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Which accessories do you recommend for George?


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Hi All!

I'm seriously considering buying a George, and want to know, if you were buying a new machine now which accessories do you consider a must?  Do the new machines come with the interchangeable feet?  How do you like the table, is it large enough to quilt a large quilt?  Would you recommend a larger table, if so, which one?  Bobbin winder?

Thanks in advance,

Carrie

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Hi Carrie,

i just got my George, and it came with one standard foot.  I bought the accessory pack of 3 additional feet, mainly because I knew I wanted to do ruler work.  So far, the table size is fine, but I've only done a 48"x60" quilt.  I had concerns about that as well, but figured if I need more space behind the table, I will move it out from the wall and put an old ironing board back there.  I can adjust the height to match the George table and it will give me an extra foot or so.  There are also lots of tutorials on the web for suspending the extra bulk of your quilt using clamps and bungee cords.  Patsy Thompson makes and sells one too.  So I'm not worried anymore.  I know there are solutions if need be.  My cutting table forms an "L" with the George table, and I also put a small folding table to my left to help support the quilt.  Here's a picture of my setup.  It works well for me, so far.  Sorry, the pic is a little dark, and ignore the clutter.  I was still getting things set up when I took it.  And my George came with the heavy duty turbo bobbin wonder.  Wow, what a great gadget!  I love my machine, and the support from the APQS team is fantastic as well.  I have had a few technical questions and have had excellent response.  I'm impressed.  Good luck with your decision.

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Carrie;

I have the old style George with a fixed hopping foot, and with the large fold table.  I have found the table to be more than large enough to quilt what you desire, even with the rear fold up down.  If you have the portable George table, you can purchase an inexpensive folding table to put behind Georges table.  When you are purchasing the table, just remember to also purchase some plastic PVC pipe that will fit over the feet of the folding table.  You want to cut the PVD to the proper length so that it lines up evenly with your George table at the rear.  You can run a strip of tape along the line where the two tables join so you have flat surface, and it will also help keep the two tables flush with one another.  You can do the same thing to the left side of George by purchasing a less wide table to cover that area.  As Kathy suggested, you want George oriented in a left hand corner so the walls prevent your quilt from falling off the table.  You want the quilt to be able to freely move, so it does bind your hand movement.  I believe you can find online Lea Day and/or Paula Reed suggesting how to setup your work area.  It works for a DSM, so it will work for George.

I have found that I like using Paula Reed's batt scoots to help me move the quilt top around.  I purchased two sets, so I have two large and two small scoots.  With George, you have more than enough room to use two large, and on your DSM you can use the small in your right hand as there is less space in the throat area.  I did not like the Martelli quilting grip rings.  I ended up giving them away.  They work for some, but not for me.  There are lots of different gloves you can buy to improve your grip.  In a recent class I took, it was suggested to just buy golf gloves and cut the finger tips off.  

Bobbin winder, just get the Gammill winder or a copy of that one.  You can purchase the APQS turbo winder, but it is a good deal more expensive.  Only you can decide if it is worth the money.  Do a search here, and you can find lengthy discussions of bobbin winders, L verses M bobbins, and most any other topic you can think of.  It is your money, so spend it as you see fit.

The one thing I would suggest is a bright light to help illuminate the quilting area.  The LED light on George is good, but I have it is rare you have too much light to see your work.  Get another set of scissors, to cut your threads just for George.  That way there always is a pair within easy reach when you sit-down to work.

Take your time, buying to many things.  Otherwise, you will find that you have a lot of things sitting the corner that do not work for you, and only gather dust.  

Best of luck to you in your shopping.

Cagey

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