Welcome to It’s A Zizza Machine Quilting! Browse through my website and don’t hesitate to contact me if you need more information. You can find me on facebook, Instagram and Pinterest by searching for It’s A Zizza. I’ve replaced my Awards page and Gallery page with these social media platforms because they are so much easier to add and edit than this website.

NEWS

MORE CHANGES

Covid continues to drive changes here at It’s A Zizza. I am so blessed to have such great customers and I want to continue to do a good job for them in a timely manner. As a result, I am no longer taking on new customers. A huge shout out to all of you who have referred people to me in the past. I love you. You have helped me grow my business and I am grateful.

If you are in search of a longarmer, I suggest contacting your local quilt shop or guild for recommendations.

Thank you so much for thinking of me!

COVID-19 DRIVES CHANGES AT IT’S A ZIZZA

2020 has been an eye-opening year for me. The pandemic and all that goes along with it, has woken me up to changes I’ve needed to make. I just didn’t know I needed to make them!

I need to focus more on my family and my health. Both are good and I’d like them to stay that way. The changes I’m making aren’t earth shattering but probably something you’d like to know.

I am no longer doing custom quilting of any kind. If an all over, edge-to-edge design is what you’d like, I’m your girl!

I’m reverting back to “old school” scheduling. I will schedule quilts by the week. When that week is full, I’ll schedule the next quilts into the next week. This will eliminate my 3 week turnaround time if many quilts come in at once. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you for your understanding and I am wishing you health and happiness in the coming year.

I am full of vaccination anticipation!

TENTH ANNIVERSARY

It’s the tenth anniversary of the opening of It’s A Zizza Machine Quilting in October 2020!!

After 10 years, I’ve decided to raise my prices. Go to the Pricing page for details.

CHECK OUT MY VIRTUAL LECTURE! Go to the Lectures and Workshops page for more info. Available through Zoom.

I’m working on making all my lectures and workshops available virtually. Stay tuned.

COVID – 19 Response

It’s business as usual here at It’s A Zizza with some exceptions. I have implemented contactless drop off and pickup. It’s been working well.

Let me know when you’d like to drop off. Once I receive your quilt, I will quarantine it. When I’m ready to work on it, we can discuss patterns, batting, thread etc. through a phone conversation or email. I will give you a quote at that time or before you drop off whatever you prefer. Many of my clients leave the pattern selection up to me. If you would prefer to choose one yourself, I can email you images of patterns so you may choose the one you like. When your quilt is finished, I will email you the invoice and pick up instructions. Please call with any questions you have.

Thank you and stay safe!

I WAS SELLING ONE OF MY MACHINES AND SOMEONE TRIED TO SCAM ME

I recently listed my Gammill for sale and a “John Roberts” tried to scam me.

An email offer to buy my Gammill was sent to me from “John Roberts” saying he would like to buy it. When I asked him if he was local, if he wanted to test drive it or needed more pictures, he didn’t answer. (Immediately, red flags started popping up.) Instead, he asked for my cell number so we could text. I agreed. His offer included the asking price plus $100 for taking it off the market and holding it, and an extra amount to be paid to the movers when they picked it up. The excess amount totaled $5050. He said he would send a cashier’s check. I was intrigued. The idea that moving people would come in, dismantle the machine and take it away, all without me lifting a finger, was very, very appealing. At this point I was suspicious but decided to ride the train until I became exposed to risk.

A theme started to emerge. I would ask for information and he wouldn’t directly answer. The check came but it wasn’t a cashier’s check, it was a bank check. I asked for details and he wouldn’t answer. He seemed disorganized and to have trouble keeping track of information and my texts. I told him I would let him know when the check cleared which the bank told me would be approximately 5 business days. Two days later John started to get pushy. Really pushy. First thing in the morning I received this text:

Him: “I have an urgent favor I need you help me get done this morning

Pls text me back asap”

Me: “What is it?”

Him: “The shipper said they need about $1500 to get some important documents ready and they need the funds today”

Important documents? Again, a major lack of detail. I asked how I was supposed to transfer funds to the shipper. He replied “Cash App.” And that was when I knew he was a scammer. He had sent me money to pay the shippers when they picked up the machine. If I can Cash App them why couldn’t he? The extra money was unnecessary.

All of this was taking place while I waited for my son at the dentist. The bank was a couple blocks away so I stopped in. They couldn’t tell me whether the check was good or not and couldn’t guarantee the check would be good after 5 business days. I decided to call John.

