newestnana

My longarm (purchased used) didn't come with a bobbin winder but I love the Super Bobs prewound bobbins from Superior. If you have a featherweight you can wind your bobbins on that.

You are right...the non-quilting time is greater than expected but gets a little faster.

Nice job!

oldtnquiltinglady

You did a great job on your first quilt. Congratulations. You took on more than I might have when you discovered the faulty leaders. Smart job. Where did you find zippers that long? Did you buy the machine new? Have you worked your way through the bobbin situation yet? If you have older sewing machines, just keep trying their bobbin winders 'til you find one that has the same size stem as your LA bobbins. That happened to me with my first quilting machine, and a SM repairman told me how to find one that would work. Love your work, keep on keeping on (talk the hubby into loading for you (my son loads mine and most of the time, quilts them).

Shorebird

This is just GREAT!! So glad you are having fun with your new LongArm…..

DogHouseMom

JoAnn

Making the leaders was easier and quicker than researching which kind I wanted, how to make them, how to load them, etc! The zippers I found online - I ordered "10 gauge" which is a pretty large zipper used for sleeping bags. I think it was zippers.com ... and they have all kinds of sizes.

My long arm is a used Voyager 17 which I understand is a "stretched" Vintage Singer - so I was quite surprised when the bobbin didn't fit ANY of my vintage Singer or other brand machines (I have 14 vintage machines). My husband did have a good idea though ... I could replace the bobbin winder motor with a motor from one of my vintage machines - just need to figure out how to affix the ball bushing.

I'll skip on talking hubby into loading the quilt for me, he already did/does enough by A) letting me house the machine at his shop, set the frame up for me, balanced it, rigged up the electrical wiring so none of the wires interfere with the motion of the machine, helped me install the leaders, and came through in a pinch on the bobbin winder. He's very supportive, I want to keep it that way or instead of supportive it will be cumbersome to him.

thanks everyone for the kind words. I'm hyped to get my next one loaded. Going to attempt something more complicated.

Jannie

Very nice job.

adnil458

Looks like you had FUN, FUN, FUN

Merivale

Great story about getting to know your LA. My LA and I circled each other for a few days before I just jumped in. I was delighted with my first quilt and although I am still a beginer I am very happy with my results. You have done a great job and after reading about your earlier batting problems it is so good you did not give up. Well done!

Farm Quilter

Well done!!! I was in your shoes 5 years ago and I'm still having a love affair with my Innova!!! You will get faster on the loading - however, you should be able to load your quilts quickly having the zippered leaders and basting the backing on them. I still pin but it doesn't take me long at all. Does the Voyager have an extension base so you can use rulers? I love using rulers when I FMQ. For your next quilt, try some custom quilting...do an arc between the points of each piece of a block - this really teaches you how to control your machine and how to hit a specific point. Love all the squares and triangles in a block and you can give each and every one of them some special attention! My favorite LA quilting book is Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters - she gives you a diagram of how to make the different motifs. Another great practice thing (I still do it when I want my quilting to be a specific size/location) is to use a water-soluble pen to draw on your fabric what you want to quilt and then follow your lines with your machine. Just a spritz of water and the blue lines disappear and your quilting looks fabulous!!!

I also have a muslin sandwich that I attach to my dead bar with a long magnet (supposed to be used in the kitchen for knives) and then I lean against my belly bar to hold the end of the sandwich in place and every time I change my bobbin or my top thread, that is where I go to make sure that my tension is perfect - no frogging on a customer's quilt that way

Do you have a stitch regulator on your machine? I have never seen a Voyager, so I am clueless about it and I have only owned an Innova. Welcome to the wonderful club of LA quilters!!! Have fun - it's not brain surgery and the worst that can happen is that you have to frog your quilting!

QuiltE

Congratulations!!!!!
on your first completion ..... what a great way to spend your holidays!

mjhaess

You did a great job....Have fun....