Rebecca Grace

My personal Dinner Plate Dahlia is off the long arm.  I don’t have a computer on my long arm so this was all hand guided.  I am thrilled with the finished quilt   
 

Serere and Gwyndolin reported.  

I don't have a computer, I'm freehand only, and have floated all the tops so far. I just bought the ruler table, and hope to try it out on (my own) quilts sometime soon, so may consider the Texas bracket for future purchase. I've been reading a lot about pinning vs. floating though, and may have to peel the masking tape off the quilt top roller to try it sometime. 

Jim,
You explanation on the tension magnification makes perfect sense.  Thank you for sharing.  
Cagey

Turning you needle will help with skipped stitches, but not with tension issues.  If you're using equal ruler tension in all directions, then I think it's a matter of tension adjustment.  The direction you are sewing affects stitch tension by drag on the  top thread. e.g. more tension in some directions, less tension in others.  With very light tension the direction tension variables become magnified.  My suggestion:  Tighten your bobbin tension to 200 on you TOWA, then tighten your top tension enough to balance your stitches.  With this tighter stitch, the direction tension differences will be a much smaller percent of total tension, and stitch balance will be easier to achieve.  Jim   

Valerie, CONGRATULATIONS and thanks for posting.  I ordered a set of zippers for my Millie two years ago when I bought my machine, and I STILL have not gotten up the courage to try attaching them to my leaders!  I just keep pinning and telling myself I'll get around to sewing those zippers on some other day that never comes.  I know I'm a total dork but there are so many other things I'm still learning; didn't want to throw a new variable into the mix and have to wonder if maybe I put the zippers on wrong and that was causing me trouble.  Would you mind posting a link to the video tutorial that was helpful to you?  All I know is that you use your longarm machine to sew the zipper to your canvas edge, but I don't get how you make sure the zipper is perfectly centered and aligned and straight all the way down as you're sewing it down.
Rebecca Grace

Is there a batting bar available for the Millie as well?  I hate that my batting is down on the floor where there is always, always dog fur no matter how often I vacuum...  :-)
Rebecca Grace
www.CheekyCognoscenti.blogspot.com
2013 Millennium