Jump to content

George got a makeover at my house


Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...

I can answer that one...I keep three halos on my George. If you have the older style foot (without the split shaft), then you have to remove the throat plate to fit your halo (or multiple halos) onto the machine. If you have a newer George or have retrofitted your George with the split shaft and interchangeable feet, all you have to do is remove the foot to get those halos in. Nancy in Tucson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Nancy.

Can you tell me (or direct me to some explanation on this site) how difficult it is to retrofit George with interchangeable feet?

I know on my DSM I had dh cut a slot in the darning foot with a Dremel tool for better visibility. So far he's been my George repairman, too, because I am a chicken.

Is this something the average person with a modicum of bravery could undertake or is this a "do not try this at home" sort of adventure?

Laura in OH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To Laura and Sylvia, and those who are curious about halos, below is a link to a YouTube video of inventor Sharon Schamber demonstrating how her halos work. In the video she only uses one halo, but you can stack them.

Personally, I used up to four of them on my domestic machine to gain SUPER control when doing herloom style freemotion.

Take a look at Sharon's video here: I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpmMYIDCrZw

Or go to YouTube and search for Sharon Schamber Quilt Halo.

Attached is my 22"x22" wholecloth which had lines that I followed using the halos to steady my hands. Just don't look at the binding :(

post--13461908596432_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HI everyone:

I think Jain has answered Cindy & Sylvia's questions. Sharon has a tremor which makes it difficult for her to move the quilt sandwich smoothly under the needle. She invented the Halo to assist in controlling the sandwich but it also reduces shoulder, arm and hand strain which builds up after quilting for long periods of time. One weighted ring is helpful and you can stack a few for more weight & more control. If you're interested, try ordering ONE and see if it is helpful for you.

Let me try to answer Laura's question. In my opinion, the switch from George's existing shaft to the new split shaft which accommodates interchangeable feet is NOT a do-it-yourself kind of project. If your husband is super handy, you might ask him to phone the tech people in Iowa for some instruction but, when they thought I was going to attempt it myself, they were more than a little concerned.

I never intended to do it myself. I bought the new shaft (from APQS...I think it was about $140) and had Dave Jones install it while he was here in Tucson doing service calls. He didn't seem to have much trouble removing the old shaft & inserting the new one but it looked like a tricky maneuver to me!

Your other option is to send your George head back to Iowa for retrofitting. I'm sorry, I don't know what they would charge you for that but you might consider it. The open toe foot is an additional $62 or something like that. I don't think I'll ever put my standard foot on the machine again. The newer George models are being shipped with the split shaft so I'm suggesting that all my customers add the open toe foot to their order.

Happy quilting, everyone! Nancy in Tucson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...