?
Red Snappers - no more pin pricks!

What's your favorite part of making a quilt?
The anticipation of what the finished look will be!

Favorite snack while sewing?
Is there only one? Candy Corn Pumpkins, Swedish Fishies, Coffee. Always coffee. And wine!

What other hobbies do you enjoy aside from quliting?
Cross Stitch and traveling.

If you'd like to watch the coaching call with Francine 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, we offer our Rookie Season course twice a year! We just started our fall session; our next class will begin in March 2023. You can see all the details, get on our waitlist, and read about how the course has helped previous students here.

Thanks so much for talking with us this month Francine!