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Laser Quilt Applique Technology's ME Page
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Laser Quilt Applique
Custom Design Appliques
Custom Design Templates
Some Limited Fabric Resale
(see below for fabric ship pricing)
Unique Custom Orders: min. $29+ship
News for 2008-2009
Important notice to all of our Laser Quilt customers:
URGENT USPS NOTICE 2009: we also noticed USPS small flatrate boxes are no longer "small"---the "small" one is now considered "medium" and there are international weight restrictions, etc. There are now 3 sizes of flatrate box. The new "small flatrate" has the same charge the envelope has--but it's small in size, kind of like the old larger video boxes used to be. This has ramifications for us while printing postage in paypal. Our thermal printer does NOT WORK over at the USPS site--it only works in Paypal and UPS. However, Paypal only allows medium flatrate box postage printing, at least at the time of my writing this message. Therefore: your shipment could be delayed by one business day IF we have to take your package into a post office and mail it manually instead of postaging at the shop and putting it in the bin for mail pickup.
INTERNATIONAL SHIP COSTS: We give up. We are now removing international sales options from most ads unless items fit in the flatrate mailer. The shipping costs are astronomical. Unless you write to us, please do not purchase oversized items from us.
PROBLEMS WITH LISTINGS:
After more than ten and one-half years selling on ebay: we FINALLY figured out why our inventory counts are getting to be so frequently wrong even though we do inventory counts every single time we sell something. Here's what ebay does, for example: let's say I have 14 yds of one fabric for sale in my store; I decide to list 7 of those yards up at fixed price, i.e., to take 7 away from the store inventory. Then, during it's 30-day fixed price cycle, I sell 4 yds, leaving 3 yards up at fixed price.
Now here's where the nightmare begins from above example: at the end of it's 30 day cycle, I have 3 yds left. The item ends without being auto-relisted...and I can see it needs to be relisted in my own seller's "My Ebay" area for unsold items. Now, if I go in and click "relist" and just send it out, it reverts to an inventory count of 7 yards INSTEAD of what there really IS left which is 3 yards.
Now, in addition, we've caught ebay doing this, too:
WE ARE FINDING DOZENS OF OLD, SOLD OUT LISTINGS SOMEHOW PICKED UP BY EBAY IN THEIR CONVERSIONS--ITEMS WE HAD LITERALLY SOLD OUT OF AND NEVER REMADE FROM MORE THAN 1 YEAR AGO! JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT MAY TURN OUT AN OBSCURE APPLIQUE ITEM YOU PURCHASE MAY BE GONE. In one day alone, I found 8 such items on, 5/8/2009. NORMALLY, WE FIND ABOUT THIS MANY PER YEAR.
UPDATE on erroneously relisted items: this keeps happening, to the tune of at least one item every two weeks or so.
We are no longer known as a "Limited Liability Company." So please, disregard the letters "LLC" after our logo name. We are not going out of business, per se, but will run what we do as more of a hobby. We WILL be collecting WI state taxes. We would like to liquidate our stock--if you see a fair grouping of things you want, write to us from one of the ads, and we'll make you a deal you can't refuse and list a special fixed price item to buy that includes all things you choose.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: If you have questions or are disgruntled about anything, please write to us immediately--we always look for happy outcomes!
About Appliques*
*your fabrics for APPLIQUE PRODUCTION have the sizing removed BUT our fabrics LOOK like they just came off the bolt AFTER we get done processing them and removing the sizing and PROFESSIONALLY REPRESSING (our fabrics up for resale are NOT prewashed unless otherwise noted, of course)
APPLIQUES:Follow our mailed bonding instructions for appliqués and the main caveat is: DO NOT BOND APPLIQUES TO FABRICS FULL OF SIZING, I.E., never bond properly prepped LQAT appliqués to fabric right off the bolt. NO bonding agent can overcome those chemicals with long-term usage. If you plan to stitch down or glue your edges or make a wall-hanging not meant to be washed, then it’s safer to take your chances. We guarantee that even our more exotic, thicker quilt fabric appliqués will not do well over the decades or with frequent washing machine agitator washings if you do not heed our caveat. Our goal is to give you heirloom quality appliques bondable with the best bonding agent in the fabric industry. Heed our mailed bonding instructions. If you must machine wash applique quilts, fold the quilt in half with appliques turned inward; use gentle agitation; use something like Orvis soaps to wash.
