Rose Marie

Just went to the big quilt show at the Phoenix fair grounds.
A man was demonstrating the EQ3 Track System.
It is a frame that uses your own machine. You can quilt a large quilt with it but it only takes up a 2 ft by 4 ft table. You clip your excess quilt to the end and keep moving it as you quilt.
Has anyone used one?
The webpage is easyquilter.com
The price was $449.95

BellaBoo

It seems to be a very nice set up. And it's affordable. I haven't heard anything about one pro or con. To me the frame seems fine, it would be the machine that would be the success in using it.

Rose Marie

Yes and I have one of the larger mach. with a 10 inch throat.
It sure is tempting but I have been burned before trying to save bucks.
Bought the Flynn frame and that was a big mistake.
This frame your machine sits in a movable frame just like a long arm so you move the machine across the fabric. It moved very smooth at the show.
I just wonder how easy it is to move the quilt on it. You do 36 inch sections at a time. Clamps hold the excess quilt off the end.

sewjoyce

I have seen those frames demonstrated. I think it would still take a lot of practice -- but then so does the long arm quilting. I say, go for it!!

CRH

Rose Marie:

I have the Easy Quilter-3. I'm not able to advise you, but have "practiced" with it enough to learn a few things about it. I have a Bernina 730 with stitch regulator, and found that it was too heavy to roll easily on this frame. My Pfaff was smaller and rolled smoothly and easily, and I was able to get a fairly even stitch even without the stitch regulator.

One disadvantage of this type frame is that you have to baste the quilt securely because this frame does not have rollers for the top, batting, and back like the big ones; and because you have to reroll it and position it many times to quilt all the areas.

The quilting area was severely limited with my short throat machines. Your 10-inch machine would be much better, but I question if it is much bigger if it would roll very easily. Also, I am very careful with the roller tracks as they are made of very soft wood and if injured would probably not roll very easily or smoothly.

The main value of this frame for me is a test to see if I can develop the skills to do this type of quilting (without investing in the more expensive kind).

Today I was at a quilt show, and an HQ dealer quoted me some affordable prices on bigger frames he had received on trade-in. The big frames can be purchased this way for $500 - $800. Check this link to a Hinterberg frame. (However, it is limited to 11-inch throat for any future upgrade of machine).

http://www.hinterberg.com/prod-Original_Machine_Quilting_Frame-5.aspx[url]

All this being said, this may be the perfect frame for your needs, only you can know. I am impressed with how smoothly it moves. Good luck to you!

Rose Marie

Thanks for the heads up.
My machine is big and heavy so not good.
The Hinderberg would be the way to go but I dont have the room for a large frame
The lady that does quilting for me is reasonable so will continue to use her.
I do quilt my own small quilts up to lap size on my machine. Practice makes perfect but not so far for me. I did find a stencil with leaves for a border that works pretty good, nice and simple.
Thanks again for your experience. I will always consult the board before any big purchase.

blmclin

Sounds like something I bought at the Ok City quilt show for $250. It is now under the bed. I could never get it to work. After I thought about it, the quilted piece he demonstrated with had been quilted over and over again making it move very easily. I am just sick I wasted so much money. I should have returned it but waited too long thinking I could get it to work. Live and learn. :cry:

BellaBoo

Oh blmclin, don't give up on the frame. I don't know which one you have but get it out again and try it. I too have bought items that didn't work for me but after awhile I figured out it was me not knowing how to use it not the item. I bought the Alto Quilt Cut 2 and I could not get accurate cuts using it and it would not do for me like it was at the demo table. I put it away and a year later I found it in the closet and was determined to give it one more try, somehow ever thing seemed to click. I love using it now.

CRH

This is what I bought the first year at the quilt show. It worked, but I wasn't too impressed. The next year at the quilt show they had developed an additional track system, which I purchased, and it works much better (moves almost as smoothly as the big ones.)

Again--the main constraint is it's short quilting area both forward and back -- and side to side. (and the necessary quilting skill which is eluding me.) :(

But you might try it again, just to see if machine quilting is for you. :)

littlehud

Know what you are saying. I have a Flynn frame sitting in the corner of my room. What a waste. I want a Grace frame. Oh well, maybe someday. My machine has a 9 inch throat.