LA owners don't say much about loading a quilt on the frame.
03-02-2011, 12:58 PM
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Longwood, Florida
Posts: 2,910
Originally Posted by MaryStoaks
It takes me less, 20 to 30 minutes. I float the top and batting, just lay them on the backing after the backing is loaded and rolled on the frame poles/leaders. I use a few pins to keep the top and batting straight on the backing, then sew around the edges to attach it. I do have to take a minute to straighten the top and batting with each advance of the quilt. :thumbup: :thumbup:
Ditto, me too....
03-02-2011, 01:44 PM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Syracuse,NY
Posts: 1,500
It takes me a couple hours to load if it is a big one but I am new so hoping I can get it a little faster eventually. It makes me really excited though to get to the quilting part. I absolutely hate pinning layers!!!!!!That was the only part of the quilting I hated.
03-02-2011, 04:12 PM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Fayetteville, GA
Posts: 2,879
It takes me about 45 to 60 minutes to load a king. I have velcro leaders, but I have never taken them off to baste to the quilt. I tried floating the top one time and did not like the results. I do float the batting. Even with the loading time I can do an all over design in 4 - 6 hours depending on the size.
03-02-2011, 04:19 PM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: San Antonio Texas
Posts: 1,063
When we move to Virginia there are a couple of LAQ stores in the town where we will be living, I noticed one of them will rent time on there long arm. I am excited to try that out and be able to learn how to load the quilt. I think that would be the most intimidating part of the whole process. Or at least for me it is. I love to go to quilt shows and "play" on all the machines. They look at you funny if you take more than a couple of minutes wasting there thread.
03-02-2011, 05:29 PM
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 547
To float the batting, all you do is anchor it down to the backing (I do this with my LA - just baste a straight line across the top of the backing and batting). And then simply push it under the 'top' or 'belly' bar, and over the backing bar - letting it hang down. Then of course, your quilt top would go on next. You can float it the same way (save your basting for both until here if doing it this way) and let it hang down (pushing it beneath the belly bar and over the backing bar).
I almost always float mine - just faster and I have no problems. I figured out the fastest method for me, after trying every single I read/learned about. I learned to baste with the LA so there are no pins on the velcro leaders. I can rip them off and on and change quilts or test pieces in a second, once the quilt is basted to them. Easy peasy :)
I show the basting on a utube video I made. Search for 'DebbieHQ'. It's in 3-4 very small videos as I didn't know how to combine them (silly me!).
Debbie in Austin
I almost always float mine - just faster and I have no problems. I figured out the fastest method for me, after trying every single I read/learned about. I learned to baste with the LA so there are no pins on the velcro leaders. I can rip them off and on and change quilts or test pieces in a second, once the quilt is basted to them. Easy peasy :)
I show the basting on a utube video I made. Search for 'DebbieHQ'. It's in 3-4 very small videos as I didn't know how to combine them (silly me!).
Debbie in Austin
03-02-2011, 05:37 PM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bucks County PA
Posts: 1,241
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
I went to a LA's home for hands on instruction to load and quilt a quilt. It took almost two hours to get the quilt, batting and backing loaded on the machine. The quilter has been doing this for years and does good LA quilting but to go through all that for each quilt?
When you say, "get the quilt, batting and backing loaded" is that all the steps she did? Did that 2 hours count the time to square up the backing and maybe the top? And also to cut the batting to size?
And you didn't even mention threading the machine or winding all the bobbins.
Longarming is different than hand quilting or tabletop quilting but really, even with machines, quilting is a labor intensive craft. If it's going to be done well, it is going to take some time.
I don't mind taking my time when I load a quilt. It's well worth it to load carefully. It really needs to be done right to have a great result.
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