Cagey

SewEx, Thank you for sharing your wonderful quilts. They look beautiful. Best of luck with your purchase. Cagey

Just helping Carol out.

Williams, If you put your curser of the poster's name, you will see when they last visited. Deb S who asked the question has not visited since December 2016, so I would not expect a response. Cagey

SOLD

Brian, You might get a better response if you start your own thread post verses posting your request on 4-year old post for a sold item. I am not certain why you want a Tin Lizzie sit-down machine, but you might look for a APQS George or a Handi-Quilter Sweet 16 or one of the many clones of that machine. The George is great, and I have friends with the HQ/clones that lover their machines. With the HQ you can get service and parts at most of your local sewing machine dealer stores. Best of luck finding what you want. Cagey

I would suggest contacting APQS, and ask them the question. If you want to get going on the project, you might try isopropyl alcohol, acetone, or brake cleaner. Just be sure not to drip any of the liquids on the floor, or it may leave a stain. Best of luck with your project.

Helen, Only a suggestion to assist with your sale of George, but most buyers would like a picture, and the year/age of the machine. There have been a number of different George tables over the years, so the picture address that issue too. I'm guessing it is an older single fixed foot model, as you did not mention feet. Best of luck with selling your George. It sounds like someone will be getting an outstanding well loved machine. Have a great day. Cagey

Karole, Just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth. You may get more and more constructive responses by starting your own post asking the same question. That being said, I would compare the Hobby 1200 GrandQuilter to the APQS Lenni post; https://forum.apqs.com/topic/44411-price-reductionfor-sale-2010-apqs-lenni-longarm-machine-on-12-table-4000/ $2,700 verses $4,000. A 9 inch throat verses a 20 inch throat. While I am a sit-down quilter, throat space does matter. I am not sure what Domestic Sewing Machine (DSM) presently use to sew your quilts, but take a pool noodle and stick it in the throat and see how much of a workable quilting area you will have when the quilt would be wound up on the rear bar. The GrandQuilter is only 9 inches. My Brother has close to 12 inches of throat space. Three inches is huge, when you comparing 9 verses 12. Why do you think APQS offers a 26 and 30 inch Millie? As you are in Australia, and the used quilting market may be different than here in the U.S., I would keep shopping. Why was is the machine you are considering rarely used? Could it be because the quilting area was rather small coming to the end of the quilt, and the original purchaser did not enjoy that fact. You have images of grand large flowing designs in your head, but the throat space is more suited to about a 3 to 4 inch area at the end. I for one would suggest you put a small amount of money towards Paula Reid's old DVD Fluff and Stuff; https://www.ebay.com/itm/Video-Fluff-Stuff-Machine-Quilting-Technique-Paula-Reid-Video-/223475621454?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=161878deb1981764aff5188b4a888b2e Leah Day also has some great YouTube videos discussing quilting on your DSM. While you are improving your quilting skills on your DSM, continue to save up money and shop for a true longarm quilting machine. One that will meet your present and future quilting needs. Most of us here are going to be partial to APQS, but there are many other good quality machines that may be more readily available in Australia. You can readily find used sit-down machines here with a minimum 16 throat here in the US in the $3,000 to $4,000 range. Comparing a sit-down machine to the GrandQuilter, I believe the sit-down wins in capability and cost. For $3,500 you could find a HandiQuilter (HQ) Sweet 16 or a clone. A HQ Simply 16 would double the throat space of the GrandQuilter. Contact some quilt guilds in your area. Just like here, they probably have quilters that are slowing down, changing homes, or just selling their machines. You can test them out, and buy what is best for you. If Australia is anything like the U.S., there will be a machine available in the next few months. Don't give in to the $2,200 AU trying to burn a hole in your pocket. Give it time. Wait for the right machine to turn up. Best of luck to you. Cagey

If you place your mouse over the individuals name, you will see when they last visited. The seller has not visited the APQS forum since 2016. I would not expect a reply, and hazard to guess it is no longer available.

SOLD!!!

SOLD.

