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Well, I guess I've solved the "hairy, smelly quilts" issue in a way we never expected. We have moved from Washington State to Kentucky to be closer to family. My husband has been dealing with cancer and heart issues the past five years and we're both in our mid 70's now, so I sort of took it upon myself to begin searching for a home nearer to family who can help if needed. When he saw what I'd found in a home and the awesome price, he readily agreed to the move. Hubby is in remission at this time and we are so very thankful for that after nearly 54 years of marriage! Our eldest grandson helped with the long-distance inspections, etc, and we bought a house sight unseen! WHEW! It needs a few changes here and there, (and I'm sure grandson will be helping, lol), but it's a great home and we're enjoying the wonderful views of the countryside and mountains in the distance. We sold all our furniture and things that wouldn't fit into a U-Haul Pod, shipped what we coculdn't part with and hit the road in my new Kia Soul. It was a fun adventure, and we're finally settled again. My Lenni is set up again and I'm happy as a clam to be able to work on my own quilts for now. Many thanks for all the input on the above subject! I'll keep all the suggestions in mind, should I decide to quilt for others again.

Every year I tell myself that I need to finish three UFO (Unfinished Projects (don't know where the "0" fits in)). This year I've set the goal at 3 completely finished projects for the year and my stretch goal is 6 fully completed projects for the year. I've also committed to not starting any new projects until I completely finish at lease 3 UFOs. Well, my friends, it's only February 21, 2024, and I've already completely finished 3 UFOs. *insert fireworks here* Okay, to be honest, two of the UFOs just needed binding, but they had been sitting around unfinished for a very looooooong time. Now they are done. The other UFO I finished was a block swap quilt top with 25 different 12" blocks. The top has been finished for several years, but I was never sure how to quilt it. Well, I just put in on the frame and custom quilt each block, simple sashing and feather borders, roll over binding, and voila, it's done! I'm so proud that I actually finished this one. It has been intimidating me from the corner for far too long. ; ) Now I'm working on two more UFOs. #4 is a flannel pinwheel square in square baby quilt. I need to make 8 more blocks (maybe more depending on how big the finished quilt will be). Then quilt and bind. #5 is 30 embroidered inspirational blocks (27 were already done). I've already embroidered one, just need to embroider two more blocks and then add sashing, borders, quilt and bind. #6 ???? ooooh there are sooooo many to choose from, but now that I'm on a roll, I'm really excited to get these old projects finished. I started making an inventory of unfinished projects and it is a little daunting -- over 25 (mayby close to 40 or 50 quilt tops, but some of those were my mom's that I brought home with me after she passed), a dozen totes and other bags, half a dozen table runners and coordinating placemats, and a few miscellaneous projects. I think I'll do at least two quilts for every three UFOs that I work on. Does anyone else out there have UFOs? What is your strategy for getting them done?

Guest JerryPrawl reported

So it ended up being 2 things! 1) When you take out the bobbin case, inside there the toe of the hook has to be straight up and seated in the center. There is a screw that holds it in place, which seemed a bit loose. So got it centered and tightened the screw. 2) The hopping foot was situated too high - not sure how, when or why, but it's lowered now. So far, everything is AOK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .For Now! Thanks everyone! Linda

I finally got the hook assembly to move. I kept wiggling the flywheel and it began to move. A drop more oil, and it began spinning normally. Now I can see a thread all the way in the back of my hook assembly (the bobbin is removed). Some tweezers helped me get that out. I will need to sew on some scraps to let the oil drips run through before continuing my quilt. Whew!

Sylvia Is the circuit board no longer being made or is it just out of stock for awhile until it can be manufactured again? While the machine head is close to 20-years old, it is disappointing that APQS does not have a replacement board or a facility that can accept the circuit board and repair it for quilters. It is sad to see a high quality machine to be made obsolete because of an old electrical part. If you are or were the original owner, it makes you wonder how APQS is going to stand behind the lifetime warranty. Finally, contact a local automobile repair facility and find out where they send their older model circuit boards for repair. Then contact that facility to see if they would be willing to take a look at your circuit board. I had to have an older model car circuit board repaired and it cost $250 to have it repaired. Best of luck getting your machine up and running soon. Cagey

You can also try Maple Leaf Quilting Company out of Cochrane AB

https://www.whirlsnswirlsquilting.ca/collections/machine-accessories In Whitby, Ontario has Red Snappers if that is what you are looking for. Nigel

You might want to double check about having the Bliss system... it doesn't look like you do.