BONDING FAQ: but can't I bond directly to unprepped quilt blocks that have sizing? Sure you can....it's just that we don't guarantee the applique will look 5 years from now as it does the day you bond it if it's frequently washed in harsh detergents or tossed into a dryer with harmful softener sheets, etc We give customers instructions based upon the worst things we've found people doing in applique art.
BONDING FAQ: I've heard SAS2 won't allow needles to go through after bonding. Absolutely false info: go into our store and look at our logo. We did Darcy Ashton (C)(T) designs, by hand, and we hand-sewed hundreds of huge French knots for the Grandma's Bunny tails (C)(T) not only through the first layer of fabric, but even through the batting and backing. FAQ: How come we didn't put one of our own designs in the logo? Because doing blocks by hand gave us the idea for the company and it's historic for us.
IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED FUSIBLE APPLIQUES, THEN YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LASER CUTTING, especially if your appliques have white fabric in them or chartreuse green::
IT USES A HOT BURNING BEAM JUST LIKE IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION--IT IS NOT DIE-CUTTING.
ABOUT LASER CUTTING FABRIC APPLIQUES WITH SAS2 BONDING AGENT APPLIED TO BACKSIDE OF FABRIC---if the items have been stored for awhile in plastic, the disposable papers on the backside can appear slightly discolored and therefore detract from the beauty of the fabric itself when you first look at items--we believe it's a chemical reaction from the laser vapors and the chemicals in the plastic. Lasering may also, on the BACK SIDE, leave a tiny ring of discoloration on the bonding agent--it's not visible when first cutting, but storage in plastic brings it out---once you peel, stick and press, the concern is gone.
Also note: SAS2 bonding agent was never meant to be or manufactured to have paper permanently stuck on the backside--it was only meant to be there for awhile after you open and start using it---so long-term, some tiny pieces like bones and paws for dogs just can't hang onto that paper, and sometimes even the larger pieces can't--which actually makes your job easier since no peeling is involved.
BONDING INSTRUCTIONS
*Main Caveat: chemicals in soaps, dryer sheets and dry cleaning not only break bonds of appliques, they destroy cotton fibers of your quilts
FABRIC-TO-FABRIC APPLIQUE INSTRUCTIONS--BOND WITH THE TIMES AND METHODS GIVEN:
1) Peel off appliqué's paper backing. Leave bonding web material on back of fabric. Place and if necessary replace appliqué where desired before bonding with iron.
NEVER APPLY IRON DIRCTLY TO APPLIQUES EXCEPT TO SPOT BOND FOR A FEW SECONDS! BUT DO NOT USE TEFLON PRESSING SHEET BECAUSE IT BLOCKS TOO MUCH HEAT--SAS2 HAS A HIGH MELT POINT-- FOR BEST RESULTS, USE A PLAIN WHITE HANKY--DOING SO PREVENTS TOASTING, SHINE AND DENTS. NEVER, EVER BOND TO UNWASHED FABRICS FULL OF SIZING. EXAMPLE: MICHAEL MILLER FABRICS WILL BREAK AWAY FROM SIZING CHEMICALS. SIZING IS WHAT MAKES FABRICS LOOK PRETTY ON THE BOLT.
2) Preheat household iron to the appropriate setting for the fabric you are using. The appliqués are 100% prewashed quilting cottons unless otherwise noted—for example, there may be some polyester in some of the quality broadcloths we use. Our products will ADHERE PROPERLY (UNWASHED BLOCKS HAVE SIZING IN THEM WHICH CAN BREAK BONDS of ****any*** bonding agent--ours will be the last one to do so, however) and have the best appearance if bonded to prewashed quilt block fabrics, unless you like the surrounding puckering when the background fabric shrinks, which some quilters like. (Ignore this portion of instruction if bonding to paper or wood products. Avoid scorching or water drips to paper.)(Beware of notions catalogs selling non-prewashed “fusible fabric art”--while very pretty, not suitable for true, washable bed quilts or other washable items.)
3) Press with a few short blasts of steam, holding for 10 to 15 seconds (note: may need more time for Mike Miller glitter fairy frosts) for cotton fabric (adjust temperature and fusing time to type of fabrics or other product). Repeat process ONLY IF NEEDED, overlapping pressed areas. Do not "rub" iron back and forth--instead, lift, then set down to repress.