SID the entire inner star. Everything is drawing your eyes to the center of the quilt. So using the center star you have two points at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions. Following your seams out to each side of the quilt. You have 7 chevrons in each of the four areas that will be formed. I would repeat quilt the angle that is formed from the red outline of the star points to the center, from the star outwards. Set you line spacing so, you seven colors chevrons without stitching through them. From those same 8 corner points on the center star, draw out a straight line to the corners of the quilt encompassing the 11 colored blocks that point to the center star at the 1.5 o'clock, 4.5 o'clock position, 7.5 o'clock position, and the 10.5 o'clock position. Instead of angled lines like you used at the 3,6,9, and 12 o'clock position, I would use straight lines that are approximately 45 degrees to your seams. The lines would start from the corner and point towards the quilt. Look at your seams at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 positions see how they form lines pointing to the center of the quilt, you want those lines of quilting at the 1.5, 4.5, 7.5, and 10.5 o'clock positions. Look at the 1.5, 4.5, 7.5, and 10.5 o'clock positions on your quilt, see how the seams form sort of an arrow-head shape pointing to the center of the quilt? You want that design at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions on your quilt. Again, match the angel formed by the red star outside border. Fill the 8 triangle that will be formed with a design that is loopy, and not point to the center of the quilt. Maybe feathers or circles. Something quilted a little tighter than the lines, pointing to the center of the quilt to give it more dimension. That is what I spy when I look at your quilt top. Best of luck quilting it. Please let use see your masterpiece when your done. Cagey

BeckyP You can find what you locally and online. Look for a "bull bar" or light bart mounting brackets"; https://www.amazon.com/Samman-Mounting-Brackets-Universal-Offroad/dp/B07TYWDTDT/ref=asc_df_B07TYWDTDT/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584276305324592&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Off-Road-Mounting-Bracket-360-Degree-Aluminium/dp/B082XJZ7GF/ref=asc_df_B082XJZ7GF/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583932707293779&psc=1 Instead of mounting it to the side legs, you could mount one on each side on the horizontal tube of the table. Once you have the bracket affixed the table, buy 1.5 or 2 inch schedule 40 PVC piping, and attach a vertical piece to the mounting bracket. Cut it so a T-joint can be PVC glued to the vertical piping, and then run a wooden closet dowel or possibly an aluminum pool brush handle down the T to support your batting. You could buy four brackets and then attach to the areas you have your arrows pointed, but it will cost more. Best of luck, show us what you finally come up with. Cagey

This is slightly offtopic as the brake was loosening, but the principal should be the same. You probably need to clean out the brake, or loosen it up https://forum.apqs.com/topic/43427-roller-brake/?tab=comments#comment-551672 Best of luck to you rectifying your problem. Cagey

If we are talking DSM (domestic sewing machine) Baby Lock, then set the maximum stitch speed about medium. Then with a practice quilt sandwich draw some straight lines and and some swirls. As everyone knows how they sign their name, practice quilting that. You must move your hands in the proper relation with your needle speed. If you feel the fabric tugging against the needle, then you need to speed up the needle. If your needle is doing repeated stitches in one spot or with very short stitch spacing you are depressing the foot peddle too much. Back off a little on the foot pressure, and slow the needle down. Practice signing your name bigger than normal, and see how you like your stitches. Then write some words. It will take a few hours to get the hang of it. Try some small pebbling. They hide all kinds of errors. Get some paper and simply doodle your designs on the paper. Draw out some quilt blocks, so you have to make your mind learn how to get into and more importantly out of corners. You can always back track over your stitch lines, but it is easier to not have to do this when you are starting out. Doodling the designs will help you immensely in my opinion. Watch some YouTube videos on free motion quilting. Angela Walters, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cpUWw5zYMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WySDgXzE5JY Maybe more appropriate for a boy Leah Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzrOxAkNIGM Watch this video to learn how to Fluff and Stuff your quilt top, so you can freely move the fabric under your hopping foot. This is a must for good quality stitches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWmbTbbDclw Paula has a great video and a class on Craftsy teaching all her techniques. If you do not have your quilting table in a left hand corner, that is where you want it. That is to say the back of the table is up against the wall on the back and the left hand side. This way the quilt top cannot fall off the back or left side when using a DSM. Having the fabric free from binding is KEY to good quilting. Get some cheap rubberized garden gloves so you can get a better grip on the fabric and you move it around. There are many quilting gloves, and other items that everyone is going to tell you that is best. What truly is best, is what works for you. Expect to have a few pairs of gloves or other things to grip the fabric. Putting a little hand lotion on your hands will also work wonders. You can buy some SortKwick finger moistener like bank teller use to help improve the grip. It will not stain your quilt top. They have it at Walmart or the office store. Some are going to tell you to buy a silicone topper for your quilt table. It is fine, but I found that silicon spray works fine for me. https://www.amazon.com/Sullivans-946-Silicone-Spray-Sewing/dp/B01IE7LSGK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1N7SCLTUH2XFG&dchild=1&keywords=silicone+spray+for+quilting&qid=1612813256&s=arts-crafts&sprefix=silicone+spray%2Carts-crafts%2C183&sr=1-2 You put a little on a small piece of fabric and rub it onto the top of your quilting table. You can also use Renaissance Wax https://quiltersapothecary.com/search?type=product&q=renaissance+wax I have both and the both work well. See two products for the same task. You will always be trying new things. Jamie Wallen has some great quilting YouTube videos too. Try to buy local or from a quilt store verses Amazon. We need to keep the local quilt stores open. You can find all kinds of quilting examples. Find a quilt design that you and that can be used for an edge to edge design. Doodle the heck out of the design in front of the TV in the evening. If you quilt in the evening, I have been told one glass of wine will help your quilting flow more freely . It might even give you more confidence, or make you not so picky about your stitches. I you are using a Baby Lock sit-down "Handiquilter' clone, you can buy a stitch regulator. You might even be able to add it to your BabyLock DSM, but your mind is the best speed controller ever made. Plus it is free. If the stitch regulator puck only moves a little, while your hands move the fabric a little more your stitches will be messed up. I did not like the stitch regulator for small detailed quilting. I also was not willing to part with the money it cost. Purely my opinion, but I do not believe it is worth the money. Put a few more hours of practice in, you will be money ahead and more satisfied in the end. Finally, DO NOT be your worst critic. The baby will not notice any long or short stitches. Most quilters will not notice them either. Your family will only see all the love you put into the quilt and quilting. Just be certain you make sure your family is quilt worthy. You do not want to see that hard made quilt in the dog kennel a few months after you gave it to the new baby. It is one thing to have the baby and the dog using the quilt, it is another to only have the dog using the quilt. If I found my quilt being used solely by the dog, I would consider that brach of the family non-quilt worthy, and change my future gift giving. Best of luck. Show us some of your practice samples, and your finished quilt. I am certain we will all love your work. There are only happy accidents. Cagey

