It had to happen sooner or later. I'm a rookie LAQ and up until now everything had been going fairly smoothly, if you don't count when I put the needle in backwards. I'm making my 2nd start to finish quilt as a thank you/Father's Day present for DH. He doesn't want any of that "frilly stuff" just straight lines. Dummy me decides to try my hand @ cross-hatching. It's the hardest thing I have ever tried in my life.I don't have any fancy gadgets. I usually am a natural @ stuff but not this time. After 2 days ripping out my first attempt, I start getting the hang of it and suddenly a bobbin jam! I follow the instructions and the thread breaks off inside the race-not even visible but the wheel won't turn. I decide to loosen a set screw on the hook and you guessed it, I drop the tiniest screw in the world! No amount of magnet dragging can find it. Now I have to call the dealer and tell them what I've done. I sheepishly tell the lady and she laughs and says no problem-I need to talk to Gordon but he has to call back. In 5 min. he does call back. He says this stuff happens to rookies and I had to get it out of the way eventually and he can get me back to sewing now without the screw and they will send another! He walks me thru, the screw is on the way, gave me some tension advice and my machine works! I feel better now.

Be gentle on yourself. Mess-ups are just going to happen. Expect them and learn from them. Enjoy you LA:)

I love that your dealer was so understanding and put you at ease about your mistake. I can see you're going to have a wonderful time with your new baby.

They were so great and they aren't even charging me for the screw, just the postage. This thing is just slightly larger than a seed bead.

That's how we learn. Bet you'll never do it again ;-)

No way. I always say that I don't mess up that often so when I do, I do it big.

Glad you're able to laugh about it. We all do silly things. Some of us do them over and over!

So sorry it happened and what a great dealer you have to be so understanding and both willing and able to help.

Isn't it nice that help was just a phone call away. You have awesome customer service!

thank goodness you had a happy solution.

There is a time to learn be nice to yourself

Any screw that I can remove I have painted with lime-green nail polish.

What are they charging you for postage? Just curious.

Live, learn and move on. I think it is all part of anything we want to do well. You will be fine.

The postage is to send the screw to me.

When I make a mistake my husband says "OH another mistake?" I just tell him "I don't have holes in my hands and I don't want to be nailed to a cross so that is why I make mistakes". Glad your are back up and running.

sorry, I misunderstood your question earlier. I don't know what the postage will be. They are going to bill me. He wouldn't take my card number.

Just like with any new endeavor, longarm quilting has a learning curve. But please don't think that all the exciting learning adventures happen to rookies. There are plenty of interesting issues that face experienced longarmers too! It's great to know that your dealer is a phone call away.

Well that sounds like some of the things I have done. And just this week got the thread wrapped around the bobbin case because.......i didn't unthread the needle while winding the bobbin(anyhow I think that is how it happened as I was winding the bobbin at the time) Oh what a mess that was to get undone. But got undone and I continued on and had a pretty baby quilt when done ..we all make mistakes, that is how we learn. Have fun..

Sorry you have been going through such difficulty and glad their was a happy ending.

Aww...you'll get the hang of it!

what a great dealer for sure!!

Nice to have a helpful dealer. Enjoy your new machine!

See? No matter how dumb we feel about something we've done, we can be sure that someone else did it first! Probably several someones. Like the time I accidentally put an ear-wax removal drop in my eye instead of eye drops. My doc said it happens all the time! At least your mishap didn't hurt. :oops:

Great idea!!!!!!!

Just breathe a big sigh and forge onward. At least you had a happy outcome!