Tip: how to bond a complex scene with many pieces: spot bond with iron on appliques for just a few seconds until all pieces unmovable and then follow general instructions for permanent bonding.
4) The question of edges: Laser Quilt Appliqué Technology uses only top-of-the-line STEAM-A-SEAM ORIGINAL AND SAS-2 product from THE WARM COMPANY. This superior bonding agent will fuse fabric, paper, cardboard and wood, but was developed specifically for fabrics and has even been used in parachutes, yet a needle will pass through easily enough. It secures unfinished edges so the edges will normally not fray or lift. In addition, your appliqué edges are laser-sealed by Laser Quilt Appliqué Technology.
NOTE: NO BONDING AGENT OR APPLIQUE CAN WITHSTAND
REPEATED AGITATION AGAINST YOUR WASHING MACHINE AND HARSH DETERGENTS, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES WOOLITE. THE APPLIQUE WILL EVENTUALLY FRAY IF YOU DO NOT STITCH OR DECORATIVELY STITCH OR GLUE DOWN EDGES.
WHAT SAS2 CAN WITHSTAND: 3 YEARS AGO, WE REPAIRED AN OUTDOOR AWNING FOR A RESTAURANT--WE USED SAS2 WITH THE CANVAS AND STITCHED HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY OVER THE AREA ACTUALLY TORN. THAT SAME AWNING IS STILL IN USE TODAY, 3 YRS LATER, IN A CITY RIGHT ON ONE OF THE GREAT LAKES AND VERY WINDY.
To prolong the life of a heavily used and/or washed quilt, Laser Quilt Appliqué Technology suggests for consumers that complex-design appliqués with many small curves and points be sparingly zigzag outlined with monofilament (i.e., invisible) thread or embroidered with decorative stitching. Infrequently used or washed quilts and wall-hanging quilts likely will not need edge stitching.
Beware of excessive fabric softener--it can damage the bonding agent actions. If your LQAT appliqué has seam allowances folded under it will need to be stitched down and may look best with decorative stitching.
If your LQAT appliqué has seam allowances folded under it will need to be stitched down and may look best with decorative stitching. Beware of fusing to unwashed fabrics full of chemical sizing...you may have to stitch down applique.
Monofilament thread use tips: Feed thread through at least three thread guides before reaching sewing machine. Example: use a double cone stand with a thread guide bar attached and thread through both of the stands loops and then the bar guide.
Do not over-stretch thread while loading bobbin--this avoids winding impaction that can cause thread to bind up in bobbin during use.
Use a thin wire serger looper to thread machine needles instead of the shiny metallic thread aides because it reduces glare (one reason you can't see the thread). Needles should be new. Still can't thread the needle? Mark the tip of the monofilament thread with magic marker--it stains the thread just enough to be readily seen.
5) Use only accepted quilt-washing techniques using the proper cleaning products. Cotton quilting fabrics cannot last to become heirlooms if you wash them in typical mechanical washers and dryers and use harsh soaps.
Fabric Shipping: Do Not Pay Until Seller Fixes Invoice
Your Purchasing Experience
Laser Quilt expects you to contact us within 3 days to state your paypal payment date. We expect payment within 5 days of the FIRST win or purchase.
If your payment is not to us by the 5th calendar day from your first win, items will be relisted and we will take steps necessary to recover fees, etc. This means we have NO CHOICE but to follow ebay regulations and file a non-bidder report. Then ebay will send you another annoying invoice. If you have made a budgeting mistake, just write to us and be honest---we’ll give you more time IF you have contacted us and will work out something reasonable with you. We're willing to work with you but we can't do that if you avoid contact.
What the buyer can expect in return:
neat, appropriate, professional packaging; unflawed products as shown in ad; rapid response to emails—we try to respond within a few hours, which can seem like a lifetime to an ebayer with a question. We will NOT make repeated attempts to respond to you IF you have ebay mail sent to your spam bin---this is a frequent problem.
What if your product is not completely perfect on arrival? For the rare occasion something rigid has arrived broken, we request you send us a photo of the broken item, making sure it's no larger than 500kb (kilobytes) in size. Send it so seller. We have only had one accident with an acrylic template and now quadruple board them. If you are having problems piecing complex appliqué scenes, write to us immediately and we’ll help.
