dbams

Sherri:  It sounds like you may have thread wrapped around something and that's stalling the machine.  Start by removing the needle plate.  Search around the hook  and bobbin basket.  If you find any thread, remove it.  If you don't find thread there, remove the left side cover on the machine and look inside, it's very possible that thread has been pulled into the machine, and is wound around the take-up assembly.  While you have the cover off, add a couple drops of oil to the needle bar bushing.  If you aren't successful in these two places, keep looking 'til you're sure thread tangle isn't your problem.  Good luck.  Jim 

Not sure how I did it or if I even need to fix it but realized I have two different memberships with this site. My original one was Bonnie in ok.

Caution *****It looks like Dave has re-registered on this site. This seller is Dave Jones, who has a bad reputation in the industry. He had a good gig buying and selling longarms and doing deliveries/set/up between buyers and sellers. But several deals went sour and caused a loss of reputation for him. Be very careful and make sure you pay AFTER delivery and not before.

Have you tried searching this forum?  There have been many storage ideas throughout the years.  Here's my favorite, easy to move and fairly cheap to make:

 

I was floating my tops but have recently switched to attaching the top to the roller and find it works out much more square and my hands aren't pulling on the sides of the quilt top.   Takes 10 minutes longer to load quilt but don't have to do anything during the quilting process...

This often happens to me so I’m pleased I’m not alone.   Mine is the right side when facing machine......I have tried numerous methods.  Currently,  if quilt does not have a straight line of horizontal seams,  I mark my tops every 12” or so on each side before I load quilt, then use horizontal channel lock every time I roll to check the marks are in line.
I also use the horizontal channel lock to run along the horizontal seam lines as I roll quilt.     This has helped ......

To make-do until a more elegant solution comes along, elevate the front part of the rod/yardstick by the width of your roller, which is 2". Glue up layers of cardboard or cut a piece of wood into a block that is 2" high.  Make two and fasten them (glue, tape, whatever) to the underside of the front part of the rod. Position so the blocks sit right on top of the front roller. If you want to get fancy, line them with rubberized shelf liner or a cut-up rubber glove so they are less likely to slip. Good luck! 

100% cotton will be heaviest.  Poly and wool battings are both lighter weight.  
Check here for more info about battings:
https://www.hobbsbatting.com/resources/for-quilters/faqs/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5lQYaFAMueAVUE0QUE4TUt2STA/view  Quilters Dream

Quilters Dream makes a  Cotton that is - Supreme:  Highest loft. A hefty, very warm, and dense batting that has 1/2 pound of cotton per square yard
according to their website.  Might be worth looking at if it sounds like what you are after.
Otherwise a double batt of regular might do the trick.
 

Okay, I used cool water and quite a bit of baking soda. I used a white wash cloth and got the yellow line fairly wet and rubbed gently. I have high hopes that this is working. I\'m letting it air dry right now. It looks like it may be working I\'ll let you know. I emailed the Clover company, I hope they get back with me.
What kind of markers do you all suggest? Especially, when they might be on the quilt for a while. When you do whole quilts do you mark them first? If so, they probably have the marks on them for a while too, right?
Thanks Shana for the baking soda idea. And Bonnie thanks for the heads up on the yellow pencil and chalk.

The black flakes are oxidation from the aluminum carriage base, not material from the wheels. Not to say you don't need to replace them, but mine have had steady business-use daily for 9 years and so far no problems. The diagonal stitching can be tested by freehanding a big circle, slowly. If you feel drag all four of the diagonal sections and none at the horizontal/vertical, then you can investigate more. Wheels too tight and drag from your power cord can be looked at. Also, if you're stitching diagonals with a ruler, that, of course, can cause drag. But a freehand diagonal line will have a bit more drag because you are overcoming the natural ease of stitching an x/y axis. The machine WANTS to go horizontal or vertical and diagonals take more control and more of a push. If this is a really new problem, call APQS service or your dealer to troubleshoot. Good luck!

Contact your nearest dealer. They will be helpful and are a good source to cultivate for repairs and questions.

Lucy Martin, I got the box yesterday.  Wow.  So many hankies I can use!  They are soaking away in retro clean as we speak.  Thank you so much!  I will post pics at some point in the future.  