SOLD

Mwrubles, Every batting has a minimum quilting distance. Warm and Natural is 10 inches minimum. Hobbs batting minimum is primarily 4 inches Other battings may have a shorter or longer minimum quilting distance. See below and checkout link; https://www.hobbsbatting.com/products/. Read your batting instructions to find your minimum quilting distance. I would quilt the top at a minimum of the required quilting distance. Otherwise you are asking for future problems after the quilt is used/loved and then washed. Try following some of the designs of on the shirts if you are concerned about free motioning the quilt blocks. Make the highlights of the individual shirts stand out. You could also flip up the shirt collar and quilt a line where the color joins the shirt, and then follow it down the button area. You could also add a line where the collar folds back on itself. Best of luck with your project. Cagey Quilt or tie up to 10″ apart! Quilt Warm & Natural right out of the package, as pre-washing is not necessary. Once quilted, machine wash and dry your finished quilt in cold water. 3% shrinkage can be expected in the first wash with cold water. To achieve an antique puckered look use warm water for 5% shrinkage. Warm & Natural won’t distort when hanging, hooping or when used in quilt frames. It can be used for both batting and as an exterior craft fabric to create stuffed snowmen and rabbits.

Lorri, You might checkout Cindy Needham's background stencils to help mark at outside of the block for the straight crosshatch. She also has a curved crosshatch the you can trace with wash away marker. https://www.cindyneedham.com/collections/ultimate-backgrounds-stencil-collection Cagey

Linda, The quilt looks wonderful. I was picturing the quilt made with many more patches. With so much space between them, it makes for a snugly and usable quilt. Thank you for sharing. Cagey

I am not sure exactly what type of patches you are talking about. The ones that I have are rather stiff, and would not bend or fold well. For this reason, I do not believe they work well in a useable quilt or pillow. Because of this I would suggest making them into a wall hanging. Maybe a picture of your MIL and your husband or the whole family transferred to fabric in the center (or different pictures scattered around in the piece), and then the patches around the picture(s). Something to remind your husband of your MIL, and her love for patch collecting.

I hate to rain on your parade with the new feet, but you might want try this too. Place a white index card or stiff piece of paper under your hopping foot. Then lower the hopping foot, and allow the needle to punch threw the paper. With the needle full down, draw a line around the outside of your hopping foot, being sure to keep the pencil close (same distance) around the hopping foot. Then raise your needle, and look at the card. Is your needle exactly in the middle of the hopping foot? On my APQS, it is not. As I have the new style hopping feet, I cannot slightly bend the foot to center the needle. The metal is to firm to be persuaded to be centered on the needle. If you have the same issue, and cannot bend the foot to be centered, you may have the same 1/32 of an inch issue with the new feet. I suggest you start TLAR freemotion quilting. It will make your life much less stressful. I hazard to guess you TLAR all the time when you drive. When you drive down the center of the lane, you TLAR it. Everybody does. We all say "That Looks About Right". If not, you make a correction to TLAR it back to where you think you belong. Embrace TLAR freemotion quilting, and you will be amazed with your results. Quilting should be a stress reliever, not a stress inducer. Cagey