I don't know whether you'll get a reply or not (you might want to personal message her), but if you've found a machine you like at a price you like, I wouldn't let the table length stand in the way of a purchase. All you need to do is find a local welder/fabricator, and follow the instructions I offered above. I haven't had this done because I did all the work on my table myself, but I shouldn't think it would cost more than $200 or $300. Good luck. Jim

Hot Mess is right! Why is it so hard to set boundaries when we are inately generous? Eighty is not that old if she's active enough to sew a top every month! Explain to her that the pet hair has become a problem---that the hair/dander transfers to your leaders/clothes/area and while you aren't allergic, you may have others you quilt for who are. If she can't clean them up to remove the hair and the smell (yuck!) (or have a friend do that for her) you gently and reluctantly tell her you will need to stop quilting for her. This is absolutely appropriate and I guess I'm not kind enough to continue doing something that makes me miserable every month when she has some control over the issues. Bless her, of course, for still having the passion for piecing. But your time and talent are your own to manage and you should not have to do so many extra tasks to make her quilt presentable when she doesn't recognize the issues and has no incentive to help. Does she have a close friend that you can bring into the mix---who can be the go-between for suggestions and boundaries? Sorry if this seems harsh, but I'm also "old" and would like to spend my longarming time stitching and not fixing someone elses careless piecing and smelly, hairy tops.

Thanks, Jim. The table was not square, and you are right - I had to loosen the bolts and "force" it to square it up. Thanks!

Are you talking square or level? If it's square, then your frame is "racked" and needs to have the long corner pushed toward the short corner. I don't know exactly how your frame is made, but I'd guess by loosening the bolts holding it together and forcing it toward square, then tightening the bolts, would do the job. You can check squareness by measuring diagonally corner to corner. Your table will be square when the two measurements are exactly the same. If you're talking about level, then adjusting the height of the individual legs should do the job for you. Good luck. Jim

For years I've puzzled over sewing machine needles and the vast range of nomenclature to identify them. It started more than ten years ago, with my wife's Babylock serger, and has been a puzzle for me ever since. Little by little I'm beginning to unravel this mystery. Heidi's post of a week or so about Schmetz needles got me going again. I have used Groz-Beckert 134 MR GEBEDUR FFG/SES needles almost exclusively, with an occasional Singer 1955 MR needle thrown in. They've served me well, but I'm always interested in trying new things with the hope I might find something that I like better. With that in mind, I just ordered some needles made by Schmetz, and Organ that I think will work in my machine (this is where the mystery comes in) It is difficult to know exactly what needle works in my machine from the package nomenclature. Here are the package ID's of the needles I use, and the ones I ordered: Singer Groz-Beckert Schmetz* Schmetz Organ 1955-01-MR4.0 134 MR CANU:20:05 1 CANU:20:05 17 135x5 Set/R 1955MR 134R 134R SERV 7 DPx5 134 135x5 134 SAN 11 135x5 135x5 SERV7 135x7 797 DPx5 DPx 5 MR SY 1955 DPx5 SERV 7 134R - 1955 DPx5 The Schmetz needle with the * is the one Heidi is using. The other is the one listed as the long arm needle on the web site link that was referenced by someone else in that thread. Now I do know what some of the designations mean. For instance the MR stands for a needle configuration intended for multi-directional sewing. The 1955 represents a style of needle I think, and is probably duplicated by the R, and Set/R designation. The DPx5 I think means the same as the 135x5 and the 134 which I believe is the length of the needle, and the position of the eye. The CANU 20 I think represents the thickness of the needle shank. I know that the SAN 11 is important, but I don't know exactly what it means. Perhaps, how large the scarf is. The MR (multi range) needle provides a particular blade configuration and shank that is stiffer than others to proved needle deflection resistance. The SERV 7 design provides the same sort of benefit as the MR, but in a bit different way. Both have a larger and deeper thread groove in the front of the needle. Interestingly, the size needle recommended by Superior Threads, deals not with what you're sewing, but rather what thread (mostly size) that you're using. I notice that they recommended using an 18 or 19 size needle for King Tut, and a 19 or 21 size for Lava. Perhaps folks who use these threads (I don't), and have problems, have so, because they are trying to use too small a needle. The size of the groove in the front of the needle being the issue, not the needle eye size, needle diameter, or the fabric being sewed. I plan to experiment with the three new to me needles on the list, and find out if, and how well, they work. I'll up date this thread with my impressions and thoughts on each. Jim BTW, I'm not quite sure about the nomenclature on the second Schmetz, and I'll check it, and make any appropriate corrections when the packs of needles arrive. Also, anyone who know exactly what any of the designation codes mean, feel free to share your knowledge.

