First try with my new long arm
 

Just set up my new long arm and tried my first practice piece.

The quilting is pretty wobbly and frankly, it's pretty alarming for someone who is quite decent at FMQ on my domestic/ mid arm machines. Skills obviously don't transfer. But, I'll stay with it.

Took me an hour to load this little piece. Hoping I get quicker!

Watson

How fun! And your quilting is great for the first time - yes, maybe it's a little wobbly, but I'll take a picture of my first try at a longarm and you'll feel a lot better about yours! :D

Congratulations on the new machine and I hope you have a wonderful time with it!

looks good for first try. Yep, it is a different learning curve from sit-down. But, I think you will really like the long arm after a bit of practice. Some things I learned, is that shorter stitches give a smoother look especially when you are trying smaller motifs free hand. Try changing the stitch length and see how it goes. Also, don't know if you have a stitch regulator....but again, smaller stitches can give a smoother look as the machine is trying to keep the stitches even so in tighter curves, you fight the stitch regulator. One of my instructors made me turn the stitch regulator off so I could feel how much smoother my quilting was without it on. I of course don't do much custom and use the stitch regulator mostly. But she was right, much easier to do tiny stippling and pebbles without the stitch regulator on. Have fun...you will be surprise how quickly your skills grow. Oh, the loading will get a bit faster...but ...yeah...it takes a while. I put on some music or listen to audio books.

For your first time you did great! Congratulations on your new machine, have fun!

sewingpup...no stitch regulator.

Tartan, good idea.

Watson

your first post made me grin--think that the first 3(or more) quilts I loaded I had to have my laptop by me to watch/pause the video showing how to do it--took forever! Now, a prepped quilt (pressed, backing and batting correct size) only takes about 8 min!
It will get easier. And you control of the machine will get more fine-tuned so you control your stitching much better.

I think you did a marvelous job for your first try. I wouldn't have attempted such a difficult design until I had a lot more practice.

It's amazing how much of a learning curve there is to moving the machine instead of the quilt. When I got my sit down Bailey, I thought I wouldn't have much of a learning curve, since I was used to moving the quilt, BUT I was used to standing while FMQ,instead now I was sitting, big learning curve. LOL

The first piece l did using a midarm on a frame resides at the bottom of the dog's kennel cage,lol. I agree with the suggestion of shortening those stitches, or turn off regulator and slow down machine's movement.

Pocoellie, l use my Bailey on a frame, but have it set low so l sit while using the frame. My stool has wheels. I do stand for pantos, as my lnspira frame has a panto shelf ( you stand at front to use.), otherwise l can't see to follow lines.

I am impressed! My first try was a mess!!! I had never quilted before, took mine to a long armer. I will get there though!

I think You did a great job, keep up the great wwork.

Watson, don’t be too hard on yourself...I think you did well for your first “go”. As others have chimed, it is a big transition from moving the quilt to moving the machine and there is always a learning curve getting to know the machine. It took me a while to establish a relationship with my new LA and even though we are not yet best friends, we have an understanding of each other. 🤪

Like Tartan suggested, I have kept pieces of my beginning work and it is encouraging to look back at the progress. I have also kept some for design ideas. Good luck and have fun!

titch678-I don't have room for a frame, although my dh says if I got rid of the machines in cabinets in the middle of the room and rid of the rest of the cabinets on the west wall, I would have. LOL That's okay, I'll just stick with the sit down. LOL

Watson, looking good for first try. You're going to have a lot of fun.

You'll get there!

I also use to take a long time to load a quilt, but after I stopped trying to do it the way some of the websites recommended, it started to get really easy and I can load a quilt in about 15 mn now. Often takes me way longer to select the backing than it does to load it.

1. don't worry about finding the middle, I like to keep my quilts toward one end so I can use the other for bobbin changes and cleaning, so I start on one and pin until I get to the other. It's taken a while to get a good feel so I don't stretch the backing as I'm pinning. I do pay attention so that the top and bottom are about the same, but I don't fret less than 1" difference (I'm mostly using 105" wide backing).

