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ffq-lar

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ffq-lar last won the day on September 23 2023

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    http://www.topperquilttools.com

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    Olympia WA

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  1. I can only assume you meant to add a photo, but to garner some interest, what make, model, and year is your machine? How much use did it get? How can you be contacted? What is the price? Will you pack and ship?Any accessories included? Answer all the standard questions in your posting so people don't have to dig for answers. Make it easy so they don't need to go back and forth with you. If you don't add minimum details, most people won't bother to respond. Good luck with your sale.
  2. 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.
  3. Your bobbin tension is too tight. Loosen the bobbin tension and also tighten the top thread a bit. Stitch out a test sample and continue adjusting until the eyelashes go away. Invest in a Towa gauge if you don't have one. Good luck!
  4. You'll need a bracket to hold the stylus that's compatible with the boards, at the left side of your machine and secured to the head. The boards sit on the flat surface of the table and need to be secured from shifting by a non-slip foam-type mat underneath, or taped down. Make sure the height of the designs is such that they can be stitched within your stitching field. Most users stitch from right to left (like a pantograph). Practice because the boards take a bit of finesse to work smoothly---but they are fun and yield a good result. Urban Elementz sells boards and has a tutorial about using them.
  5. If you plan to start in the center, stabilizing the entire top first is a good idea. Don't stabilize it off-frame---it's easy to do by loading and floating the quilt. Work from the center out, using the longest stitch on your machine. It can be thread-basted or secured with pins. If you use pins, it's easier to adjust areas as you quilt. If you thread-baste, stitching can be removed in areas if adjustment is needed. Just some random advice from a long-time quilter-for-hire who has seen every combo of fabric/thread/backer from customers--- Flannel as a backer has it's own set of challenges. It shrinks like crazy (up to 10% depending on manufacturer, so a 108" flannel backer can shrink down to 97" easily) so pre-shrinking flannel is necessary. If it's quilted before shrinking, the first laundering will result in more crinkle and bulges than you'll like, especially with the non-shrinking poly batting mentioned. Flannel stretches more than woven fabric, so check with each pass for problems on the back and make sure you have steady and consistent tension on the backer to avoid pleats. Not super-tight or you'll stretch the flannel and get "balloons" on the back side, especially if you are using lofty batting. My experience is that Monopoly should be avoided in the bobbin. It's slick and needs a bobbin thread with some "bite" to grab and make a nice stitch. (I think Dawn C gives this same advice.) I use BottomLine pre-wounds with invisible thread---the weight is similar to Monopoly and it works well. You have options as to quilting sequence but can fully stitch an area with FMQ and your SID/ruler work at the same time, especially if you won't have any top-thread changes. Good luck!
  6. I'm in Olympia and shared this to my FB page to tempt the locals. I hope you find a buyer---the price is very good for such a clean-looking machine.
  7. The Bliss includes two rails, front and back, a new carriage with four M&M wheels, and a new tabletop. The swap-out is easy---about two hours with two people. If you order the 12' Bliss conversion, you'll get everything new from leg to leg so you will only need to have the rollers cut down because everything will be 12' long. You can cut all four rollers or just three if you remove the top front roller. Contact a welder or machine shop for an estimate. You would then need a brake attachment (like the Texas Holdem) for your brake. That would be the easiest and least expensive way to cut the size of the frame. Your 14' rails can be recycled unless you have a use for them. My hubby used them for shelving.
  8. I added Bliss to my 2004 Millie the first year it was available. It was a revelation at the added ease of movement. While Bliss will solve your horizontal movement problems (ball bearings instead of wheels on the rails) you might want to try to solve your present wheel problems first. Correctly-adjusted M&M wheels should work well---are you able to adjust the wheels yourself? They can be made looser or snugged tighter and should be adjusted similarly. Make sure the wheels are causing problems with horizontal movement and not an unlevel or torqued frame, dragging cord, thread around the axles, or build-up on the wheels/rails. Good luck!
