Why Does My Longarm Machine Shift to the Right and Down???
 

Hi - I have a Handi Quilter Avante 18 with Prostitcher. I have noticed that I start out square (and I am squaring up my quilts pretty good). About mid-way down, I notice that there is less margin on the left side and more margin on the right side, and when the quilt is finished, I notice that it has also shifted down a tad. It's not bad, but I'd like to know what I need to do to correct this. Does anyone else have that problem? I hope I have explained this clearly enough.

Thank you in advance!
LaDonna

Are you quilting on a frame or a stationary machine?

If on a frame are you floating your top or loading it on the bar intended for the top? Sometimes floating can contribute to this problem. Also are you making sure when you baste the top of the top to your loaded backing and batting are you ensuring it is square when you do that first basting line?

The quilting itself will cause a bit of drawing in on the top but it sounds like your initial baste across the top is not square. For the most part, if you are allowing yourself enough excess backing and batting, the issue you are experiencing isn't going to cause problems.

Hi - I am quilting on a 12-foot frame. I'm not sure what floating means, but I put my back on the backing bar on the front and back. My top is connected to the top bar. I try to load it squarely. I use the red snappers. Then, I channel lock my computer and it stitches a straight line across the backing and batting. I line my top up with that and baste. I think next time, I will try to load it a little unlevel, pulling up more on the right side, and see if that helps. Thanks for your input.

It is also possible your leaders weren't attached perfectly straight on the rollers.

I noticed this too, when using the prostitcer - HQ fusion. I asked the HQ instructor about it and her response was "they do that". Didn't care for that answer.

I have always floated my quilt tops. I started measuring from the right side to the side arm, and as I work down the quilt I make sure to keep that straight. Most often I have to pull on it a bit to keep it from being sucked the other way. I think it's from the top being pulled into the batting as it's quilted. It's not much but over 100" it does add up. When using the robotics, you'll be starting on the left and working to the right, so the right side is where you are going to see it.

I also check that I'm staying straight with every advance of the quilt. Since I float, it's super easy to adjust left/right and up/down as needed. I find it's normal that I'll have to ease one side up a bit here and there to keep it straight. I'd be afraid to just keep working down and hoping for the best - I know by how much I adjust that it problably would not be good. It's not a lot, but even easing 1/8" inch for each turn could add up to an inch or more at the bottom. My HQ also likes a loose quilt - I roll it taut, pin and then back off 2-3 notches. This way I keep the back and top the same when I loosen it.

I don't baste at all. I pin the top edge and remove the pins as I go. I pin the sides as I work down.

What I do might sound like a lot of futzing, but it's really not. I can pin load a quilt with backing and be ready to stitch in about 30 minutes (for a queen quilt)

Check to make sure your frame is absolutely square. Also, when you baste your sides, don’t baste downward. Baste Upwards.

In addition to square, lso verify that you are level. I found I needed a big 3-4 foot long level to find the dip in the floor at my friend's house. In that case it was the front center support that was low, the outer corners were just fine. My friend is tall and the adjustable feet were already out a bit, but the right piece of cardboard did the trick.

So does the machine drift on it's own anywhere -- like if you put it in the middle with no fabric on the frame does it move at all? My guess is it would go the same way as your issue.

I float my pieced top. This allows me to make adjustments easier. My Nolting tries to drift because I always start sewing on the right side moving to the left, as I am standing behind the machine. This pushes the quilt to the left. I take a lot of extra care to give it a fudge factor....maybe 1/4" before I start stitching. And I start off the right side of the quilt and stitch into the pattern. I also do a basting stitch along the outside edge down a bit and go from the bottom up to where the already quilted part is and the pattern starts. I do use mostly Pantographs. My free motion quilting leaves a lot to be desired. Every time I roll, I have to pull the right side back a bit. I have a good eye for keeping the quilting straight, but every once in a while, it just doesn't work out. I just go with it then.

Thank you! I'm not sure if that is the problem, but I re-did my leaders tonight. I'll start my quilt in the morning.

When I get up the courage, I will try to float my quilt top and see how that does. That's not a good answer from the HQ person - "they do that". That's terrible, actually. Thanks for your help!