The message I got said the phone was a text only phone. Google told me these phones are used by scammers to buy things off Craig’s List and comparable platforms. I texted him to let him know I left him a voicemail. My phone rang. Caller ID showed his number and I picked up. He hung up. Almost immediately I got a text saying he called and I didn’t answer. Additional confirmation of my suspicions. A few hours later the bank notified me the amount of the check was withdrawn from my account due to “altered or fraudulent check”, not insufficient funds which I was expecting.

I found this whole experience fascinating and wanted to know more about how scammers work and the different types of scams out there. The responses to a Facebook post asking for people’s experiences yielded good information. Another common scam is the buyer sends too much money “accidentally” and requests a reimbursement.

Please be aware of these scams. John Roberts wasn’t very good at his craft and that made it easy for me to be wary. I didn’t lose anything, but I’ve talked to other people who have been scammed by fraudulent cashier’s checks, which I am fairly certain I would’ve fallen for.

My number one takeaway from all the comments I received was EVERYTHING can be faked – cashier’s checks, PayPal accounts, cash.

Here’s some advice I found on the Craigslist website about scams for big ticket items like cars. I feel this translates well to our machines:

• If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The way con artists lure people into their scams is by offering irresistible deals.
• If you can’t meet with the buyer or seller in person because they’re out of the country or are sick, or for any other reason, you should proceed with extreme caution.
• The seller wants to use an online escrow service of their own choosing.
• The seller asks that you wire the money to an overseas account. Especially be wary when they request that you use Western Union, as many scammers use this service.
• There is an urgency to the transaction. Either someone else is looking at the car or they have to sell it in a hurry. Scammers use a sense of urgency to force buyers to do things they wouldn’t normally do if they had enough time to think it through.
• The only contact information is an email address and the buyer or seller claims they don’t have a phone number to give you. (Or as in my case, they have a text only phone)

I’d like to add my red flags from my experience:

1. Lack of details, (names, addresses, etc.)
2. The feeling that the buyer is not paying attention to information you’ve given them or seems disorganized.
3. Adding extra money to your asking price and having a third party pick up the machine. (Turns out this is a very common scam.)
4. Weird spelling and grammar on texts, emails.
5. And as Cindy Roth of Longarm University pointed out when we were discussing this issue, if the buyer doesn’t ask any quilting related questions or any questions at all, that’s a BIG red flag!

Despite all the different scams that exist there are plenty of legitimate buyers out there. Trust your gut, stay aware and pay attention. In the unfortunate event that you are parted with your merchandise or your money, check with your insurance agency. The loss might be covered by your homeowners or business policy.

Good luck and there’s no shame in suspicion!

A CAREER HIGHLIGHT

I won Best Machine Quilting Longarm at the Vermont Quilt Festival 2018 in June. I never saw it coming and was gobsmacked to say the least. Thank you to Lisa McCarthy for choosing me to quilt her Vintage Rose quilt that I won the award for. As I always say – Beautiful in, beautiful out!

* The quilting world lost a bright light when Judy passed away this past year. I am so pleased I was illuminated by her light while she was here!

LORNA PRIESTLEY

I’ve been quilting for her for a couple of years now and she never ceases to amaze me. Lorna recently took time out from her busy schedule entertaining family and friends at her home in Maine to answer some questions. Grab a cuppa and learn why I’m so fascinated by her.

How old are you?

I am 94, and will be 95 in November. I adapt my quilts to my diminished agility in my fingers, by making quilts with larger pieces, and having them machine quilted by you, rather than hand quilting.

How long have you been quilting?

I have been quilting since my retirement from teaching in 1987. I had always made my own clothes, and loved sewing, so it was an easy transition.

Do you use patterns or create your own designs?

I use patterns, but often change them to make them more interesting. My favorites are scrap quilts, with a planned color scheme.

How many quilts have you made in your lifetime?

I have made more than 150 quilts. In the early days I made large quilts, but now, most of my quilts are large throw size. I have a large family, so there is always an occasion where a quilt is a welcome and colorful gift.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the colors in beautiful fabrics, by quilts I see on the Internet, and in my large collection of quilting books. I like using colors together that make the quilt beautiful. I think I have a great hobby, as I am never bored!

See what I mean? And as a point of note – Lorna responded to these questions via email. (I’m lookin’ at you Mom!!)

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