  9. Unfortunately, that thread-displacement that causes dotted runs of light thread next to the needle holes is not really correctable. This happens with piecing as well as quilting. Since you've tried a smaller needle already, use a Pigma pen for small corrections and know that they're only evident really close up.
  10. Fun project! Have an adult supervise while the kids use fabric paint to make a handprint. Add their age and name, either with markers/ink or embroidered. They can use crayons or colored pencils to add embellishments or make a second block. The crayon or pencils will need to be covered with textile medium used to make such marks permanent on fabric.
  11. SueD has great advice and I agree that you will need to quilt sections separately and then join after quilting. I max out at about 120" on the rollersfor a quilt with cotton batting. Maybe make the sections 48"+ by 120" plus extra for attaching to the rollers and seaming together later. There are lots of tutorials pertaining to quilt-as-you-go that can help you decide which technique to use to butt the batting together and cover the joins on the back side. Plan it on graph paper, allowing extra fabric at the top and bottom of each section so joining is easier later. Assuming you are quilting the writing, mark the whole design on each section and mark exactly where the top and bottom joining seams will be so the writing looks natural. If you can find 120" muslin fabric for the backer (check Joanns on line), you will save money on fabric.
  12. The frame in your photos does not have Bliss rails. Are the photos old or do you have the Bliss system rails but not installed? It's a great price for what you're offering.
  13. If you want to choose only one , go with the Bliss system. Quilt Glide evens out the stitch regulator for micro-quilting and while it's nice to have, it won't be used often and it's not a necessity. Bliss is great and makes a huge difference for smooth quilting. I retro-fitted mine and it cost $3000 plus shipping. It was a good decision. Best, of course, to try out both additions first---maybe the dealer knows an accommodating owner locally who will allow you to try theirs.
  14. Hi Monika. What you own is a pre-2000 Ultima longarm, not a Lenny. I don't know if that wooden table can even be upgraded to the Bliss system, which replace heavy-duty aluminum rails not used on your frame. The wheels are wood composite and I don't know if M&M wheels available now are a match to the ones on your machine. After 2000, APQS used edgerider wheels---that are horizontal and ride on the edge of the rail instead of on top. To investigate solutions for easier movement on those wheels, you should check that the tracks are pristinely clean without oxidation build-up, and clean the grooves of the wheels with alcohol on a Q-tip to remove any oxidation build-up there. Investigate if there are bad bearings in the wheels (they should turn easily) and that they aren't bent on the axles, which would cause drag. Drag can also be caused by a flexed/torqued table, so make sure it's level front-to-back in several places and along the length. If you can isolate where the drag is (like the length of the table means to check the frame rails and wheels, or front to back check the carriage wheels) it will be easier to diagnose. If it's in one distinct spot, the frame needs to be leveled. If you were able to stitch nice curves before, you should be able to again. New wheels won't fix that unless the things that support the wheels are correctly aligned. Good luck and email your closest dealer for more advice.
  15. Hi Deb. I will assume you mean the Bliss system instead of Glide tracks. Some newer APQS machines have "Quilt Glide", but it has nothing to do with the wheels. So---Bliss is a ball-bearing pod set on a stainless steel rod that runs the length of the frame at the front and the back. It eases the horizontal movement. The vertical movement is on M&M wheels and regular rails on the carriage, which are the best wheels available on APQS longarms. One set of four wheels on the carriage and the ball-bearing pods on the table. They are fabulous. I believe you can retro-fit Bliss for about $3000 if it's on an APQS frame. That seems like a lot when you're getting a deal on the machine, so you'll need to decide. If there's a dealer near you, try out the Bliss system versus a regular wheel system. As for being "necessary"? Absolutely not, but comparing the two (and your stamina and physical ability added to the mix) will guide you to whether it's an attractive add-on or a must-have. Good luck and have fun!
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