Hello My Lovely Testers!
Thank you so much to everyone that has filled out the form to be a tester for me! There were well over 100 of you, and I fully intend to use every single one of you! Please review this page to understand tester expectations. If these expectations do not work for you, please email me directly (ladybugthreads@gmail.com) to have your name removed from the tester pool.
Here’s some info on how things work:
1. I will longarm for you for free… BUT only on the quilts that you have tested for me. You will need to pay shipping to send/return your quilt. You would be surprised what you can ship in a large Priority box through USPS! I would plan on about $20 one way for shipping, and I can *usually* ship it back in the same box (another $20). You will need to provide your own backing and batting. Thread is included in longarm quilting. You do not have to use me to finish your quilt! I just offer the free quilting as a small incentive to help my testers get their test projects done on time. Your quilt does not have to be sent to me immediately, but I can only accept quilts for free quilting if they were completed by the deadline. Please note: testers must provide their own fabric and notions.
2. I usually only ask for 5-10 testers per pattern, depending on how many size options are offered for each pattern. You will have the option to select what size of quilt you can complete. When you offer to sew a queen/king size quilt, I expect a queen/king size quilt finished by the end date. Now, don’t be stressed about the large number of quilters in my tester pool! I have several patterns in the works and would absolutely love if I had several different groups testing at one time. So don’t be discouraged if you are not selected for this first round.
3. Deadlines are firm. I understand that life happens and I will never hate you for not finishing a quilt. I have been there! But be aware that if you do not finish the quilt on time you will likely not be asked back for more testing. This has nothing to do with you. It’s all about getting the finished patterns where they need to be.
4. Please share your pictures and progress on social media! That is encouraged, and all testers will have a spotlight on my main page when the pattern is finished and released. As part of your feedback on the pattern, you can send me a headshot, pics of the finished quilt, and your preferred handle for Instagram so I can feature your hard work! However, I do not allow any part of the pattern to be shared. Do not share the pdf with friends, do not send screen shots, do not post Reels that show any part of the pattern. The only exception would be the cover page. Sharing the cover page or quilt flimsy are perfectly acceptable! As a tester you will get the finished pattern for free once we’ve found all the typos. 😊
Test Feedback must be emailed to me on the date of the deadline. I will provide a form for you to fill out. I prefer to have you submit the form via my website. There will be a link provided for your feedback so you can fill out the form on your phone/computer. But if you need me to send a pdf file of the form so you can submit it via email that is fine. Please included in your Tester Feedback:
- Feedback form
- Photos of your completed quilt (please take good photos so the quilt pattern can be showcased on IG. You do not need professional photos, but try to avoid crumpling your quilt in a corner as proof that it is complete 😉)
- Personal Headshot – this is to be included in the “Featured Testers” post when the pattern goes live
- IG Handle or Website – to be linked to you on the “Featured Tester” post.
If you have any questions feel free to email me or message me on Instagram. Once you have been selected as a tester you will be added to a group on Instagram messenger to allow you to interact with the other testers on your project. You can ask questions for clarification and just generally socialize with other quilters that are also testing the pattern.
I will be sending out an email in the next week with directions for the first test pattern. Hint: it requires the use of solid fabrics! So if you cannot test with solids this time around, I need to know!
Thanks to everyone who joined in, I’m so excited to have you all here! Thank you for the amazing show of support and I can’t wait to get you all testing!
Ladybug Threads Quilting