Yes.  You should be able to use any size needle in the same class just like you do in your domestic machine.  When I had machines I successfully used needles from 3.0 up to 4.5 without making any changes to my machines.  I think the problems usually come in when going to a significantly smaller needle because they flex easier and may require the timing to be set up so the needle kisses the hook a little harder.  That is why APQS will tell you to stay within one size up or down from 4.0.
Nigel

My guess is that the thick seams are the problem.  I've broken needles on them before (almost the only time I ever break a needle) while free handing.  Now I try to avoid those type seams whenever I'm quilting.  Slowing down might help a bit, but I don't think that's the answer.
It might help if you were to go to a larger needle (bigger to push, but thicker and stronger), but you can only go up one size to a 5.0 MR.  I personally use Schmetz needles which I think are stiffer and stronger than the MR's, but I don't suppose you have any of them on hand.   With your I/Q it might be worth your time to buy some and try them out.  Mine are Canu 20:05 17, 134 (R) SERV 7, or135x5 SERV 7, orDPx5 SERV 7 (all the same needle, just different applications.  Schmetz advertises you can use a needle one size smaller then MR's with the same strength/stiffness.  I buy them off an online Schmetz website, and they're about the same price as the MR's.  Schmetz stopped making the MR's several years back when they came out with these.  Jim

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It is my next project  I will post when I get it done!  I am so happy to see you too!!!

Mwrubles,
Every batting has a minimum quilting distance.  Warm and Natural is 10 inches minimum.  Hobbs batting minimum is primarily 4 inches Other battings may have a shorter or longer minimum quilting distance.  See below and checkout link; https://www.hobbsbatting.com/products/.  Read your batting instructions to find your minimum quilting distance.
I would quilt the top at a minimum of the required quilting distance.  Otherwise you are asking for future problems after the quilt is used/loved and then washed.  Try following some of the designs of on the shirts if you are concerned about free motioning the quilt blocks.  Make the highlights of the individual shirts stand out.  
You could also flip up the shirt collar and quilt a line where the color joins the shirt, and then follow it down the button area.  You could also add a line where the collar folds back on itself.
Best of luck with your project.
Cagey 
Quilt or tie up to 10″ apart! Quilt Warm & Natural right out of the package, as pre-washing is not necessary. Once quilted, machine wash and dry your finished quilt in cold water. 3% shrinkage can be expected in the first wash with cold water. To achieve an antique puckered look use warm water for 5% shrinkage. Warm & Natural won’t distort when hanging, hooping or when used in quilt frames. It can be used for both batting and as an exterior craft fabric to create stuffed snowmen and rabbits.

Thank you very much for replying.  I don't want her to have issues down the road so I appreciate you chiming in.

Lorri
Maybe you could wrap a couple of turns of electrical tape or similar around your hopping foot to increase the diameter to the true half inch.  It would be an inexpensive fix until you find the exact feet you are looking for.
Nigel

Good morning,   
This is quilt was quilted on my friend APQS Freedom quilting machine. God is so good. Machine travel from Hawaii in to Branford, FL 4 years of quilting. Thank you Barbara Long and Patty Butcher of Calories Quilting the APQS Dealers in Brookville. 

Your tension is too high---try 180 and loosen the top tension as well. You only need it tight enough to make nice stitches---tighter is definitely not better. I set at 180 for 50 wt and 60 wt thread and 150 for Microquilter (100 wt) and invisible. Match your top tension to your bobbin tension. Test-stitch on a sample to find the sweet spots where stitches are balanced. When you get good stitches with a certain combo, pull the top thread through the needle and to the left. See how much your tension spring deflects. Make a chart that with X top thread and Y bobbin thread, the spring deflects from 10 o'clock/resting to 9 o'clock pulled---or whatever. Eventually you'll get a feel for how hard it is to pull the top thread. Your small backside stitches may be cured or there may be something else going on. Tiny stitches can be a stitch-regulator problem or if you're using a ruler, you're pressing too hard. Good luck!

Are you quilting a single piece back, or one you've seamed together?  If you're using a pieced back, which way is the seam(s) mounted in relation to the rollers?  If perpendicular, the seam allowance piles up, making the backing at the seam act like its shorter than the sides.  Because of this, I almost always mount my pieced backs with the seams parallel to the rollers.  That also allows me to pin the selvage to the leaders assuring me the back is square with the rollers.   Jim

Me too. my favorite!!