Please, do not purchase our items and then leave for vacation, forgetting to pay--yup, this has happened more than once.
Do not bid/buy LASER QUILT APPLIQUE TECHNOLOGY items unless you agree to our terms, of course.
What THE BUYER can expect from Laser Quilt Applique Technology’s product and packaging: excellent product sent neatly and well-packaged within 24 business hours and fast communications unless otherwise noted. If you have purchased something on Saturday morning, it might not be able to ship until Monday. We cannot ship on USPS mail holidays either, of course.
More About Refunds and Feedback
The ebay feedback system: we firmly believe in the feedback system. The transaction is NOT over until you receive your item and either leave feedback showing you are satisfied, OR you contact the seller via email to get an issue resolved. We've noticed that some big, busy sellers just leave FB automatically, and we used to to, but over 50% of our buyers would forget to respond with FB. So now we leave closure up to the buyer, and we will NOT forget to leave yours and we WILL remember how fast you paid, etc.
Tip for Newbies: leave feedback on ALL items—you probably don’t know this but it DOES count on your overall feedback score. We find most newbies just leave one FB, even if they bought 10 items, because they mistakenly think it doesn’t matter because it won’t count.
Update on feedback for newbies: if ou are in a rush to collect your feedbacks, after ebay makes it's changes, you can leave up to 2 per week and get 2 per week from same order/same seller and they will count--if done in a so-many week period.
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
All photos and designs copyright to Laser Quilt Applique Technology, LLC. 2005-2009 and beyond 2009.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, EXCEPT FOR HOME/PERSONAL USE AFTER PURCHASE. YOUR PERSONAL USE DOES NOT MEAN WE GIVE UP INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS TO THE DESIGNS. (This statement is basically no different than any simple quilt design pattern book you buy anywhere):
NO PARTS OF THIS DESIGN* MAY BE REPRODUCED OR APPLIED TO PRODUCTS FOR RESALE / RETAIL / WHOLESALE / INTERNET SALES / MASS DONATION IN ANY FORM, and/or BY ANY MEANS---PHYSICAL, GRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC such as copy/pasting, OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING DRAWING / PHOTOCOPYING / RECORDING OR INFORMATION STORAGE-AND-RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS, OR TRACING/HAND-CUTTING, HEAT APPLICATION, ETC.--WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF LASER QUILT APPLIQUE TECHNOLOGY,LLC
*(UNLESS A TYPICAL, CLASSIC DESIGN SUCH AS THE 8-PETAL FLOWER DESIGN, OR A LEAF DESIGN, ETC., HISTORICALLY COMMON TO QUILTING). Except for smooth leaves, circles and triangles, etc., you may assume ALLof our designs are unique works of art unless otherwise stated
WORLDWIDE NOTICE TO OTHER LASER CUTTERS, DECAL CUTTERS, LASER ETCHERS, EMBROIDERERS, HAND-CUTTERS, ETC., AND THOSE WHO GET AN INKLING OF AN IDEA TO DO SOMETHING, EVEN IN ALL INNOCENCE WHICH SEVERAL PRIOR CUSTOMERS HAVE DONE BY SPLASHING OUR DESIGNS AROUND THE INTERNET:
WE ***DO NOT** USE NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL COMMON CD DESIGNS supplied with laser machines! We do NOT use such designs because some contain licensing to the developer or INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNER and are actually illegal to reproduce for resale, such as USA team logos, etc. Our laser machine supplier told us that technically, NOTHING offered on those expensive CDs is copyable for resale of that design unless approved in the literature provided. Laser Quilt Applique Technology upholds other's copyrights--our designs are always at least 30% different. We will NOT resort to CD design use for plotter files.
WE DESIGN/DRAW EVERYTHING BY HAND---WITHOUT EVER ONCE GETTING PAID FOR OUR ARTWORK-- AND OUR ITEMS ARE COPYRIGHTED---IT IS WHERE THE VALUE LIES IN A COMPANY SUCH AS THIS. WE DO NOT WANT TO FIND OUR DESIGNS CUT BY LASERS OR ANY OTHER MACHINISTIC METHODS ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION. THIS HOLDS TRUE FOR HAND-CUTTERS, PAZZLE MACHINE USERS, EMBROIDERY DESIGN DEVELOPERS, ETC. EXAMPLES: We have found our horse and one of our dogs as far away as Finland. Somehow, one of our horses ended up on a world-wide CD for laser cutters, etc. We have seen our dogs etched into jewelry boxes on ebay! We have had other ebay hand-cutters have the gall to steal our design and offer it as appliques in the very dept. we sell in. As artists, manufacturers and retailers of our own concepts from design to finished product, we don't take the thefts lightly.
