LongArm AssistantLongArm AssistantYour quilting business, running smoothly from the palm of your hand.
The LongArm Assistant mobile app is built around the way long-arm quilters actually work. Quilts come in, move through your shop, go out the door. In between, you're tracking materials, writing estimates, generating invoices, and keeping customers informed. The app handles all of it in one place — so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time at the frame.
From the moment a quilt arrives to the moment payment is recorded, every step has a dedicated workflow. The Pipeline shows you everything in motion. Estimates are built from the intake details you've already entered. Invoices are generated with a tap. Payments are logged and the balance updates instantly.
This guide covers every screen and every action in the app, in the order you'll naturally use them.
Available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The app works on both form factors — layouts adapt automatically.
Download LongArm Assistant from the App Store and open it. Sign in with your LongArm Assistant email and password — the same credentials you use on the web dashboard. If you haven't created an account yet, tap Sign Up to register with your email address.
If you've forgotten your password, tap Forgot password?on the sign-in screen. You'll receive an email with a reset link.
The first time you sign in, a four-step onboarding wizard walks you through the initial setup:
After completing the wizard, you land on the Pipeline — the app's main screen.
The free tier lets you manage up to 3 active quilts at a time. An active quilt is any quilt in Received, Quilting, or Finished status — quilts that are still in your shop. Once a quilt is marked Delivered, it leaves the Pipeline and no longer counts against your limit, freeing up a slot for the next one. At 2 active quilts, you'll see a warning. At 3, you won't be able to add new quilts until one is marked Delivered. Subscribe from the Settings tab to unlock unlimited active quilts.
The Pipeline is the first tab you see when you open the app. It shows every quilt currently in your shop, organized into three status columns: Received, Quilting, and Finished. Delivered quilts move off the Pipeline and into the Delivered tab.
On iPhone, the three status columns are displayed as collapsible sections stacked vertically. Tap a section header to expand or collapse it. This keeps your screen uncluttered when one column has many quilts.
On iPad, all three columns are shown side by side as a Kanban board, giving you a full at-a-glance view of everything in progress.
To advance a quilt's status, tap the quilt card to open its detail screen and use the status transition buttons there. On iPad, you can also drag a quilt card from one column to another directly on the Kanban board.
Each status transition records a timestamp — when quilting started, when it was finished, and when it was delivered. Those dates are used in your weekly summary.
Within each column, you can reorder quilts by pressing and holding a card, then dragging it to the position you want. The order you set here is the order they appear — use it to prioritize what gets done next.
If you use the Customer Intake Form (configured from the web dashboard), submitted forms appear at the top of the Pipeline as a Pending Intake Submissions section. Tap any submission to review its details and convert it into a quilt with one tap — all the customer-entered information pre-fills the new quilt form.
Tap the large Add Quilt button at the bottom of the Pipeline screen to add a new quilt manually. See the Adding a Quilt section for the full form walkthrough.
The Pipeline screen also includes a Calendar button that opens the Planning screen directly — a quick way to check upcoming target finish dates without leaving your workflow. See the Calendar & Planning section for details.
At the top of the Pipeline you'll find access to the Summary modal and Progress Dashboard. See the Summary & Reporting section for details.
Tap the large Add Quilt button at the bottom of the Pipeline screen to open the new quilt form. Every field here can be edited later from the Quilt Detail screen, so you can add just the essentials at drop-off and fill in the rest when you have time.
If a customer submitted your online intake form before drop-off, their quilt appears under Pending Submissions at the top of the Pipeline. Tap the submission, review the details, and tap Convert to Quilt. You'll be prompted to select or confirm a customer, and then a new quilt is created with all the submitted details pre-filled — batting, thread, pattern selection, services, and notes all carry over automatically.
The new quilt appears at the top of the Received column in the Pipeline. Tap it to open the Quilt Detail screen where you can continue filling in intake information, add photos, build an estimate, and more.
The Quilt Detail screen is the central hub for everything related to a single quilt. Open it by tapping any quilt card in the Pipeline, Delivered tab, or Search results.
