:shock: OK, got this for Mother's Day along with the Juki TL-98Q. (which I LOVE!)
I'm having trouble with pinning the quilt layers to the leaders.
Can anyone else that has this frame HELP!
When I get it all pinned, then start to roll up the take-up roll, the top starts to get wrinkles.... HELP! :cry:

Also, when I stipple to the end of a row, how should I begin the next?
Clip threads, then start again? How do you keep it looking kind of uniform?
Thanks!

Oh, I'm so jealous. I have a Juki just like yours and love it, but I really want the frame to go with it. Hope someone here can help.

when you pin it onto the leaders, you have to make sure that you have the top even, start in the middle and then go out, Then as you roll, you have to make sure that you adjust as you go, tugging here and there making sure that your edges roll even like a bold of fabric on a roll. It is easier to do with an extra pair of hands or two. The as it unrolls you should have the side clips to help keep it taunt.

I hope this helps

Ms. Grace, what we did was as the top (or backing, did both the same) was being rolled we put our hand around the take up rail (like you hold a glass) and smoothed the fabric from the center out in each direction. Be sure to just smooth, and not stretch. Roll a little more, smooth a little more, and keep an eye on the ends to make sure they stay even.

I know the frames say no baste, but both the long arm quilters I know tack or stitch around all edges of the quilt before they start stitching.

You can tie off and start again if you need to; I was told many people do that when they are learning to long arm because, let's face it - we never practiced doing things backwards or upside down! Sometimes the quilt or the planned quilting actually requires it.

The more I work on one, the more I admire people that do it well - it certainly isn't easy!

I think there is a tutorial in the www.graceframe.com site to load a quilt. I have the original frame and it loads different than yours. If it is wrinkling be sure you have top and botton exactly centered. Other than that make sure your rolling the sides exact tension

If you end your row near the front of the frame, you can leave your machine with the needle down in the quilt at the end of the row. Then roll the quilt to the next section with the needle in place. The machine will move with the quilt. Once you've finished rolling the quilt to the next section, you can just begin right where you left off and continue stitching. I hope, I explained this simply enough.

you said: I'm having trouble with pinning the quilt layers to the leaders.

are you pinning all three layers to ONE leader?

here's how *I* do it - your mileage may vary

I pin the BACK to the front leader and roll it up, when I get close to the end, I pin to the back leader (now to me the 'front' leader is the one where the machine needle is when the machine is pulled forward, the back is closest to the motor)

Then I put on the batting - and float it - just pinning across the back (closest to motor) smoothing as I go and it hangs down the front

Then pin the top to the back/batting, smooth it over the batting and it hangs free...

smooth all, pin across the FRONT roller, attach the side clamps and go to work

when it's time to roll, take out pins, take off clamps, roll, smooth, pin, etc

If you are going to pin and you are having problems keeping everything straight, try pinning at a closer interval. If you are pinning at a 6" interval change to a 4" interval, it helps with bunching up. Also smooth as you roll the top on the roller and make sure that your edges of the top, stay lined up as you roll it on the roller. That way you know it's straight on the roller, and unwrinkled.

If you are going to baste the top to the backing and batting, do each as a separate operation, meaning get your backing on the rollers and then baste the batting to it, making sure that it's straight and hangs true. If you have side stretchers make sure that they are attached to the backing. Once you have that done, baste the top to the sandwich you have going, across the top. When I baste the top, I usually start in the upper left corner, I double check and make sure that everything is square and lines up correctly and tack the corner , and then slowly baste across the top edge, smoothing in front of the needle as I move across. When I get to the other corner. I come down the right edge again slowly smoothing out and down. When I get to the limit of my machine travel I tie off and go back to the left side and baste down and tie off.

There are a couple of ways to do the end of a row, depending on how you quilt. I work left to right, and usually start in the upper left corner of the quilting area, if I'm doing an edge to edge meander, I'll start and stop at basically the same place every time. If I start in the upper left corner I'll end in the lower left corner, so I can start the next pass where I left off on the last pass across the quilt. You can also just run your stitches into the area that the binding will cover and just stop, depending on the size of the quilt most people will never notice that you started and stopped.

The whole trick is to spend enough time making sure that everything is straight and lined up and smooth before you start, so it doesn't come back to bite you when you are too far into the quilt to fix it, without frogging it all out.

i'm not familiar with your frame so i can't give you any advice.

go to http://www.youtube.com and type in 'loading a quilt. it will show you many ways to load. look them over and see which one best suits your frame. you may see that a combo is the best way for your frame.

I have been looking into buying this machine and frame. Did you buy it online. I have been trying to find reviews to see if this is what I want. Please let me know how you like it. The machine that I really want I can't afford.