Looking under quilt on long arm
 

Hi everyone. I'm so excited to have recently purchased a new long arm machine. I remember reading ideas from others about how to see the quilt backing while it's on the long arm. I believe one person taped a hand mirror to a long stick so she could slide it under the quilt to make sure the tension was good on the back side. I was hoping others could make suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

I crawl under with a flashlight. My old eyes could never see under that dark through a tiny mirror

Funny you should mention that. My DH said he could probably figure out a way to attach a small flash light to a mirror. He also mentioned some tool at Sears that is used to see under a motor that might work well.

I still can't see crawling under with a flashlight. I do a block, or part of the border on one of the edges, then release the tension on the belly bar and unroll the quilt a bit so I can flip the edge over & take a look. If the tension is OK, I don't look again. I will say that I usually do all the same kind of quilt (quilting cotton tops and backings, w&N or w&W batting) and use the same brand of thread in top and bobbin, so I don't usually have any issues.

i am one of them that every once an while i stop and go around the machine and look
underneath with a flashlight to make sure every thing is sewing okay. crazy but that
works for me.

I go to the other side of the frame and look under. Usually only quilt in the daytime so I don't need a flashlight.

I saw a mention of someone using a door mirror. Their husband mounted it somehow under the frame.

My machine frame has a table so I place a full length mirror under the quilt and view with a flashlight for illumination so I don't have to bend over all the time.
MaryKatherine

I do crawl under with a flashlight. I enjoy lying there under the table and looking up. It is so relaxing. I wish I had owned a longarm when I was younger, so I could have hidden from the kids under there, LOL.

There is a company that makes a system with a camera to let you see the bobbin stitches. I think it's called Quilter's Eye. There's also an Innova dealer who has published directions for making your own bobbin camera. The results are displayed on a monitor that can be attached to the longarm head or nearby. I haven't seen the need for this for myself, but I can see how it could be very useful.