The Gammill website does not make shopping easy, but could you possibly change out the entire hopping foot bar with a new foot that is a True Quarter? If that is not possible, can you remove the hopping foot? If so you could either buff off 1/32 from the hopping foot, or possibly find a CNC company that would do it with more precision. You could also place a strip of colored see-though tape 1/32 below your primary 1/4 inch ruler line so when you place the ruler using the tape, you get a true 1/4 inch stitch line. This would work for a straight edge ruler, but for circles or other shapes it would not. A laser engraving shop could possibly laser engrave the proper line on your ruler if you are concerned about the tape moving. If you are stitching crosshatch lines, will anyone truly notice a 0.25 inch line spacing verses a 0.28 inch line spacing? Two plus two in public is calculus, so I hate to do the math here. If you have a 1 inch block you wanted to cross hatch top to bottom you would have 5 evenly spaced lines. 1 SID, then 3 stitch line, and the another SID line. The three lines you really see are the ones in the main area of the block. If you offset the first stitch line after the SID seam .03 inches or 1/32 towards the seam, your three lines should be equal when you get to the end. It gets more complicated the bigger the block. Unless a quilt block is perfectly stitched you probably never have a exactly square 4x4, 6x6, 12x12 blocks. For this reason I suggest this, measure from the center of the block and work towards the outside. You will have to fudge the last two or three lines to not end up with 1/32 spacing to the block seam. Even if you don't, if you keep the same stitch spacing with our foot/ruler combination, it should be the same spacing on the other side if everything remains consistent. The problem then becomes if the non-straight pieced quilt top becomes noticeable. Draw out some blocks on a bright fabric, and just try stitching crosshatch with your ruler. You eyes will try to make the spacing the same when viewed from a distance. As Cindy Needham says, the goal is semi-straight lines, so you brain does not see any errors. Find what works for you, and then quilt that way. The goal of quilting is to make the quilt look better. In most cases you have to fudge lines or other designs to do that. Once all the quilting is done, probably the only person that will notice your 0.03 inch foot error would a quilt judge or yourself. If you fudged things correctly you nor the judge will be the wiser. Best of luck to you. Let us know how your practice sandwiches turn out. Cagey

I would email the above picture to APQS, and then call them in the morning. The upper joint (I think it is actually a bearing) looks like it is not fully seated together. APQS can give you the best method to fix. If you have to quilt tonight, I do not believe it would cause any issues to used sparingly. Tell us what APQS tells you. Best of luck with your repair. Cagey

PKS, Do not be afraid to ship a machine. You can find a packing company in most cities that will come to the home of the seller, remove the item, and then pack/ship the items to you. They will normally use a freight company to do this, and the items will be delivered to your driveway. You are responsible from there for moving into your home and assembly. I would hope most sellers would work with a buyer to complete this process. I shipped a large George table from Detroit to Florida, and it was approximately $400 for the entire process. You can ship cars across the county for less than a thousand dollars. It depends on the weight, and the size of the item. As the APQS machine with frame is rather light and can be packed relatively in a small area, the cost to for packing and shipping should not be excessive. As you would not be viewing the machine in person, you would have to arrange viewing the machine via FaceTime or some other video system, so you can ensure the machine is fully operational. Though most quilters are an honest lot, so you probable get what is described, maybe even a little more. If you drive to the seller to check out the machine, you can always drive the machine head, table frame, and other items that will fit in your vehicle home, and only have the rails shipped via freight. If you have an SUV with a roof rack, you might be able to purchase a 10 foot long 2x10. Strape the rails to the board, and then strap the entire thing to your roof rack and drive your purchase home. Just be sure to not overload the roof rack weight limits. Wrap the rails in plastic wrap to protect them if it rains. You can rent a U-haul trailer, or even possible barrow a small trailer. The APQS parts will not weight that much. You have many options of buying and getting the machine home. When the time is right, the perfect machine at the right price will turn up. Best of luck to you finding what works best for you. Cagey

Very rarely does someone wish they had a smaller car, a smaller boat, or a smaller kitchen. With that being said, I would go with the Lucey. If it is about the cost, you could always go with a used APQS machine. There were some recent older model Millies for sale closer to the Moxie cost. I do not think you can go wrong with a new or well cared for used APQS machine. Best of luck making your decision. Cagey