Meet Sara Korinek of Stitch Lab Quilting

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 Sara Korinek of Stitch Lab Quilting. Sara is a lifelong learner and entrepreneur at heart, with a wide-ranging background in retail and business management. We had a great discussion about her experience in running several small businesses over the course of her career, including a custom bag-making business, bike shops, and now longarm quilting! We also dove in to her experience in retail and teaching and talked about her ideas for the future. Sara is always looking ahead, thinking about where she wants to take her current business as well as contemplating what else might be in store down the road. For Sara, the sky is the limit and I can't wait to see what she does in her business next.

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

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

Sara Korinek, Stitch Lab Quilting

Located: Matthews, NC (just outside Charlotte)
In business: 6 months
Machine and software: Bernina Q24 with Q-Matic software on a 12-foot frame
In the Longarm League: 7 months

Where to find Sara
Website: https://www.stitchlabquilting.com/
Instagram: @stitchlabquilting
Best way for someone to contact you for quilting? Complete the Book a Quilt form on my website, email me at [email protected], or text 239-494-0987.

Q&A

Tell us a little about your business and the services you provide at Stitch Lab Quilting.
I provide longarm quilting services. I do computerized E2E quilting and offer additional services such as quilt top preperation, piecing quilt backs, and complete binding services. I also offer complete t-shirt and commission quilt services.

Do you have any advice for someone just starting out with their business?
Read and watch videos about your machine and never stop learning what it can do! I was fortunate to have been able to read through several manuals and online videos while waiting for my machine to arrive. There are also a lot of resources and online groups that are so kind to help each other!

How did you get started longarm quilting?
I have been sewing since I was young and quilting for well over 20 years. I had been finishing quilts on my domestic machine and started to become unhappy with the results and how long it would take me to do the quilting. I felt stuck with straight line quilting and began sending my quilts to a longarmer. I have always been fascinated with systems and processes and learning about how things worked. My interest in how longarms worked grew as I was looking for a career that I could settle into while being available for my teenagers. I asked my husband to help pin-baste a quilt and he quickly got on board with a *better* system to complete quilts. I am an entrepreneur at heart; so it only made since to help others in finishing their quilts as well! I love the creative process and joy of watching a quilt get completed and on its way to a new home!

Could you tell us about a business "win" you've had?
A business win has definitely been building collaborations in the quilting community that have allowed me to have some wonderful quilts come across my longarm. I love working with quilters from all over the country and seeing what they have created and sponsoring quilt alongs has allowed me to do this. I also feel very fortunate to live in a creative community full of quilters and chat with them about all things quilty!

What pantograph(s) have you been loving lately?
I am really enjoying the Best Fronds and Behold pantographs by Jess - they are classic and modern at the same time!

What is your favorite notion for longarm quilting?
I love my Magic Longarm pins used for pinning quilts tops and backing to the leaders.

What's your favorite part of making a quilt?
I actually love cutting out the quilt. I can watch tv and just enjoy cutting the pieces without too much thought! Who am I kidding - I really love all of the steps!

Favorite snack while sewing?
Not really a snack, but I love a good cup of coffee or diet Dr. Pepper!

What other hobbies do you enjoy aside from quliting?
I am an avid runner and cyclist and you can find me exercising in some way daily! I also love traveling with my family and our two dogs; we love to camp and ride our bikes wherever we go! I am also addicted to English Paper Piecing (EPP) and love piecing quilts and pattern testing.

If you'd like to watch the coaching call with Sara 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, enrollment for our Rookie Season course is now open! Class starts in just a few weeks in September and we won't be offering the course again until March of next year. You can see all the details, register, and read about how the course has helped previous students here.

Thanks so much for talking with us this month Sara!