Ready to Go

I finished this quilt top a few years ago. Almost 3 years ago to be exact (procrastination much?) I even had it spray basted for quilting via the push, pull and then pull out your hair method.

I had a pretty good idea of what I want to quilt and thought I could achieve better results on the table than on the frame. At least I thought that 3 years ago. The machine I have on the frame doesn’t give me a whole lot of quilting space. I’m still dreaming of a “long arm” machine. I’m thinking 18” would be perfect for my short arms especially since I plan on doing all free motion work and have no desire for a computerized system. However I refuse to go into debt (even if it is a business purchase) for any item. Especially for one that I can’t drive to the store for groceries yet costs as much as nicer used car than the one I currently drive!

I’m setting out to prove to myself that I can achieve those same results on this little machine. I already know I can do it with the machine on a table, I just don’t enjoy it as much. In the process I’ll be saving my pennies for a dreamy long arm. I haven’t decided which one I want. Each brand has it’s own set of bells and whistles and price point. I’m almost certain that I will go with a used machine as this will save several hundreds to thousands of dollars. I’ll be going to as many quilt shows as I can drag bribe my family into going to. I’ll share my insights on the different machines with you. I’ll also share with you tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way for using your short arm machine on a frame.

~ Norma

By the way, I hope you are still visiting the “Quilty Giveaways” page for fun quilt related giveaways. (There’s always a link at the top of the page.) There is a fantastic giveaway for an APQS Lenni long arm machine!! I don’t mind if you just skip it so my odds of winning are better!

On the frame

One of my New Year's resolutions at the beginning of the year was to really learn how to use my Sturdy Lite quilt frame (from Grace.) Back in January I had owned the frame for almost a year with almost no use. I was ashamed to admit that I was essentially afraid of how to use it. Not afraid of bodily harm {that's silly, but probably not improbable!} just afraid of how complicated it seemed.

The frame did not come with very clear instructions on how to even load a quilt on the frame! Other things got in the way of my goal of "quilting on the frame 3 times a week" such as: too small of a room in TN, taking it apart when I had guests {and never setting it back up}, moving, a sewing machine with a small throat space, and no clear instructions on what to do!

Eventually I got a few things that made it easier for me to use the frame. First I got a steal of a deal on a Brother PQ 1300 ($330 off eBay including shipping) {Hello 9" throat space!}


Then I purchased and e-book from Kathy Quilts that specifically goes through the process of working with a mid-arm sewing machine on a quilting frame. The book was {in my opinion} really expensive for what it is. It is a good source of information but the reality is that it is an e-book and there are no publishing fees associated with it so the price should come down to about $25 or less. It also boast to be over 100 pages, but the font used is a really big size, like a size 24! Oh and the grammar is pretty bad {my brain hurts after reading the whole thing because I really just want to correct the grammar.} In Kathy's defense they have come out with a new edited version, which I haven't read because they are not giving it to their previous purchasers for free and I'm not buying it again just to avoid bad grammar. Over all the book does have good information and it was the cheaper option rather than letting my frame sit virtually unused for yet another year.

The last thing I got that has been very helpful was a "speed control" for the Brother PQ-1300. It is NOT a stitch regulator. It merely replaces your sewing machine's foot pedal with a little knob that keeps your machine needle moving at a constant speed. It's great because I no longer have to try to reach the back of the frame to turn the fly wheel. I also don't have to use the wooden handle on the frame to "squeeze" down my foot pedal. That set up is only comfortable for about 15 minutes of sewing time. Your hands get tired from trying to squeeze the wooden handle while feeling all the vibrations of the carriage. It really tired out your hand. Now with the speed control I don't have to squeeze anything! and there is no hand fatigue. The speed control is also responsive enough that I can make the needle go up or go down a single time. I found it here for $19.99 with free shipping. They also have one for the Juki TL-98E for the same price


So I threw on this practice quilt that I had lying around for the last 3 years! It's almost done, I just need to go back and decide how to quilt my borders. It's not perfect by any means, but it will make a great picnic quilt.