No fancy video setup or editing. Just me doing my quilting thing! I turned my passion into a business and run an on-line quilt shop that can be found at www.myveryownquiltshop.com/.
My former life was a CPA doing tax preparation and while I don’t do taxes for others anymore, I am still a numbers nerd 🙂
Sorry about that. I changed the date in the listings and it broke the links, but I have now updated them. You could have still found the product through the overall website link and then clicking on the Block of the Month tab, but the specific product links should now work as well. The fabrics don't arrive until the end of June/early July so both the kit and BOM are on preorder status right now.
Great tip! I will try this next time I cut binding (2-1/4 inch strips). Always wished her XL ruler came with a 1/4 inch version. This tip might solve that!
Folded Corner Clipper designed by Prairie Sky Quilting. I’ve been using since 2012. Bought out by Creative Grids. Now there are many similar rulers. But cutting first then sewing is accurate and less time consuming.
Yes, these type of rulers have helped greatly with accuracy! I've not heard of the ruler you mentioned. If you have a channel maybe you can post a demo?
It's a small portable recording device that can be mounted on things. Scott wears it on his head to record his hunts with the dogs, but right now it's mounted on the side of the long arm until I can get my own device or hunting season comes around again. The quilting is all still free hand.
I use skinny strings for my string quilts and without some sort of foundation it's hard to keep all of the bias edges in check. You can use paper or some people prefer a permanent foundation like muslin. My preference is some sort of removable foundation so as to not as more bulk to my quilt. Hope this helps!
Very nice demonstration of both of these rulers have had them for years, but never used them. Look forward to seeing your other videos.Definitely a nice job for your first video. Good luck 🍀
@@myveryownquiltshop5202 I’m still quilting on my domestic but I know I would love to quilt on a long arm. You are doing great!!! Happy quilting ~Martha
My first string quilt used muslin as a foundation and after that quilt I decided that I greatly preferred removable foundations over non-removable. Even thin muslin added bulk that I didn't want in the quilt and made the block intersections even lumpier which I really didn't like. All of my subsequent string quilts used various forms of removable foundations from regular printer paper to deli paper. Hope this helps!
I made axflannel quilt out of that fabric 20 years ago. It was a beautiful line. I lived in Massachusetts and bought the fabric at a nice quilt shop in Plymouth, MA. Can hardly believe this fabric is still around. Maybe rerun in regular cotton.❤
It’s not a rerun, it just took me this long to make my quilt 😂😂😂. I bought the fabric in 2002, finally made the top in 2016 and now it’s finally getting quilted.
People who think quilts are too expensive (even though we are selling them for about half of what they should be) need to watch quilt construction videos and longarming videos like this. Learning how every stitch is sewn may be a real eye opener.
Thank you! I have quilted more swirls than anything else so far so I'm better at echoing those than other designs. Sometimes it looks great with other designs and other times, well.... lol. Just keep practicing!
Overall it is a learning once it is washed it will be lovely!!!!! Do t be hard on yourself because it helps all of us to know we can and will make mistakes and it’s ok!!!
I am ok with the finished look as the overall texture is nice. I just didn't find that the design really flowed for me while quilting it like my other swirl variations do. Every quilt is a learning experience for sure :-)
I have been making string quilts for over two decades and have tried various methods, including no foundation. My preferred method is to use some sort of temporary foundation because I use skinny strings and without a foundation, the bias edges distort and I do not like the results.
Time for a new title. You are not making a DIRTY quilt. Quick and pretty or Quick and cool, Quick and something good, not dirty. Quick and dirty implies quick and ugly or quick and trashy, quick and thoughtless... something to put in the trash right away.
The title is accurate. One definition of quick and dirty is this - "used for describing a quick calculation, method, etc., especially one that is done or used until you have enough time or money to do or use a more careful one." That is exactly what this video was. We had a number of people asking for a tutorial and I didn't have the time to do anything in depth so we did this quick video in one take and called it good. We may do a more thorough video at some point, but this video served the purpose for which it was intended and for which the title is accurate.
I don't understand how a floating tape measure will actually do anything. Doesn't the tape measure need to stay in one place so that it doesn't move with the quilt? I don't understand how it will help you keep the quilt top straight as it could easily just move with the quilt top.
As I mentioned in another comment, the tape measure is floating on this quilt because it's small enough that I can hold it in place at the zero mark and still measure to both sides. For larger quilts, I would pin the tape measure at the zero mark and then also pin the top if easing was necessary until I put in the basting stitches. Once I know that my top is straight for the current pass, I remove the tape measure and baste the top into place. When I advance the quilt for the next pass, I get the tape measure out again to check where things are at. My apologies if I didn't make that clear in the video. We generally only do one take of each video and sometimes I forget things.
I have to make sure to clean the floor under the machine before loading a new quilt and then, as you said, keeping the top out from under your feet can also be a challenge. I have not done a super large quilt yet, but it's coming and I may have to use the leader for the larger quilts as you did.
The tape is also floating. If you have trouble keeping the zero mark in place or need to reposition your top, you can use pins to keep it in place temporarily. I haven’t had any tops yet that needed much repositioning but if I do in the future my plan is to temporarily pin the top in place based on the tape measure markings and then remove the pins after I’ve basted that pass in place.
Love this.. i have this tape measure and wanted to use it like you just showed and love the Wonder Clip tip BUT do you attach the tape to your machine of do you float it as well? I was trying to see but could see it.
The tape measure is also floating. For this size quilt, it was easy to keep the zero mark in place, but it's easy enough to stick a pin in to hold it. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure I will end up with a top that needs enough easing that I will also need to pin the top in place in order to get it lined up with the proper marks on the tape measure. The pins will only stay until I've basted the top into place for quilting. I hope this makes sense and helps.
