Is anyone machine quilting on a frame using a shortarm machine? I am using my old viking on a Grace frame and find it very limiting. No problem doing stippling, but anything more involved seems impossible. I am new at this, and wonder if I am spinning my wheels, or just need more practice.

Try breaking down a block design into smaller pieces--2" of an 8" block. Continuous Curves is a method to try, also. I have a 9" machine on a frame so I was limited to about 6" of quilting space at the beginning of a quilt--much less at the end unless it was turned. You can also stop, needle down, advance the quilt, the quilt some more. It's a PIA to do it that way but some designs just have to be done like that.

I did hearts, loops, stars and threw some into my meanders. When I got bored with that, I bought Max Throat which is an automatic fabric advancing system that isn't made anymore but there are quite a few still around and the company still supports them. My 9" machine can do 12" blocks easily and 16" if I really, really measure and Max is in a good mood. It is tempermental some days but works well for me when I have it adjusted correctly.

I'm anxiously waiting for my new Voyager 17 to arrive now. We plan to get it all setup this weekend and if it performs as expected, I will have a B-Line Studio frame with free motion Max Throat to sell.

I have been absolutely and postively drooling over this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

What do you think? :D

Thanks for your helpful tips. I am not familiar with the "Max Throat", but would be interested in hearing more about it. Does it only work on certain frames, or will it work onany frame?

Looks good. I am happy with my Grace frame, my problem is that my machine has a shortarm giving me a small area to work. What size machine are you going to put on it?

Here is the group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pcq-maxthroat/

It was made for the wooden frames with the upright arms. The motors that drive it are mounted on the crossbraces.

It's hard to describe & many people had trouble dealing with it's quirks. Being stubborn & mechanically inclined definitely comes in handy with all types of quilting machines & gizmos, though!

Thanks for your help. I will check this out.

Looks a lot like mine and I love it.

Thanks littlehud -- does your machine have 9" throat plate? :D

I have a BabyLock Quilters Professional machine on a New Joy frame. It is a short arm setup. It is the first system I ever had, and I bought it used. It took me some time to get used to it, but after lots of practice, practice....you know. I do edge to edge using pantograph patterns, my own version of loopy swirly random design, and now I have started using stencils to do more custom type designs. Although the quilting space is somewhat limited, if you are creative and patient you can figure out how to do larger designs in "rows", just connecting the new row with the previous. That requires lots of starts and stops, but if you are creative you can work it out. I really like the pantograph designs, and now I am starting to like the stencils. Stick with it, and practice, practice....you know!! :-) ;-) ;-) :thumbup: