Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Rookie Mistake

Remember that longarm that arrived just before Christmas?  

I finished one practice baby quilt and started another small Christmas quilt when tension problems caused me to abandon that one.  

Then life got in the way.  First, Christmas and a New Year party, then a retreat, vertigo, a trip, more vertigo, church committee meetings, and fear.  I vowed (to myself) that I would get a quilt on the frame and get back into a routine before the end of this month.  I had taken the stitching out so decided to start again on that little Christmas quilt.  I also changed the bobbin thread back to the original thread that came with the machine.  

I got the back pinned onto the Take-up and Back leaders -- no problem.  I got the batting smoothed out on the back.  The top was loaded on the Top leader and I pulled it up onto the batting.  It was time to baste the three layers together ... I couldn't remember how to turn the machine on!  I'm not joking!  I looked and felt everywhere I could think there would be a switch.  

So, I was finally back in business!  Cruising along until ...

I forgot to check if my batting was long enough for the top!  Oh, well, another day. 

9 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you are having trouble with your new toy! tension issues is one of the main reasons I would never get a long arm - I have heard so many complain of them - I have trouble fixing that on my regular machine and wouldn't even want to try to adjust such an expensive piece of equipment - plus I have no room or interest in them - I sure hope you can learn your machine

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  2. You can add batting while it's still loaded. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axcDQWBeQqE, but to explain in less than the 50-minute length of the video: Lay the extra piece overlapping the original batting. Cut a wavy line through both pieces, making sure not to get the backing. Remove the small pieces and continue quilting. I've actually got one loaded now where I might have to use this trick.

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  3. Oh, Libby!! That happens to all of us from time to time. A little scrap of batting will have you back in business! :o))

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  4. Life does seem to get in the way of what we really want to do, doesn't it?! I think your longarm probably has a pretty big learning curve, but you'll get it. I'm glad the previous commenter had an idea for you for adding more batting!

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  5. Ah no worries, lay a strip with a bit of overlap (depending on your quilting density) such that both layers are caught every 2 ish inches. It will be fine.

    LOVE my longarm. I recommend to new owners to stack up 10-12 flimsies and be consistent in getting them all done. 1 here and 1 there, it's like a brand new process every stinkin' time. Small quilts sound smart but honestly, while I was learning, by the time I was in the groove it was done.

    My 2 cents. You'll make friends :-)

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  6. Oh Libby, I so relate. Every time I use my longarm I have to Google a YouTube video to find out how to do something that I forgot how to do! I keep forgetting to ask you how your vertigo issues are doing.

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  7. My Libby, I think I would have a long arm or at least the smallest one, if I was okay with machines but I am hopeless. It would be fine if there were no issues but with machines, there's bound to be something crop up. I"m so glad you got yours working fine and the batting can be easily fixed. Good luck with it all.

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  8. I'm glad I'm not the only one that forgets things like that when they don't have a chance to play with their machines. Hopefully you can get all your issues resolved and finish another quilt. Sometimes it does seem that it's always something that gets in the way.

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  9. Hopefully the equivalent of muscle memory will kick and soon you'll be quilting away!

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