You are doing quite well as a newbie longarmer, You will learn lots of things as you go but don’t stress your quilts will be beautiful. I have had my machine for six years and do around 200 quilts a year, as you keep going you will see how much easier and quicker you quilt. And yes, we all have our moments when things are just not going well (just a day in the life, this too will pass.) I love your batik material the quilt is beautiful. Have a great week, happy quilting.
I’ve had mine for 9 years. Still not even adequate…lol. I do a lot of meandering. Need a different pattern. Bored. I hate to quilt. I’d rather make the tops, but I have the equipment, I should use it. I think it’s because it makes me nervous. Yes, I need that practice, practice, practice…lol. Thanks for the video
You are welcome! I love to both piece and quilt, but I have to be honest, if I am in quilting mode and then I HAVE to quit to piece a shop sample, I'm not real happy about it lol. So my question for you is if you could consider selling your machine and just focus on piecing which it sounds like what you really love to do. I am of the thought that we should spend our time doing the things we love, not the things we hate :-). If you don't NEED to have your machine, I say sell it and move on. We bought our longarm because it made financial sense when factoring in all of the quilts I would have to send out to someone else. BUT, I was also already quilting on my domestic machine and knew that I enjoyed it. Just my two cents :-)
@@myveryownquiltshop5202 …worth way more than two cents and yes I have thought of selling it. The problem then would be paying someone a large sum to quilt the tops. Since I don’t sell quilts, it would be an even more costly hobby. I do love to piece, but I will have to suffer through the quilting process. Lol. That’s ok. I haven’t quilted in quite a while, so I have a pile of tops needing quilted. I plan to start soon. Probably do my old stand by, meander. That’s fine also. A really nice looking quilt top with a lot going on, doesn’t need fancy quilting. Thanks for your input, though. Yes, we should stick with what we enjoy most, but there is always a less enjoyable task, that has to be done. Like laundry. I would happily give that up. Lol. Thanks so much. Have a good summer. 😁
I’m a newbie as well. This was so helpful….especially when you said if you need to go to the left start on towards the right and echo along. That was a lightbulb moment for me. I think I finally got it! Thank you.
I don’t use pins to mark my front line, in fact I don’t pin anything. I use a stapler for the backing and just run a line of very large basting across the belly bar area. It marks the furthest stitching line AND keeps the center of the quilt from drawing in further than the edges. I’ve actually moved the bar down by your knees up higher on the frame and bolted it there since I never attach the quilt top, and I wanted to be able to sit down at the machine occasionally. Another possible cause for the thumping noise is that your takeup roller might be too high. You want it just so that you can slip your fingers in between the rolled up quilt and your machine, but not down so far that it drags. Your paisleys are beautiful. 😊
Thank you so much for the comment about the takeup roller being too high. I hadn't even considered that. I knew to watch it when the quilt started getting thick, and had raised it for a large quilt that I quilted last summer. I took an unplanned extended break from the machine after that and never even thought about the bar still being set higher. I lowered it some and will see how the next quilt goes! Always something to learn as I embark on this new adventure!
She’s probably a bit younger than 1995. I bought my Classic in ‘99, and the Plus machines weren’t available until a couple years later. I had a third party stitch regulator added to my machine. These machines are such workhorses- the biggest expense I’ve had in all those years and all those quilts was a set of new wheels a couple of years ago. Good luck with your shop!
This is great info, thank you! After the fact I was thinking that 1995 didn’t sound quite right. I tried to research the years that these machines were manufactured but I couldn’t find that info either. I figured I would call Gammill eventually but with the info you provided now I don’t have to 🙂. We are at least the third owners of this machine and the person we bought it from only knew when she got it and not much more about the prior history. The workhorse aspect is why I wanted a Gammill and those new wheels we put on are sweet 😊.
Thank you for sharing your longarm experience. I have a longarm but have not completed a quilt yet, as you said, "life happened". Looking forward to using it soon. Thanks, Kathy
I float mine too. Same longarm as you but 14’ frame. 1996 GC+, The only thing I’ve done to it is put on easy Rider wheels and replace the belt every three or four years or when I start noticing little pieces of rubber. Runs like a top, and never broken a thread. I use Glide thread and 22 needle( holes disappear when wet although until then I quilt UNthreaded to test a design bc holes are very visible). I use the 12” tool magnets from Harbor Freight, I use 3 or 4 on the front bar to adjust my backing/batting and if it on the floor you can magnet it to the bottom of the middle roller, even with all the canvas layers/leaders. Well I’ve talked enough, enjoy your quilting journey💗🙂
I love hearing from people who have had a GC+ for years :-). The longevity and low maintenance were two of the main reasons that I only wanted a Gammill. I really appreciate the info on the magnets. The ones we purchased are not strong enough and I have been using the clips to hold the leader while pinning. That works, but magnets would be better. We have a Harbor Freight an hour away so I will definitely be checking on their magnets! Thank you again!
I don’t own a long arm and likely never will at my age, but I enjoy watching videos on the craft from time to time. Yours is very interesting and informative, and I especially appreciated you taking a little more time to explain the “whys” of what you do. I quilt my king sized creations on a domestic machine with an 8-inch throat, so I envy all the space you have to freely quilt! Thank you for sharing what you’ve learned. 😊
Thanks for sharing your experience with free motion quilting. I’m on my first free motion quilt for my young grandson. It’s taken me along time to finish. I’m not comfortable with my work at all.
Me too I do have the regulator on mine but it is a bit intimidating to me but practice practice. I am joining you so we can learn together. Wichita Falls tx.
I'm not sure what coast regulate is, but I do have the stitch regulator engaged on my machine. My stitch count is at 11. Thank you for watching and commenting!
