I finally get my new quilter Sunday. It takes me over 6 hours just to but the table together. Yesterday I tried getting all my house work done so I could set up my machine and do some quilting. Well that never happen.

Today 2 of my girlfriends came out. We leveled the table, adjusted the poles, I figured out how to do the bobbin, thread the machine, hooked up the Cruise control and loaded it up for some practice:-)

It ran SO SLOW, the threading was like a 1/2 long & it was dragging so bad. I must of moved the bars 50 times thinking I had the height wrong. Nothing I did help at all. I went back over EVERYTHING, the book, the video still nothing.

At this point I have a knotted mess on my quilt. I then thought maybe I never brought up my bottom thread. I was so mad I could not remember:-) Come to find out my quilt was not the only thing messed up. I had to take everything apart to get the bobbin untangled.

So I try it again thinking that was the problem. I just didn't take up my bottom thread....WRONG AGAIN!

I then get the bright idea to unhook the cruise control and WALLO..............It now works but I am to stinking tired to do it now So I am sitting here venting to all of you.

My back hurts and my neck feels like someone tried to pull it off!

That learning curve can really suck sometimes!! Hope your next attempt goes smoothly and you're end result will be absolutely gorgeous....

Just breath! :thumbup:

I am just waiting on my pain pill I had to take to kick in and I am going to finish that darn thing if it kills me!

You just have to get back up on the bull.....Anyone have any ice before I go? :mrgreen:

If it is taking very large stitches and dragging, the encoder wheels may not be rolling on the frame correctly. Check to make certain you did not tighten the encoder wheels too tightly and that they lay on the tracks as you move the machine. Also, double check the plugs into the encoders to make certain they are in all the way. If this is the 9" MegaQuilter and not the 18.8, the speed slider should be in the middle position.

I didn't even Have the encoder wheels on the rolling frame! I didn't know they went that way. I just hooked them up like they showed in the book. I was wandering how in the world they was going to know how fast or slow I was going!

BLESS YOUR HEART!!!!!!......You may of just saved me another 6 hours of messing with it:-)

Glad I could be of assistance. I hope you're able now to get it all working the right way.

I THINK I CAN HANDLE IT FROM HERE :oops:

Deep breathing helps!!! So sorry for your frustration- hope the worst is behind you now :D:D

Thank goodness for the QB's wonderful people who helped you!!

AMEN!

Christina,sorry you are having a bad time with your Mega Quilter. I used one for years and loved it. Just sold it and now have a gammill. There is a lot to learn and you will be frustrated quite often then one day it will all come together for you and you will be in love. Have you joined the yahoo group for shortarms yet? They are like this board of people. Anything you need to know they will help you...that is how I learned. I don't know if I can put their name on here but if you PM me I will tell you how to join. Don't give up! Good luck.

Don't forget to put the presser foot down. Also make sure the the quilting area is level or your thread will break. I had to unhook my cruise control also until I figured out to make sure the roller was in contact to the metal. See someone already told you that. Be sure your stitching area isn't too tight.
Good luck, there is a mega quilter site and you can find some helpful advice there.

I went back and placed the wheels on the track. It was a big help but it is still was not right. I don't think I had then on there tight enough. When I get the right size Allen wrench I will try it again.

All and all I don't think I did bad for the first run. After about 4 rolls I figured out that I was to place my needle down on the dot for my next run. Well that would have worked if I did not have the pattern upside down :oops: 1st Lesson learned!

2nd lesson learned, Do not pin to my litters. I am to tall and this table is to short to have to bend over and pin everything. My back did not like that at all!

3rd lesson learned, Don't use the Cut thread button when quilting. I had a world of a time getting a hold of my bobbin thread when I stated my next row.

Now for the things I DO NOT LIKE.

1) I only had about 2 yards of fabric on there and I was having to reload the bobbin after 2 rows. If I had a full size quilt on there I don't think I would be able to make 1 full pass. Not to count my hand is twice the size of the opening to get the bobbin in and out. With the frame I have the batting in rolled at the bottom of the table so I have to slide the machine over to get to it.

2) What is with the top of my frame? I have it on correct but yet it is still bowed in the middle. Every time I get to the middle while quilting I am hitting something. I will figure that out now that I have it unloaded. I also feel that it keeps you from seeing your quilt if you are just wanting to quilt free handed.

Last but not least things I still have no idea about :mrgreen:

1) Thread tension dial. No where does it talk about what is should be set on. Is it for just when you are sewing or do I need to adjust it when quilting too?

2) Stitch length indicator. Same ? as #1 is this just for when you are sewing?

I think that about covers it. I attached pictures of the front and the back of the fabric I quilted. You will see the large gaps between the quilting from where I had the pattern upside down and could not match it back up:XD:

Here is one of my other post with pictures of what I quilter and table I am using.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-113019-1.htm

OK......just take deep breaths, expel them slowly and step.back for awhile. I also have a Husqvarna/Viking Mega Quilter with 13" throat and there is a definite learning curve with these machines.

When I get frustrated with a job and I'm about ready to tear my hair out, I stop and walk away for a awhile and think about something else. It really helps to come back with a calm,clear mind.

it is too bad they did not set it up for you and make sure you knew how to run it.

Well maybe I am the only one but when I got my machine and frame it took me a while to get it set up well a few weeks, then when I started to use it I had all kinds of different problems, there was no way I would have got to just start quilting, I think everything that could go wrong probably did. I had read everything I could find about long arm quilting and the fixes and what not and still had different problems. Then one day it just worked, apparently I had worked all of my kinks out of me, user errors, and everything fit together and on I went. I think it just takes a bit of time to get through to some great stitching. Of course, there are always those that have no problems at all when novices, but that was not me.lol

This is also what I have to do. It works. I also spend time like that looking up things on you tube and long arm groups to find the answers to my problems. Then in the am I am ready to try it again. At first it is usually a bit hard to get it all figured out.

My machine is an 18.8.