Originally Posted by
hray
I still have a quilt ring (had no idea that's what it's called) that came with my Viking Rose bought about 2001. I've only tried using it once or twice, as I've discovered that Machinger gloves do as well or better for me. This thread has inspired me to try it again.
It's good to hear others have success with the rings on larger quilts, as so many demos only show using them on small practice pieces. That's how I got suckered into using quilting ruler templates; it looked so easy when the demonstrator did it on 18"x18" pieces! Not quite the same on a full quilt, IMO!
Regarding deciding that the Machinger gloves do as well or better for you, I hear ya! I tried out my new Martelli 8 inch ring yesterday. It holds the quilt sandwich beautifully and does what it's designed to do, but . . . The throat space in my sewing machine is only about 5 inches. Thus, I am able to quilt only a very small area, perhaps 5 or 6 inches, before I run into the end of the harp area and have to stop and move the ring. Starting and stopping every 15 seconds got really frustrating. As I look at the YouTube videos of people using the ring, I realize this tool works best on a mid-arm machine, not on my regular sewing machine. I hate to give up this easily, but it seems like maybe I just didn't understand the best conditions under which the ring works. Back to the gloves.