quiltmonkey

You could use two layers of batting in a quilt. But you can also lay two quilt on top of each other on the bed - that's what I do and the air pockets between the two quilts make a cozy warm bed!

Here's what I would do: Questions: What thread brand and weight are you using? Often times, shredding thread is caused because the eye of the needle is too small for the thread to easily travel through. Isolate the issue by doing several things: First, switch to a larger size needle. Go slower. If that doesn't work, check for a burr in the hole of the needle plate that might be catching the thread. Also try a brand new bobbin and a new bobbin case. These two things have wear and tear over time so it's good to have several spare on hand. Make sure that no stray threads are stuck in the bob

Oh I hate it when this happens!

Shut down the machine and do the following: Check your encoder wheels - might need adjusting perhaps cleaning. For routine cleaning maintenance, I wipe out the inside curves of my wheels with a scrap piece of batting or paper towel soaked with rubbing alcohol. Also check that all of your connection cords are all securely in place. Something might have come loose. Turn the machine back on and see if it runs better. If not. call APQS on Monday to troubleshoot. They can help make other adjustments under the hood, or perhaps one of the electrical circuit boards needs to be replace

Need more info. What do you consider "not so expensive" what is your budget?

so glad you were able to resolve this LinneaMarie! Many times, the batting can help hide the pokies.

The poly loft plus cotton works great as a combo. You have to use high loft poly, or extra high loft poly. I've made a quilt using the poly to "pop up" my applique and it looks great.

LinneaMarie, it's not the batting, it's the backing fabric. Can you change the backing fabric?

Hi. I can't answer your question, but here is a link to post a question and get support for the Compuquilter system. https://www.intelliquilter.com/compuquilter-support.php

ack! the dreaded pokies. we've all experienced them. some situations are worse than others. you have several options: you can stop now and remove the quilting stitches, find a different batting to use, or a combination of different batting and different backing. sometimes it's the backing fabric that's the culprit. perhaps you have the batting flipped the wrong direction. that could also be an issue. a last resort is to get a pigma pen and color in the pokies. that is something that longarm quilters do in situations that have no other options. good luck!

totally adorbs

what size needle are you using? It's possible that the eye of the needle is too small for the thread to pass through.

Custom work using rulers - this is a highly specialized skill that take months, if not years to perfect. If it were me, I would charge by the hour, not by square inch. Don't underestimate your time and skills. I rarely do ruler quilting for customers because it's so expensive. I find other ways to quilt, or I choose to use minimal amount of rulers and then freehand the rest (combination) Find the going rate for custom heirloom quilting in your area, or ask other quilters in your area what they charge for ruler work. If I were doing ruler work, I would charge at least $35 per hour. For estimate

Regardless of what you've heard about "saturated", I still think you should follow your dreams and create a business plan. Stick to the plan. Give yourself time now to practice, build up skills, market your business. You will SLOWLY build up clientele. By the time you retire, you should be up on step with a steady customer base. I will tell you that customers like to try out other/new longarmers. So, don't be surprised once word gets around that you are in business. As a business person, it's always good to find your niche in the market and get your name out there. That niche could

I agree! The folks at APQS are the best!