The current status is shown prominently. Use the status transition buttons to advance the quilt:
Each transition button opens a date picker so you can set the exact date if it differs from today (for example, if you're entering a quilt that was picked up yesterday).
Tap the target date field to change it. This date drives the Calendar and Upcoming views in the Planning tab. If a quilt is past its target date and hasn't been delivered, it will show as overdue.
Tap the share icon to generate a tracking link or QR code for the customer. When they visit the link, they can see the current status of their quilt — without needing an account or login. Share it via text, email, or any messaging app.
Below the header, the Quilt Detail screen is organized into expandable sections — each with a completion indicator showing how much information has been filled in:
Scroll to the bottom of the Quilt Detail screen to find the Delete Quiltbutton. You'll be asked to confirm before anything is removed. Deleting is permanent and cannot be undone.
The intake sections on the Quilt Detail screen capture everything about the quilt before work begins. Completion indicators at the top of each section show how much has been filled in at a glance. All fields are optional — fill in what you have.
Tip: The more intake detail you fill in, the more complete and accurate the estimate will be. Batting and thread sourcing in particular drive whether those items appear as billable line items. Setting up your presets in Settings first means selections here auto-populate the right prices.
The Photos section on the Quilt Detail screen lets you attach images to any quilt — useful for documenting the quilt before you start, capturing the finished product, or noting any damage or issues.
The Notes section is a timestamped log of anything relevant to the quilt — customer conversations, mid-project observations, pickup arrangements, or anything else you want to remember.
The Estimate tab on the Quilt Detail screen is where you price out the work. You can auto-generate line items from the intake data you've already entered, add items manually, apply discounts, and share a professional PDF with the customer — all before the quilt is done.
When you open the Estimate tab, the app automatically generates line items from what you filled in during intake:
Prices are pulled from your rate presets in Settings: Presets & Invoice. Review each item and adjust quantities or prices as needed before sharing.
Tap Add Item to add miscellaneous charges that aren't covered by the auto-generated quilting, batting, binding, or thread lines. These are Other type items — things like rush fees, starch spray, hanging sleeves, or any one-off service you offer:
Tap any existing line item to edit its name, quantity, or price. To delete a line item, swipe left on it or use the delete button that appears when editing.
If you have Collect Tax enabled in Settings: Display & Tax, tax is calculated at the bottom of the estimate using your configured rate. By default, all line items — including quilting and binding — are taxable. If your state or jurisdiction does not charge sales tax on quilting or binding services, you can toggle those exemptions in Settings so they're excluded by default on every estimate. You can also override the tax-exempt flag on any individual line item directly on the estimate.
If your estimate subtotal falls below the minimum quilting charge you've set in Settings: Presets & Invoice, you'll see a warning. You can still proceed — it's a reminder, not a block.
Estimates move through a lifecycle: Draft → Sent → Accepted (or Declined). Use the status buttons to advance the estimate as you communicate with the customer. The status is visible on the Quilt Detail overview.
Tap the Share button to generate a professional estimate PDF. The PDF includes your business name and address (from Settings: Presets & Invoice), the line items, subtotal, tax, and total. Share it via email, text message, or any app on your phone.
When the quilt leaves your shop, tap Mark as Delivered on the Quilt Detail screen and confirm the delivery date. As soon as you do, the app will prompt you:
"Ready to create an invoice? This will finalize your estimate and generate an invoice you can share with the customer."
Tap Create Invoice to generate the invoice from your estimate line items. You can also skip this and create the invoice later from the Invoice tab on the Quilt Detail screen.
The Invoice tab on the Quilt Detail screen shows:
Tap the Share button on the Invoice tab to generate and share an invoice PDF. The PDF includes your business name, address, and invoice terms (from Settings: Presets & Invoice), plus all line items, payment history, and the remaining balance.
Once a quilt is marked Delivered, it moves off the Pipeline and into the Delivered tab at the bottom of the app. From there you can search delivered quilts by name or customer name, and tap any card to reopen the Quilt Detail screen — useful for accessing past invoices, checking payment history, or sharing a PDF.
