What's the largest harp/throat space out there?
#11
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 539
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 539
It sounds like you just don't enjoy the quilting part of quilting, and that's perfectly okay. Many people enjoy making tops. Have you considered sending your tops out to be quilted? You could get a lot of tops quilted for what you'll get for your longarm.
My other thought is that perhaps your longarm isn't the right one for you. What about it don't you like?
My other thought is that perhaps your longarm isn't the right one for you. What about it don't you like?
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Posts: 109
WOW!!! It is tough to believe you don't like your longarm!! I purchased one brought it home with never even touching one - love the flexibility of quilting on it. I tried - very unsuccessfully to quilt on a domestic machine and was never able to get the hang of it. I have a HandiQuilter Avante and love to put a quilt in it and complete the quilt. When I brought it home - I loaded several yards of muslin and practiced doing about everything I could - meandering, stippling - ruler practice - free hand motion. It takes a while to get the feel of the machine. Have you given pantographs a chance.... they are a great tool and give you beautiful results. So sorry to hear that you are not pleased - but it does take a bit of practice and the learning curve never ends....Give it another chance....
#14
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 673
Industrials are made for production work, so they're often designed for one task or material only so they're not versatile like a domestic, and they go super fast (you don't want one of these). However, there are some industrial models that are great for general sewing (straight stitch and zigzag) with a roomy throat space. I'm on the lookout for a reasonably-priced Pfaff 138, a machine that fits this description. You might want to talk to a tailor or someone in the costume shop at a theater or college with a dramatic arts department if there's one near where you live. Both typically use larger machines. The cost of a good used one varies a lot, so if you decide to go this route, I suggest shopping patiently around.
Last edited by Manalto; 11-29-2015 at 09:45 AM.
#15
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 539
WOW!!! It is tough to believe you don't like your longarm!! I purchased one brought it home with never even touching one - love the flexibility of quilting on it. I tried - very unsuccessfully to quilt on a domestic machine and was never able to get the hang of it. I have a HandiQuilter Avante and love to put a quilt in it and complete the quilt. When I brought it home - I loaded several yards of muslin and practiced doing about everything I could - meandering, stippling - ruler practice - free hand motion. It takes a while to get the feel of the machine. Have you given pantographs a chance.... they are a great tool and give you beautiful results. So sorry to hear that you are not pleased - but it does take a bit of practice and the learning curve never ends....Give it another chance....
On my sewing machine, I just change the needle every so often, clean around the bobbin case when I change it and otherwise sew. That's what I want in a quilting machine. Ease of use so I can spend my energy making pretty things.
#16
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
I agree maybe it's the quilting you don't enjoy. The maneuvering or all the fabric. If it stresses you, it's no good for you. Send it out.
It sounds like you just don't enjoy the quilting part of quilting, and that's perfectly okay. Many people enjoy making tops. Have you considered sending your tops out to be quilted? You could get a lot of tops quilted for what you'll get for your longarm.
My other thought is that perhaps your longarm isn't the right one for you. What about it don't you like?
My other thought is that perhaps your longarm isn't the right one for you. What about it don't you like?
#17
What about one of the Jukis? The 2010Q might work for you. It's a high speed straight stitch machine. Here's a page with info on it: http://www.jukihome.com/products/quilt_tl2010q.html
I think you might like it because it has a large harp and feed dogs. You can search here on QB for more posts about it.
I don't have this machine (I have a Sweet Sixteen sitdown) but I do have a Juki sewing machine and I love it. I've never had to adjust anything on the machine, including tension, and it sews like a dream.
Hope this helps!
Lynda
I think you might like it because it has a large harp and feed dogs. You can search here on QB for more posts about it.
I don't have this machine (I have a Sweet Sixteen sitdown) but I do have a Juki sewing machine and I love it. I've never had to adjust anything on the machine, including tension, and it sews like a dream.
Hope this helps!
Lynda
#18
i never minded quilting a smaller quilt, such as a crib size or maybe even a smallish lap size on my regular sewing machine, so it's not the actual process of quilting, and when my long arm just turned on and ran without having to adjust tension constantly etc, I could even enjoy that type of quilting, but I don't have the patience for constantly being in the lookout for something going wrong. I just want to turn it on and go, and apparently long arms don't work that way. I don't think I've ever adjusted tension on my regular sewing machine, but that does make me wonder; do you have to adjust tension constantly in the sit down machines?
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Sunny Arizona
Posts: 476
Truthfully, I had a longarm for 3 years before I really got into it. I guess I was a little afraid of it. In the beginning I got eyelashes too. Drove me crazy. I don't have a stitch regulator so I found I was speeding up too much on the long sweeps and such. So I got eyelashes. About 2 years ago I tried Glide thread. It is a trilobal (?) polyester. I have not had to adjust my tension since then!! (Occasionally I get eyelashes when I forget and go too fast, but I'm getting better at being relaxed and smooth.) That's all I use. I know some will say it should be cotton, but I'm happy with it, and it has survived many washings. Good luck!! Ann
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