Woo Hoo, we have such a smart group of helpful souls, it's wonderful!

I think we (gulp) might be ready to try a charity quilt since we have several to practice on. We're on vacation next week so I think it will be a project for that week.

I went to a class for my Crown Jewel that was 4 days long. It covered all aspects of the machine and frame. It included lots of practice and discussion on different patterns. I came away confident. I still needed practice but the stress was gone as long as I treated myself gently - giving time to become experienced.
I think you need to find someone who can work with you for several sessions - even another longarmer who has a different machine and frame who you can pay to work with you on tension, loading, thread, needles, sewing straight lines, sewing curved patterns, using longarm rulers, pantographs, etc. Then come home and make some muslin sandwiches and just repeatedly sew patterns.

That was an awesome video. I learned so much.

Your basic machine is a TL18LS...Pfaff buys the basic models from TL company & retrofits some items, mostly cosmetic in nature).
Breaking thread...check the bobbin tension...Yes, you can change the bobbin tension.
You want to be able to lay the bobbin case, face up in the palm of one hand, and pull the thread coming off the bobbin case (don't put through the pigtail) and have the case just start to lift off your hand, then stop and the thread come out straight and with just a hint of tension. This is your starting bobbin tension (mine stays that way).

Test the stitch...you may see pokies or loops on top...loosen the upper tension a full turn (lefty loosey)...and retest. I run my upper and lower tensions fairly loose...this lets me use any thread out there....metroemb.com and threadart.com are my favorite for poly threads. Threadart has nice quilting cottons also, and metro has a newer line called Sigma, a bit stronger poly than the Metro embroidery/quiliting threads....oh, and threadart now has bobbin thread in colors...60 wt. Nice both on top and in the bobbin when doing close stipples.

Remember that the tension assembly for the upper thread does not have settings. The numbers on the dial are for referrence only. If you start with a 2 on the top, a full turn puts a 2 on the top again. Turning the dial less than a
half to full turn will not make a noticable difference in tension.

You should be able to run any thread, even serger (I use this for bobbin thread) and regular 50 wt cotton/poly or blends. Rayon is not recommended, it's pretty weak and the colors can run when the quilt it washed. They fade also.

If you continue to have issues, and your dealer can't help...have them contact the TL company & set up a conference call, to work out any issues.

My TL18L is basically the same machine....it has a sticker that says Groz-Beckert 134 san 11 size 18 needles. I've also bought size 20 & 21...the 20's are a different brand (Oregon I think, or Orange), I also use a 22 ball point when doing those old doubleknit tops. I've never tried a 16...never use a small enough thread. 40 wt, I like the 18's.

My feeling is to use what works for you. And yep, run my bobbin & top tensions pretty darn loose. I can use from 60 wt to pearl cotton and not have any issues...after making needed tension adjustments.
Marge

[QUOTE=moonwork42029;5230908]My most wonderful darling husband decided I (meaning he wanted to play on one) a long arm. About a year ago he saw one when we got the embroidery machine and has been itching to get one ever since. Well a few weeks ago, they were on sale (Pfaff Grand Quilter 18.8 with Inspira? frame) so he said to "write it up".

We were told we could use thread we had on hand (wrong) and that it was easier to learn free hand than to follow a pattern with the laser. (not for the uncreative minded)

We've now bought several big spools of quilting thread and have been trying the laser out and doing somewhat better than free hand on some practice fabric layered with flannel.

OMG...it's awful looking! We can't follow a straight line to save our rearends...and the curves....oh the curves look more like rounded off squares a lot of the times.

It has the auto stitch so it only sews when we move the machine so it's not that problem.

Maybe in 6 months we can load a "real" top on it but until then, it's just practice.

Grrrr and we can't seem to keep the thread from breaking so we're biting our nails.

This too shall pass and we'll laugh at how awful it was...someday.

Okay, I'll take a big breath and go back in the other room now....Pfaff - look out ...I'm coming back.[/QUOTE


I hold the world record for thread breaking while learning to LAQ. I took one whole week and played with tensions. went through lots of practice thread and fabric. Though there can be lots of other problems that cause your thread to break, mine was my tensions were too tight. Another reason is going too fast for the speed setting you have selected. Cotton thread seems to break less than poly, at least for me. A tip: once I mastered tensions on one brand name of thread, I switched completely to that thread. Now I have very little tension adjustment. Still some, because some dyes cause the thread to swell more than others. Good luck and keep at it. It will come.

For thread breaking I usually try a bigger needle. I had lots of issues with top thread snapping and it was due to my eye on the needle being too small, so I went to a size 16 needle...problem solved :)

find a friend that has one ...to come and help ..

My guild owns a Nolting. We were told to run the thread through a tiny bit of liquid silicone soaked fabric. We do use the same cone thread I use for everything else. We change needles frequently. However, jerky movements can break thread very easily. The guild suggests beginning with a capital cursive L movement, then trying other things. I hate marking, so I don't. Many "experts" suggest drawing the pattern you want to use repeatedly on paper (newspaper will do) with a marker pen, to get the 'flow' right. I can't stand and work on the guild's LA any more, so I really envy you.

It is a long learning curve. I just retrofitted my Gammil with a stitch regulator and am sort of learning all over again so I sympathize. I have found that, when my thread starts breaking often, it is almost always the thread. Buy good thread. These days, I rely on Bob's Superior threads and get the best I can afford. It saves a ton of aggravation. As to the curves, and "drawing" on the fabric, that's just practice, practice, practice. If you have the opportunity, taking a class helps a great deal as well.