2. I roll up on to the back roll and then lay it over the front bar and have it hang over so the edge of the backing lines up with the edge of the leader. I pin so that it will "fold" over the pins when I roll and that does not matter. So it's more that I line up the two edges and pin like you'd do for a seam, but when I roll it opens up and the pinned seam lays to one side. This saves me a lot of time and has not caused any problems what so ever. I always rip off the selvage and rip across to have straight of grain. Even if it seems wonky, rolling it back and forth evens a lot out. Usually the first few rolls I'll have to make sure it's smooth and adjust the edges, but after a few I don't have to do that anymore.

3, I totally float my tops, and pin them to the backing as needed, and remove the pins as I'm stitching. The very first quilt I did - I "loaded" the top, and once was all it took and I've never done it since.

4. stretched a cord with movable locks (like those that helpe keep ties tight on a jacket) and them move those locks to help line up the edges as I advance - I use to measure and that was a lot more work. Now I just line up with the locks and it takes way less time.

I think it looks great! With practice, it will only get better. If you don't have a stitch regulator, then I would suggest slowing your hands down, it will give you smaller stitches. Keep at it, you're doing fine!

Ditto to what everyone has been mentioning! Yes definitely a different learning curve. Like quiltingshortimer I watched the videos several times on those first quilts. After 3 years, I still haven't gotten used to floating the tops.

Macybaby, could you share a photo of your stretched cord and moveable locks next time you do a quilt? I think I would like your idea but since I am a visual person, I would benefit from a photo.

Forgive me for a facetious post, but I just like to imagine what someone who knows nothing about quilting would make of the heading "First Try with My New Long Arm"....it reminded me of a friend who used to compile an annual 'commonplace' book, which he sent out in lieu of a Christmas card (it was always wonderful); one of the regular categories was "Strangest Book Titles of the year", and the one I loved the most was "A History of Japanese Chins", which, if you don't happen to know of the breed of small dog to which the title refers could indeed seem strange!!

Congrats on your first LA quiliting attempts. Call it a success in my book. I can see your FMQ skills shining through. Enjoy the journey!

Laughing here! Never thought about it until you mentioned it!

This looks good to me. Great first try. Maybe someday I will have a long arm machine. For now I will need to work with my midarm machine once it is working again.

Congratulations Watson!
Before long you will be a whiz at loading and stitching with this new set up.

Keep in mind, there is a huge difference here ....... you were moving the fabric and now you are moving the machine. I remember someone doing a demo and saying, this is more like writing (two handed, granted!) and once she got that into her mind and hands, then it was game on, and she moved ahead in leaps and bounds!!

Good Luck!!!!

do you have a stitch regulator?? I do not I am the regulator and if that is what you have I just think to slow down will give you smaller stitches I hope you have a great time.

How exciting! Looks good, so far. You'll be a pro in no time.

Congratulations Watson! It's a big step to get a long arm. Everything you do will get easier and quicker. Right now you have to think of each step, kind of like learning how to drive a car. I think your first efforts are very good. I'm sure each time you use your longarm you'll just fall in love all over again.

Wow! You tried a complicated design AND did it on solid fabric! Great job! My first try was a simple meander on a busy Halloween fabric! I'm not sure I can do your design even now! Enjoy your new set-up!

You're definitely on your way!https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png

When you move to a longarm you have an entirely different set of muscles controlling the path of the stitching. That takes a bit of getting used to, just like it did when you were learning to FMQ on your domestic. Just do a lot of practice and the control will come as you get used to how to move the machine head accurately.

Just thinking, a propos another thread on the forum on FMQ on a domestic machine, where I said that practicing with a pencil on paper is really difficult because the motion is quite different - with a domestic sewing machine you are moving the ‘paper’ under the ‘pencil’; but of course with a long arm it’s much more like actual ‘drawing’, isn’t it. I don’t own one, but have done a course and had a go. And it’s certainly true that the ‘pencil/paper’ practice is pretty good for getting ‘fluent’ with the long arm ‘language’. I didn’t in the end pursue long arm quilting because the kind of stuff I do isn’t really large-enough scale for it to be good for my purpose, but it certainly is very different from the domestic machine version of FMQ. Forgive me if I’m stating the totally obvious!! It was really just in relation to how best to practice.

Watson, you truly amaze & inspire me. I know you will have the machine mastered in no time. I think your first attempt is beautiful & you are well on your way to masterpieces. Like anything new, it will take some time to get use to things like loading your quilts, etc. I only have a domestic machine & have never even seen a long arm in operation (only on the internet). Can't wait to follow your progress.