I have never done anything like this so I hope I am doing it correctly. I have the opportunity of using a Tin Lizzy longarm which I am very excited about it. The owner of said machine doesn't know much about it so I hope someone out there does and can help me. I would like to find out whether or not I can put multiple tops ( pillow type) on it and quilt them. Can I put backing/batting on the frame and then baste the pillow tops to that and quilt or will it not be stretched tight enough to work?

If anyone has any ideas about this I would be most grateful to hear from them.

I am a long time maker of wall hangings but have always sent out my work to be quilted so this is a whole new thing for me. I am hoping to use the machine as I would a pencil fro drawing and am looking forward to the experience.

Have a great day. Janeo

Welcome Janeo, from southern California. I don't know anything about using a long-arm, but there are people here that do!!

Thanks Gayle. If you know anyone specifically that uses a Tin Lizzy I would love to get in touch with them. Janeo

I'm not real familiar with the Tin Lizzie, but it's a reasonably priced long arm that I haven't heard anything bad about them. You would put your backing, batting and top on separately and have each one tight, and do your quilting. If you decide not to get it, PM me and I'll see if I can persuade my husband to get it.

Pocoellie...thanks for writing. I am not going to buy the machine...I have the use of one tho. HOpe your jusband will buy on e for you if you want it. What I am trying to avoid is putting each pillow top on seperately. That is much too time consuming so if I can't put them on all at once I will just get a friend to short arm quilt them or something. Janeo

If I am understanding you correctly, you want to put backing and batting on the machine and then each pillow "case" will be a separate thing??

in that case it should be 'doable'... you can either 'float' each top one at a time... IOW, do the first one, wind it, float the second one - do it, keep winding, etc etc... just make sure you get each top 'floated' good and straight - probably by pinning (just don't run over the pins)

another way would be to scant stitch the tops together and treat it as one big top then cut them apart - you could do this by having an extra say inch for each of the sides you stitch together or even cut strips to do that

we did that when first doing our practice quilting - stitched two fabrics together - treated it as 'one' then cut the finished stuff up into lap quilts

Hi and welcome from Mass. Sorry I can't help you.

i have the tin lizzie 18. i must start by saying that i love it! and i loved the price. it doesn't have the bells and whistles, but then neither do i.

i don't know exactly what you mean so i'll try to get it. if you want to layer it all and then put it on the quilter, you can. you would just baste a header and footer so you can attach it to the canvas header and footer that it comes with so you don't sew into them. i know this works. you would wind across the two top rollers. if you already have enough extra fabric on the top and bottom you can forget that first step.

if you mean can you put more than one on at the same time yes, you can. it works either across or down. you would use the attached tightening clamps on the sides and a piece of fabric between the two quilts in order to treat them as one.

in either case if they are already layered, you would just roll them across the top rollers. if they are not you would roll them correctly but as one.

if they are pillow-case-type that turns inside out so that you don't have to put a binding on them, you would still have to back them with a foundation so that the batting doesn't get caught in the bobbin. then you would have to put an unquilted backing on them and not see any quilting on the back. unless you do the entire quilt, with turning and all, and then roll it on. remember that you need to leave room for the quilting to come to the edge at the top and bottom. be very careful not to sew into the canvas or you will have to take those stitches out. i've had a few accidents and been sorry. i had to leave a lot of extra at the top and bottom to avoid that, so i don't know what to do with a quilt that's already been turned rightside out.
i can only think of carefuly basting an extra band of fabric there at the very edge. if you use the stretch clamps, it should be tight enough if your layers are very even with no pooches. i would still baste in this case.

chatty, right? good luck with the project. let me know how this works out, okay?

i just thought of another approach: on your regular machine, do a few rows of outline or fancy stitching, following the edge. bring that stitching in just enough to give yourself the space you need to attach to the canvas. that way, you won't have to quilt to the very edge because that part will already be done. i would still baste. i think it likely that the back will end up with creases. in the pillowcase type there's really no way to tighten the back more than the front, which is what you need to do. unless you cut the back smaller to begin with.

clear as mud, right?

Thanks so much. I am just doing pillow tops not cases so hanging them alll together will work great. I don't know whether the Tin Lizzy that I have access to is model 18 or not. I am so looking forward to finding the time to get to this. Right now I am working on costumes for a play and am frantically busy. thanks again. Janeo

Thanks so much Butterflywing. Your instructions are exactly what I was looking for and I do appreciate the time you took in answering me.

I am really looking forward to learning how to quilt on the TL because as a artist I think I can "draw" with the thread just as I would a pencil. Now I just have to find time to do it. So much to do and so few hours in the day.

Thanks again to everyone who has answered my questions...have a wonderful fall...good quilting...and God bless.

Janeo