Payments are recorded from the Invoice tab on the Quilt Detail screen. You can split a payment into multiple installments, record partial payments, and track payments made by different methods.
If you record a payment amount that exceeds the balance due, the app handles it automatically. The extra amount is added as a Tip line item on the invoice — so the math stays clean and the overpayment is documented rather than ignored.
Tap the trash icon next to any payment in the payment history list to delete it. You'll be asked to confirm. The balance due recalculates after deletion.
There's no limit to the number of payments you can record against an invoice. If a customer pays a deposit upfront and the remainder at pickup, record two separate payments. The running balance always reflects what's still outstanding.
The Customers tab shows everyone in your customer list. You can search, filter, and add new customers from here.
Customers are displayed as cards. Each card shows:
Tap the + button to add a customer. A bottom sheet form opens with:
You can also add a new customer directly from the new quilt form — you don't need to visit the Customers tab first.
Tap any customer card to open the Customer Detail screen, where you can view their full quilt history, manage incoming items, edit contact information, and manage addresses.
The Customer Detail screen gives you the full picture for a single customer — their contact info, every quilt you've made for them, quilts they've mentioned but not yet dropped off, and their delivery addresses.
Tap the pencil icon to edit the customer's name, phone number, or email. Tap Save when done. To delete the customer entirely, tap the delete button (available from the edit view). Deleting a customer does not delete their quilts.
A list of all quilts — active and delivered — associated with this customer. Tap any quilt to navigate directly to its Quilt Detail screen.
Pro feature — requires an active subscription.
Incoming Items let you track quilts a customer has mentioned — "I have three more coming in next month" — before they actually arrive. This helps you plan your calendar and gives the customer card an accurate incoming quilt count.
If you deliver quilts or need a mailing address, store it here:
The Search tab (magnifying glass in the bottom navigation) is a global search across all your quilts — both active and delivered.
The search field focuses automatically when you open the tab. Type any part of a quilt name or customer name to filter results. The result count is shown as you type.
Tap any quilt card in the search results to navigate directly to its Quilt Detail screen. Pull to refresh if you've recently added quilts and don't see them in results.
The Pipeline shows only active quilts (Received, Quilting, Finished). The Delivered tab shows completed quilts with its own search bar. The Search tab searches everything — all statuses — making it the fastest way to find any quilt in your history by name or customer.
The Planning screen gives you a forward-looking view of your workload based on quilts' target finish dates. Access it from the Pipeline tab.
The Calendar view shows a monthly grid. Dates that have quilts due show an indicator. Tap any date to see the list of quilts with that target finish date. Tap any quilt in that list to open its Quilt Detail screen.
Toggle to Upcoming for a sorted list of all active quilts ordered by their target finish date — soonest first. Quilts that have passed their target date without being delivered show an overdue indicator. Tap any item to open the Quilt Detail screen.
Target finish dates are set on the Quilt Detail screen and in the new quilt form. Keep them current to get accurate Planning views. Quilts without a target date don't appear in the Calendar or Upcoming list.
The app tracks your activity and surfaces it in two places on the Pipeline tab: the Summary modal and the Progress Dashboard.
Tap the summary icon at the top of the Pipeline to open the Summary modal. Use the toggle at the top to switch between three time periods:
Each period shows the same four metrics:
The Progress Dashboard shows a bar chart of your performance over recent weeks, giving you a visual sense of trends — busy weeks, slow weeks, and how your output changes over time. Access it from the same area as the Summary on the Pipeline tab.
The Settings tab is the last item in the bottom navigation. The Account section at the top manages your identity and subscription.
Your account email is displayed at the top of the Account section. This is the email used to sign in and to receive password reset emails.
If your account is on the free tier, a Subscribe button appears in the Account section. Tap it to see the available subscription plans and subscribe via in-app purchase through the App Store. Upgrading unlocks:
Your subscription is billed through your Apple ID and renews automatically unless cancelled. All Pro features are available immediately after purchase.
Your current plan is shown as a badge next to your email:
If you subscribed through the App Store, tap the subscription badge to open the App Store's subscription management page for LongArm Assistant. From there you can view your renewal date, change your plan, or cancel auto-renewal.
If you subscribed through the web dashboard, manage your subscription from the Account section of the web app.
What happens when you cancel: Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period. After it expires, your account reverts to the free tier — the 3 active quilt limit is re-applied and Pro-only features (Incoming Items, Pattern Presets) become inaccessible. Your existing data — quilts, customers, invoices, and payments — is never deleted when you cancel. If you resubscribe later, everything picks up exactly where you left off.
Tap Sign Out to end your session. Your data is stored in the cloud — everything will be waiting for you the next time you sign back in.
Tap Delete Accountto permanently remove your account. You'll be asked to confirm before anything is deleted.
This action cannot be undone.
Deleting your account permanently removes all of your data — every quilt, customer, estimate, invoice, payment, photo, note, preset, and business setting. Your data cannot be recovered after deletion. If you have an active subscription, cancel it through the App Store or web dashboard before deleting your account to avoid future charges.
These settings control whether and how sales tax is added to your estimates. See the Building an Estimate section for how tax appears on estimates.
When you turn on tax collection for the first time, the app shows a tax disclaimer reminding you to verify your local tax obligations with a tax professional. Tax laws vary by state and product type.
This section covers your business information (which prints on every estimate and invoice), your pricing defaults, and all of your saved presets. Presets are the backbone of fast, consistent estimating — set them up once and they'll be available instantly when building any estimate.
This is the same information as the Business section on your web dashboard — changes made in the app sync with the web app and vice versa. It prints at the top of every estimate and invoice PDF. See how it appears in the Building an Estimate and Delivered & Invoicing sections.
All preset types work the same way: tap the section to expand it, tap Add to create a new preset, tap an existing preset to edit it, and swipe left (or tap the delete button) to remove it. Every preset is available as a catalog item when you tap Add Item on the Estimate tab.
Custom catalog items that don't fit the other categories — for example, a rush fee, starch spray service, hanging sleeve, or any other add-on you offer. Set a name and price. These appear in the "Other" section when adding a line item to an estimate.
Your quilting prices. Define as many rates as you like — for example, different rates for pantographs vs. custom quilting. Each preset uses one of three pricing methods:
The selected rate becomes the quilting line item when you auto-generate an estimate — see Building an Estimate.
Define the batting products you stock. For each preset: enter the material name (e.g., "Hobbs 80/20"), and the price per yard, inch, or meter (whichever unit you set in Display & Tax settings). When batting is marked as shop supplied on the intake form, the auto-generate function uses the default batting preset to create the batting line item. See Intake & Quilting Details for batting source options and Building an Estimate for how the batting line item is generated.
Set your binding price per inch. When binding is requested on the intake form, the auto-generate function creates a binding line item using this rate and the quilt's perimeter (2 × length + 2 × width). Define multiple presets if you charge different rates for different binding styles. See Intake & Quilting Details for the binding toggle and Building an Estimate for how the binding line item is calculated.
A reference catalog of the threads you use — brand, weight, and color. Thread presets show up in the thread picker on the Intake & Quilting Details section of any quilt so you can select a thread quickly rather than typing it in manually. Thread presets are for catalog reference; pricing for thread is in Thread Pricing Presets.
How you charge for shop-supplied thread. Each preset uses one of three billing methods:
When thread is marked as shop supplied, these rates generate the thread line item on the estimate — see Building an Estimate.
Pro feature — fully available to Pro subscribers. Not available on the free tier.
Store a catalog of custom quilting patterns you offer — patterns that aren't in your Pattern Library but that you want to reference by name when entering intake details. Give each pattern a name and description. Patterns saved here appear in the pattern picker on the Intake & Quilting Details section of any quilt, giving you a fast way to log which pattern a customer selected without typing it out each time.