Yes Sir. I have been put in touch with someone who might can do this. I was hoping not to as I'm certain to end up with a larger work space. Looks like it could be my only option. Again thank you for suggestion Grammie Tammie

Tammie: Have you considered simply having your table cut down? I think it's doable, and having it cut down may be easier than replacing it. good luck. Jim

Tammy: Used APQS machines are great. Industrial quality, great factory support. You can hardly go wrong buying a used APQS machine. Start looking in the used machines for sale forum here. Good luck. Jim

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I have a 2008 Millie. My leaders measure 103.5 inches. The size of table was dictated by the size of my sewing room. I would have bought a twelve foot table if I had the room. In reality the ten foot has served me well and I haven't needed a larger frame. I don't have a quilt business and haven't needed to quilt any king sized quilts.

I just jumped on apqs fb and did a search. I found out that the top of the baseplate has recessed screw holes. Solves my problem!

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Well when all else fails turn the machine off and back on. Seemed to fix my problem. Yeah!

Mag collar is how the machine knows to stop at the correct needle up or down position. If it is not properly adjusted you will have problems pulling up the bobbin thread. Nigel

This is the on board bobbin winder. Flip the lever on the black box down and it will shut off.

This beautiful machine has been sitting here in hopes time would allow for me to start using it, but I cannot seem to carve out time to add longarm quilting into my life, so it is time to pass this on. This is the APQS Millenium 30 from 2022, with gen 5 Quilt Path, and upgraded bliss track, with auto advance. It sits on a 10 foot frame. It has not been used, beyond testing it free motion and linking quilt path to stitch out 1 block design to ensure it was working properly. Pickup would be in Belgrade, Montana and we can help with disassembly and have all the boxes if you want to pack in them for transport. I will include the surge protector system I purchased separately ($550 value). Pricing this low to move this along; it is stressing me out and making me feel guilty having this and not using it. $23,000 come and get it! Reply here, email craftnstuff406@yahoo.com or phone 406-570-two-two-five-zero

@Daniel Galiher Posts do not get removed from the forum. However, you can edit the original post to add the word "sold" in the title.

I think the idea for having multiple spools is when you are using multiple thread colors on a quilt. You can keep the spools on the holder.

It attaches to the top of the machine with heavy-duty double stick tape. The easiest way would be to purchase a Dritz Cone Thread Holder, Heavy Duty at Joann's. You can always find a discount coupon. Then cut the thread rod to a shorter length, and stick it to the top of you machine using double stick tape. You may need to put something on the bottom of the cone holder if it is not flat. Cardboard or part of one of those plastic yard signs cut to size would work fine. Best of luck with your MacGyver project. Cagey

I have had both - currently have an IQ on an older Millie (2008). I don't have any knowledge about the updated QuiltPath but I found the one I had very difficult to use for custom quilting. I also found it quite slow to do anything. One example would be that even when I set it for the fastest sewing speed, it was extremely slow. Also, we were told to set the design up and send it to the system to sew. It would take forever to be ready to sew. We were told to go get a cup of coffee while we waited. This was unacceptable. I am hoping the system is more powerful now and can process faster. There is absolutely no wait time with the IQ. Also, I found the QP extremely difficult for me because the way you did things was not the way I think. IQ thinks like I do. Test both systems thoroughly - centering a quilting pattern inside a hexagon, a circle, a block, etc. Don't take it for granted that everything will be centered properly! How easy is it to split a design to fit your quilting area or change the design slightly? How easy is it to tweak your design to follow an area that might not be 100% perfect? It is quite easy with the IQ, it wasn't on the QuiltPath I had. Good luck with whatever your choice is but I do recommend quite strongly that you test both systems in operation to be sure you get what will work best for you. My mistake with purchasing the QP when it first came out was a very costly mistake for me.

Contact Angela Huffman at Quilted Joy in KY - she is an APQS Repr, very experienced in both (she sells both). The systems use different technologies for the operating systems and depending on how you learn or like the operating system may help you decide. www.quiltedjoy.com

Thank you, dbams, I really appreciate your response, and agree. I wouldn't need to expense anything I buy that I don't use in the business, either. That's probably the best route for matching revenues to expenses anyway. I am curious as to why Rebecca's accountant hated it, but in my experience, most accountants are not also quilters. My guess is that the level of detail needed to run the business is quite different from the level of detail required to do the tax return.

Thanks for the info, I also want to know it.

