Quiltingboard Forums - View Single Post - How long to learn on your longarm?

12-09-2011, 10:22 AM

#15

jigs1354

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2011

Location: Tennessee

Posts: 442

Hi, just reading all the posts about LA. I've had mine now for about 1 1/2 yrs. I like it/hate it/love it. I started out with a Qbot on mine because it was a store demo machine. It's a Tin Lizzy. I started out making sandwiches then marking on the sandwich what, how, size/pattern I used, I had a horrible time for months, First the Qbot was something to get use to also, so I wasn't having much fun. No one close to ask for help. I just kept going little by little until I could program in the designs from Qbot and also add designs to Qbot. I also bought 4DQD Creator software, that was another $500. but I had been going great it and realized I needed it for changing design sizing
for EE, blocks and so on. It was the best thing I ever did. I buy designs from Apricot Moon.com that she makes Qbot ready I just download them and their ready to load on Qbot. Her design are $10.00 from what I've bought from Peggy also there are many elsewhere that are 50.00/100's of dollars, which I have too but got them at 90% off sale. Having the 4DQD Creator makes it easy to change your designs to the type your machine can use or patterns you buy from companies that are't compatible. I taught my sister in law to work my LA and she caught on faster that I did because I had no one showing me what to do or how things worked. That's all it takes.
After all that practice I finally caught on but do only my own too. It was to be a business too. No way would I want to mess up someones work of art. Even now I know I can do it on all mine but if the tension messes up you have to remove those stitches and start where it messed up. Not easy!! If had it to do over again, I would have shopped around more, took classes, get to know which machines & how they work. My Tin Lizzy LS is wonderful and does beautiful work. I have never done FM with my TL machine, My daughter did & it was beautiful & on my machine.
jigs1354

Quote:

Originally Posted by An Arm Long

I am new to the board although I have been lurking for about a year. I have had a longarm for about 6 months and have done several practice quilts as well as about 14 quilts ranging from baby quilts to queen size. I still cannot feel confident about free motion. Design boards and pantographs are good now. I have been practicing feathers lately.
What has been your experience?

Reply