FloridaMissy

Are you asking about the stylus that drops down inside the stencil for you to follow the groove? If so you would purchase those directly from apqs.

Thank you for all the suggestions. This customer no longer permits me to use any varigated thread on her quilts.

I've been long arm quilting for 10 years now. I don't have too many issues that can't be resolved but I have one that has me stumped. If I put king tut varigated thread in the bottom and do a test all seems okay. I have a customer who just loves the meander stitch and requests it on all her quilts. I've done 3 items for her using the varigated thread in the bottom and I get weird tension issues with loops etc. I think it is a turbo winding issue with the thread onto the bobbin, what do you think? It is very random issue on the back.

I agree with all the above. I believe that it takes a lot of talent to program the computer to implement the design. My point is there is a huge difference between a person hand guiding the machine and the computer guiding the machine. My only influence into quilting was my husbands grandmother and all her quilts were utilitarian in nature. She would cut up old clothing and re-purpose them into a useful quilt. I do the same thing today. I'd rather my family used the tar out of the quilt then it packed away for safe keeping. My wall art quilts are a different story. Paducah has a catagory for "first time entering the show". Some of our local shows in Ohio give an award for best "traditional quilt.

Good Monday morning everyone. Some quilt shows seperate the catagory of long arm quilted computerized and non-computerized but most do not. I get frustrated when entering shows that do not. It is really tough to compete with a computer. I know it takes talent to program the computer program and I appreciate that talent. I hope more shows seperate the catagory. I also hope more of the large shows continue to seperate the professional quilters from the average quilter. Any time that a money prize is envolved they cyle these quilts around the country which is really boring to go to a show and the quilts have been in magazines and all over the place for the last five years. What are your thoughts?

I just wanted to send a big thank you to everyone on this forum who takes the time to post answers to questions. I'm guilty of not posting very often. When I'm having issues with my Millie I know I can search this forum and get great answers. I send out a challenge to everyone to try and post once a week and get our forum content back to where it used to be. Anyone else accept the challenge?

I enter a lot of quilt shows and have some nice ribbons. I always tie the 2 threads together in a double overhand knot and bury the tails. When you take tiny stitches or back track it can look distracting to the judges. If you are not going to show your quilts either method would work fine. By the way I do this before I advance to the next row.

years ago I belonged to a site that allowed you to post pics for free. Of course they were bought and I was told I could down load all my pics but they now had all rights to my pics. People still re-post pics of quilts I've designed. Are you hoping to gain more customers by showing your work? If not and it is just to share then post them here on this site because we certainly enjoy seeing all of them.

I entered 3 quilts in this years show. Received 2 Honorable Mentions and Judges Choice. Thought I'd share a picture.

Congrats on the newest member of your family! Cute as a button.

I have a turbo winder from APQS that has started acting strange. When it winds about 3/4 of the way the spinning slows down to a crawl. It doesn't shut off it just slows way down. I adjusted the little post that senses how much thread has been wound which has helped. Are we supposed to oil this unit some where?

I only take my Featherweight! Love that machine. Makes a perfect stitch and is a work horse. I also find the sound very soothing. I bought a small compact roller case in Lowe's tool department that works great for this machine.

I don't see why not. Couching is simply laying down a ribbon or yarn etc. and doing a zig zag stitch to secure it. I watched one show where a lady put beads onto a quilt with her long arm. However, she had removed the hopping foot!!! I wouldn't recommend that, lol. https://www.apqs.com/couching-with-your-longarm/ https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=couching+with+a+long+arm+machine&view=detail&mid=D7928BF7591D75FA86B2D7928BF7591D75FA86B2&FORM=VIRE the above video is from Dawn C. at apqs

I bought the titanium blades and I had the same blade in my cutter for 2 years!!!!! That is with heavy use. They are impossible to find at your local quilt shop but they can be ordered on line.

So bright and beautiful. I can see a baby just loving the colors. Great job.

I always outline and go around every element in the applique block. I do in some cases stitch on the applique if it is a large piece. If you don't it can make them look puckered. I make sure that it is okay with my customer first. I do not have a computerized system.

Betty, thank you for coming back and reporting on what worked and didn't work. There is nothing more frustrating than tension issues especially random tension problems. I would bet on the needle size as the biggest help in improving the tension.

Thank you so much for sharing this beauty with us. Great job.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your and the family. So happy to hear the twins are doing so well. Hope you find time for a little sewing.

Posting pic of customers quilt.

I knew you were going to say that! We got 3 inches of snow so it won't be taken outside and it is so big I can't get a picture of the whole quilt. I'll try later and see if I can get at least half of it.

I am stumped. Have a customer who brought me a very large Medallion Mystery bom quilt. I'm struggling with quilting ideas. It has a large 36" medallion which is a large block with sashing around it. Then there is a ring of blocks around the center of various sizes 8 & 16" blocks and there are odd size filler blocks. The outside border is made up of 2 borders of different colors and sizes. I thought about an edge to edge. I've consider custom in the medallion and borders with some sort of meander in the odd size blocks. Has anyone else done one of these? Help

Connie, so glad you were not injured but I'm sure that it made you nervous. I have a great respect for my machine (fear) that it will attack me one day! lol I have had numerous needles break when quilting a top that has lots of thick seams. It causes flex in the needle I guess and snap. Sometimes in multiple places. I have noticed that many of my hand needles are snapping at the eye very easily lately.

awesome!

Thanks for the info. I will experiment and let you know how it works.