Thread: Easy Quilter at quilt show. Anyone have one?

Originally Posted by Prism99

Here is a link to the version 5.1 I tried out at the quilt show today:
http://www.easyquilter.com/eq1.htm

It was set up on a table with a Janome 1600p. Basically you sit down, grasp the handles, "floor" the pedal, and start free motion quilting by moving the machine around. This was a lot easier than trying to move the quilt around on my Bernina 1230! It was very fast and easy to make flowers, circles, loops, and with even stitching to boot.

The quilt show price for this setup was $550 plus tax, but it is for the deeper harp machines (which my Bernina is not). For my Bernina, I would need the smaller version 4.1 for $450.

I'm just wondering if anyone who has an Easy Quilter can tell me how much they like it. I'm especially wondering if it would be as much fun if I were using the smaller setup with my Bernina with its slower stitching speed.

Any comments about this system would be much appreciated!

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I bought one of these at the Dallas Quilt Show this year! I can hardly wait to try it but have been scared to open the box and set it up because the only machine I have that might work with it is my Singer 301. I took the flap down side extension off of it so I can use it on the frame. I have a strip quilt top made that I've been putting off doing anything with because it needs to be stippled and I'm no good at doing that or any other FMQ by pushing my quilts around. BUT, at the show I had no problem using the EZ Quilter to do meandering and stippling. I don't have a stitch regulator, of course, so I'm on my own with the foot control.

The fellow demonstrating the frame and machine said to spray baste the quilt together first.

With a home machine the quilting area is only about 11" wide max. But that's fine because one can go back and forth across the quilt (side to side). If it is a larger quilt, work is from the center out much like doing the same thing on the sewing machine without a frame.

It is possible to do larger quilts on this small frame - it just takes maneuvering the quilt to the required area.

Just to jump in here... If you are looking for a table top quilter, don't rule out some of the other frame makers... SuperQuilter had one. I don't think they make it any more but if you search for them online you can find one used for about if not less than the Easy Quilter - and it can go up to 8 or 10' if I remember right. HandiQuilter also sold a table top frame as well. That one went to 10' as well I'm pretty sure. I have seen them on Craigslist fairly often and both would give you a wider area for quilting a larger quilt - and it's the same concept.. you set it up when you want to use it and put it on top of a sturdy table.

I would definitely only use it with a minimum of a 9" throated machine because once you roll the quilt a bit, your quilting space gets smaller and smaller and smaller... a 6" regular machine throat would not give you much to work with other than a wiggly line when you get to the middle to bottom of a large quilt.

For example.. I just did a whole Craigslist google search for "table top quilter site:Craigslist.org" and came up with a bunch of them - that Easy Quilter was the first entry.. from there you just need to look through and find one local enough for you to drive and get it You can also search for "handiquilter quilt frame site:craigslist.org" and "superquilter quilt frame site:craigslist.org" and you will get even more results of frames that people are selling.

There are also some standalone frames that are designed to fold up against a wall when not in use. That is another option too

You can save a lot of money getting one used... and this way if you don't personally like using it or you upgrade to a larger frame, you can resell it and not take a big if any loss.
I would just hold steady, keep an eye on the listings in your drivable area and then jump when you see something you would like