Anyone with Voyager/Hinty experience here?
 

I've had my setup for several years, doing mostly loopy all-over designs. In an attempt to improve my quilting, I have just completed experimenting on a sandwich of old sheets. I have improved, but still do not consider my feathers good enough for my quilts; with additional practice, I might make it to feathers. My biggest difficulty is with straight-line quilting or indeed any quilting that requires being precise -- for example, circles, SITD, etc.

Here's my question -- has anyone gotten really good at mid-level/high-level quilting with a Voyager/Hinty setup?

I know I would have a steep practice curve with any setup, but I am wondering if the weight of the Voyager makes precision quilting unrealistic. If I am remembering correctly, the machine weighs about 70 pounds. That, combined with the wooden frame, seems to make it really difficult to me to follow a marked line accurately. Using a ruler helps for straight lines, but more in some directions than others. Following a marked circle seems impossible.'

I'd like to know: is it mostly the setup? Or is it mostly me? I don't see an Innova in my future, but that is my dream machine, and I'm thinking even with my limited abilities I could do more with a machine that weighs less on a frame that is more stable.

I'm guessing you are asking about a longarm.......having had one (apqs) for many years, I do believe the weight of the "head' certainly does make a difference in its performance and maneuverability, but also the "sled and wheels" it rides on make a difference....you should be able to move it using just a few fingers.......also from my many yrs of doing this.....diagonal straight lines are the toughies...I still use a ruler for those - depending on length - I use templates for circles, occasionally freehand, again, depending on size...and design element they are part of......

I have that set up but have never done more than stipple or all over meander. I enjoy meandering and trying to do a design just wasn't fun for me. I'm not sure it is the machine, though I have wondered when I see beginners turning out great designs with other machines. Hmmm.

I agree with Geri--my 2006 Gammill is no lightweight, but just a little push of the head with one finger will send it moving down the track. I almost always use rulers when I want a shape that is not a fill size, and on straight lines, unless just a part of a block, I also use a ruler--and especially on diagonal lines! If you machine doesn't move smoothly on the frame, that may be worth re-thinking.