short arm machine quilting on a frame
 

Hi, everyone, I'm a brand new member & I need some advice. I bought a Proflex quilting frame w no manual) & a new Juki 98Q & set up for machine quilting on a frame w no experience with sewing on a frame. My 1st mistake. Now I need someone to help with the simple things or just to answer questions as they come up: how to put the leaders on, how to adjust the quilt top so the quilting foot does not ripple the fabric in front of the stitching, which way to pin the quilt on the leaders, etc. or maybe a good book for resources & learning. I don't plan on quilting for hire, just quilting for my own projects & for my club which does a lot of charity donating. I know its a learning process & should improve with practice but a lot of questions come up & I'm having difficulty working though them. I appreciate any help you might offer.
thanks

sassysews2 in mo

Have you contacted the proframe people to see if they would sell you a copy of the manual? Or maybe thier site has a video on how to set it up. If not check on that video site. I can't remember the name of it... having a old person mind bleep.. LOL! Oh I remember u tube! There is lots of tutorials there that might help.

Here is the link to the You Tube site with some of the machine set ups...
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...1669l12j6l18l0.

You say "so the fabric doesn't ripple". Are you using a hopping foot or a foot made for the frame? You can't use regular feet on the frame. If you are using a hopping foot, the foot should just hover over the quilt, maybe a dime thicknesss. The height is usually adjustable if you check your foot - it should not cause ripples.
As far as attatching leaders I don't know your frame. Some put their leaders on velcro -sticky on the roller and sew-on on the leader. I have also heard about taping the leaders on the rollers using Scotch brand (only that brand) duct tape. Use what ever will take up less space on the roll so you don't lose quilting space. Good luck, it will work and be fun. Practice, practice is the best way to learn.
There are several yahoo groups if you search for frame quilting, and I'm sure there is one for Juki.

You might want to join the homequiltingsystems group on groups.yahoo.com . It is quite a large and active group, and likely someone there has a setup like yours and can help with specific information.

Thanks, but I tried that as soon as I got the frame. Manufacturer is no longer in business. One shop on line said they still had a Proflex for sale but wouldn't sell the manual, understandably. Tech said it was a good frame but poorly run company. I have been looking at youtube but haven't found any sites that address issues. I appreciate your response.

sassysews2

"you tube"...you can find alot of direction on that site...good luck..

I have the same setup but with a different frame. Mine is the Imperial frame and it has tubes that fit inside the rods to hold your leaders. I made leaders from muslin but just bought the leader fabric that is heavier and havnt installed it yet.
This is a big learning process and am frustrated at this point and havnt touched the setup in two months. The domestic machine is a problem. You are so limited with what you can do. Just a 5 inch area to sew on dosnt leave you with the ability to do much but meander.
I wanted to get a cloth ruler that starts in the middle and measures out from both sides but they were expensive.
It would help with lining up your quilt when loading on the frame. It is very important to have it strait on the frame.
Another problem is anchoring the sides of the quilt with stitchs. With a domestic machine 5 in is a real hassel so have not figured out a way to do it except to hand stitch the sides of the quilt to the backing.
I watched alot of videos on you tube and yes you need to use methods that wont take up space. I bought velcro and duck tape but have not used them yet. You need to find the best way to hold the quilt onto the leaders with an easy way to detach without pulling off your leaders. I think tape will be my first try.
I bought some 4 in pantograms to try but that is a big learning curve and didnt line up right so caught my needle on the edge of the quilt. Meandering from the front of the machine works the best for me. I have a stitch regulator attached to my machine and like it alot, but it cost $500.
Just wish I could afford at least an 18 in throat machine.
Good luck with your adventure.

Dear Sassysews. did you ever get ahold of the manual for the Proflex? I have the same frame as well as the same machine. I just aqquired it and have the manual from the previous owner. If you need it copied perhaps I can scan it and send it to you. Isabelle

Sassysews,

I have a Pfaff Grandquilter with a 9" throat on an Inova frame. I bought it used so had to basically teach myself how to use it. But I will certainly help if I can. Also I will take a picture when I get home from work and post it to see if you frame is about the same as mine. But let's start at the beginning. Make very sure your frame is square (use a T-square or a framing square), and level (use a 3-foot or longer level).
After that, if you did not get any velcro with the machine you will need both sticky (10 feet long times 3, if that is the length of your machine, or 5 foot long pieces if your machine can be made smaller). Also you will need sew-on velcro the same lengths. For this scenario, let's just use the 5-foot length. You will need to put the loopy side of the stick-on velcro on your poles. Make sure that you can't pull them off. My poles have a flat spot on them that takes the velcro so you are sure to put them on straight. Do this with each of the three poles. Now take some good sturdy muslin or other material. Cut three 5-foot lengths about 12 inches wide. Iron 1/2 inch hem on both long sides of each leader. On one long side, sew the fuzzy part of the sew-on velcro (do not use the stick-on as it will not allow the needle to penetrate the glue). Sew close to each side of the velcro and along the ends. Do this on all three leaders. Now make sure the two pieces of velcro stick together well and the sticky velcro does not pull off the poles when you pull the leader off.

Now on the other long side of one of the leaders, turn it under another 1/2 inch and sew. This leader is the one on the take-up pole (the pole that runs inside your machine throat. On the other two leaders, turn them under one inch and sew close to the edge of the hem. This will make a pocket in case you later want to try the Red Snapper system of loading your quilts (more on this later). Again, I will try to take pictures when I get home tonight. But let's get this far for now. PM me when you are done and we can continue.

By the way, does your frame have a tray above the quilting area for pantographs?

I am certainly no teacher, but I hope this is clear enough for you to understand. If you have any questions, PM me and I will try to figure out what I did wrong.