If we see something we like, we may use the CONCEPT but make it ours by drawing by hand, changing no less than 30% of an integral design change, etc., OR if our design mentality fails us for something new, for example: we use living animals for our animal designs. If we DO produce a classic common to quilting/sewing: if it's almost historically antique in nature, we give credit to the original designer if at all possible (did you know a copyright is good for 75 years?); if it's licensed, we ASK permission from the owner to do something, just like we emailed Mary Engelbreit's legal department when we wanted to use her fabric in our appliques. Designs: we're not talking classic Baltimore Album here, unless unique buildings or something, or classic flower block designs--we ARE talking our animal collections and fantasy collections,etc. ASK us for what you want and tell us about your project: we may sell you the design but you WILL pay to get it.
Example: we used the living Doberman dog for the model with said dog belonging to a friend of ours who lives in another state...so when we caught an ebayer who had stolen it and claimed it as her own, it was ludicrous when she said: "maybe we copied it from the same book she did." #1: when anyone states in their ad that they have copied from modern books: they've broken the law right there--it tells you about their honesty in the first place.
ALL of our designs have hidden mathematical identifiers in them--if you come up with the same design, we can tell it was stolen. The same goes for the few other ebayers who have stolen our designs: we know them when we see them. Please respect our copyrights--those hidden identifiers will hold up in a court of law. 6 episodes of thefts are enough. We can no longer tolerate this on ebay and/or internet thefts. Note to hand cutters: making irregular, sloppy outages of, for example, dog fur does NOT constitute design change; nor does taking a dog head and turning it downward. No excuses that you are an amateur who did not know any better.
Laser Quilt copyright statements are no different than the statements in any quilt design book: you may use other's designs for HOME use, but NOT for profit or for public viewing consumption online or in any format not mentioned here. The problem of this venue is: huge companies don't go after those who are breaking the law: EXAMPLE: it's against the law to cut out Disney characters and sell them as appliques, yet we see this daily. Ebay allows this as long as the owner of the design doesn't complain and have it removed from ebay. So yes, design thefts occur daily and are permitted unless the intellectual property owner complains.
Bottom line: YES, we HAVE given permission for clothiers to use our appliques or display items with our designs on them which constitute the major interest point, etc., but, for example, not the clothier who blatantly put them on her skirt and claimed it was uniquely hers.
Yes, you may make a one-time quilt with our appliques on it to give to someone as a gift--that is not what a copyright statement is really all about. Amatuer quilters tend to read these statements and get all depressed right away, not realizing it that every single product they’ve purchased for quilting embellishments carries the same laws with it.
FAQ: yes, we have given ebay sellers permission to use our designs for applying appliques to clothing for resale on ebay...please write to us first for the details . Violation of copyrights may be punishable by thousands of dollars worth of Federal fines.
We have given individual ebay sellers permission to use our designs for applying appliques to clothing for resale on ebay...please write to us first for the details to see if you qualify. Contractural agreement required.
However, we have given permission for buyers to put our appliques on quilts to be auctioned off for purposes like: dog rescue organizations. A recent creation by one of our customers just sold at auction for $1,800. For humane endeavors such as this, we have no problem as the supplier, but: our buyer did the right thing, too: she handed out our business card and she TOLD her own buyers that the design of the dog was OURS and could not be copied at will.
Another example: we had to petition Singer Sewing Machine Corporation in order to reproduce their classic Singer 221 design as an applique. We were granter permission to produce these in SMALL quantities with the disclaimer for our own buyers that they may NOT reproduce the design themselves for resale in the retail market in any form. This protects Singer, too, should they themselves decide to produce such products in the future.
To Other Published Designers: if you believe one of our designs infringes on your own design, please write to us to obtain comparison. We require you submit your design in simple line, vector format so that we can overlay our own design to figure the percentage of difference.
Taxes andShipping Information:
Wisconsin: based upon the current rate of the county we reside in.
Return Policy, General: No returns for buyer remorse; must have been defective at point of origin prior to seller's careful, sealed, protective packing and shipping.
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