Sorry Betsy, I don't have a camera, nor a smart phone, so photos aren't an option. What I did was to use the large wire spool guides that came with my Ult 2, and faced them backwards (toward the back of the machine rather than to the front as intended). I used the screws that held a cover on the back of my machine, to fasten them. I had replaced the original wire guides with some Gammill ceramic eyed guides earlier so the wire ones were just laying around. I took some heavy stiff wire, and bent a hook on each end that captured the wire guide eyes, made a large loop around the cord with a zip tie, then hooked a coil spring about 5 inches long, one end to the zip tie loop and the other to the wire between the two repurpaced thread guides. The full length of the rig is short enough (actually adjustable by the size of the zip tie loop) to lift the cord up and keep it from dragging on the table. The spring serves to provide movement and forgiving tension in the event the cord should get stuck on something. The spring just happened to be one I had laying around salvaged off something else I had at one time. It looks like a short screen door spring with the typical hooks on the ends. Hope this helps you understand what I did. Jim

Jim I think it is not that you cannot fit an IQ to a vertical wheel machine but they don’t have a kit for an APQS machine with vertical wheels. Seems to me your Gammill has vertical wheels and I bet there is a kit for it. I’m sure with your skills you could make the brackets if you spent enough time looking at some other installations.

Jim, Patty Butcher https://www.katydids.net/index.html is both an APQS and Intelliquilter dealer. Other than Myrna Ficken we hardly see any dealers on this site anymore. Actually all the forums I belong to seem to be dying out. I don’t do Facebook but I hear those groups are still very strong.

I have a 12 ft table and have been able to quilt king size quilts on it with no problems. If I get a oversize king, more than 115", I wouldn't be able to do it because the backing would be larger than the top and it wouldn't fit.

Would I be able to buy the sewing head? Sylvia

This thread from about six years ago will give you a starting point. Pay attention to the info Cagey got from APQS and their suggestions. https://forum.apqs.com/topic/41689-surge-protectors/#comment-542223. I don’t know if the factory has an up to date list of recommended units. Nigel

My son is convinced that Alexa and Google listen to EVERYTHING (and they do!). He is very entrepreneurial and always coming up with invention ideas. Whenever he has what he considers a really good idea, we have to go out into the middle of the back yard and whisper, so none of the smart devices can eavesdrop on our conversation. At first I thought it was a bit ludicrous, but not after I saw an ad for one of his idea only a couple of months after we talked about it in the house.

The weight of these tables/machines will make indents in any carpet. I would be concerned about using stacked 2x4 under the legs as it seems like it would wobble with the movement and vibration of the machine. I have my machine on our carpet without anything under the legs. I haven't moved the machine, but I am sure that there will be large indents in the carpet and pad. It's just like having furniture on carpet... you get indents/marks from the furniture. The only thing I might suggest you try is the plastic chair mats people use at desks for their roller chairs. I wonder if that would work better for you?

SpencerH, You may want to include a way to contact you like email or phone number. Good luck!

Use the canned/compressed air first. Then do the WD40 "bath". Start the machine on a slow speed then gradually increase it and spin out the excess WD40. Shut the machine off (important!) and then wipe out the area with a clean rag. Never try to wipe out the area while running - that's a good way to get a rag caught in the bobbin area and throw off the timing. Lastly, oil the machine. That is the order of the cleaning and oiling hook maintenance in the manual I have. It doesn't say to use the compressed air AFTER the WD40. The hook area is sealed which is why you can use compressed air. However, I wouldn't use it after the WD40 as that's just spreading around something that will attract and hold dust and lint.

Price, location and contact info might help selling.

This makes me very sad as I own a 2008 Millie. I am the original owner and they did not have the lifetime warranties back then. I sure hope they can correct this situation because I can't afford to purchase a new longarm. I love my Millie and don't want to lose it!

Another brilliant idea!!

Thank you. I have edited the post.

Dana Jo, I don't think it's really worth capitalizing a purchase under $1,000. A collection of pantographs can add up, but on a per item basis, the cost is not much. I am a retired CPA, and would not want to mess with piddly depreciation on items like that. Obviously, you have to go with what's comfortable for you, and whatever your corporate return preparer recommends. Good luck with your business!

Hi. I have a 2003 Millenium quilting machine that came with Compu-Quilter software. I received a manual that doesn't seem to be the right updated version to match the version installed on the computer. So that adds to the fact that I'm struggling to become competent using the machine. So I'm hoping beyond all hope that I can find someone that can help me out of this mess I'm in. Thank you for any help. Denise

I bring this thread forward for the benefit of our more recent joining members. I'll look and see if I can find a source for the Schmetz SERV 7 needles, and if I can, I'll add that to the thread. Regards. Jim

If you do customer quilts down the road,you should let them know you have a cat who loves your quilting studio. You can and will have customers who do have allergies to cats. It is best to disclose pet Information. My business is listed as per free and smoke free, since I have allergies to both.