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Cagey

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Everything posted by Cagey

  1. Alcope, A picture or two of the machine, other items included in the sale, reason for selling, year purchase, commercial or non-commercial use, and a price will greatly assist you with your sale. Best of luck, Cagey
  2. DD, You might increase the font size to 72 for the words SOLD, SOLD, SOLD. Yes it's SOLD! That might catch their eye. Other than that, you just have to remember certain invaluable words of Dave Ramsey about things you can't fix. Cagey
  3. Jim Yes, I did that. Measured it is at 1/16th of an inch towards the throat of the machine. The hopping foot is not exactly flat on the needle plate. Less than the smallest spark plug feeler gauge difference. Maybe a 1/4 of a business card from being flat. The high side is opposite of the throat. I will have to try using a circle template to see how noticeable the start stop point is.
  4. https://handiquilter.com/locations/ Authorized Vac & Sew5233 North Blackstone AveFresno CA 93710United States Phone: 559-439-2560Fax: 559-439-5070Email: vacandsew1@sbcglobal.net
  5. I have a question concerning the true quarter inch foot. I just swapped out my non-changeable hopping foot for the new style (post 2109) interchangeable hopping foot on my George. Do all of your needles come down exactly in the center of your hopping foot? I can get the left-right set in the middle, but the forward-back (into the throat area) is slightly off. The hopping foot is cast metal, and not willing to bend all that easily. If not exactly centered, do you find it to be much of an issue while quilting? If so, what type of shape.....circles? Thank you in advance for the input. Cagey
  6. I found this on the yellow pages. Not sure how accurate it may be. Judy Did It Design 1740 Eastwood Dr, Seguin, TX 78155 (830) 303-4388
  7. Becky, I would suggest you private message SmockingRN if you desire a reply. RN has not visited the site since Aug 2019. If you hover over the posters name, you get their information and you can message them from there too. Best of luck finding what you are looking for.
  8. I might suggest turning off the entire computer and restating it. A restart tends to fix minor glitches on your phone, computer, and other electronic devices. Best of luck to you.
  9. Mid-Arm Quilting, If you do a search for "mid-arm quilting machine" you will find a few differing measurements. Some say a mid-arm is a machine with 12-17 inches of throat space, whereas a long-arm is 18-24 inches. While others will say a mid-arm has a throat space of 16-22 inches, and long-arm machines have a 23+ inch throat. I believe your true question is how large of a quilt can you comfortably quilt on a 12-22 inch throat machine? The smaller the throat space and the lower the throat hight, the smaller quilt area you will have to work in when the quilt is close to fully rolled on the rear roller. Look at the Lenni verses the Millie. The Lenni has a 22" long and a 8" tall throat, while the Millie has a 26" long and 10.5" throat. The Millie will allow you to quilt a larger block without rolling the quilt forward or back, when most coming to the end of the quilt. More area must be important, or APQS would probably not have brought out the Millie 30, with a 30" long and 10.5" tall throat. Hopefully a more experience large quilt quilter can share their knowledge and opinion concerning your question. My opinion would be to suggest purchasing the longest throat and longest table your room can comfortably fit, and your wallet can comfortably afford. I doubt there are many quilters that say they bought too long of a long-arm, while there are probably many quilters that wish they had a longer throat as they approach the end of their quilt. Best of luck shopping. Cagey
  10. Margret, I believe technically George is a longarm, but some may say otherwise. I do not have room at the present time for a longarm. That being said, I have taken a few longarm classes. I have found the machine head weight an issue. From what I have read, the APQS heads seem to be lighter than other machines. When you get the head moving, and want to stop, and then start moving in the opposite direction you will have to overcome the mass and momentum of the machine. More weight, more effort. I am sure you will grow accustomed to whatever machine you purchase, but from my limited experience I liked the lighter head. APQS is very responsive. Yesterday, while changing out the hopping foot on George, Amy was available to answer questions and provide input. You will see other machines advertised on this site. Other brand users will ask questions, and have them answered when possible. I cannot say that other brands will offer that. Finally, I think that APQS machines are built well, and in most cases will last a lifetime. Best of luck shopping.
  11. https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/viking-megaquilter-inspira-frame-stitch-regulator-t296695.html https://www.allbrands.com/products/9265-qcc-quilters-cruise-control-free-motion-stitch-len The last link allows you to pick your machine, your frame, and specific model number. I have no idea of the quality of the stitch regulator. Best of luck to you.
  12. If you hover over the posters name, you will see when they posted and the last time they have visited the site. As the seller posted the sale on 15 July 2018 and last visited the APQS forum on 18 Oct 2018, I would hazard to guess George has been sold. Good luck shopping.
  13. This may sound stupid, but give this a try. Remove the upper and lower thread, and leave the needle in the machine. Then get yourself a piece of notebook paper. The kind kids use at school. You want thin/light paper to get the best training. You can draw some lines on the paper to follow if you desire, but you want to be able to clearly see the holes in the paper. Take the paper and put it under the hopping foot, and quilt some straight lines, and then progress to some swirls. Quilt your signature. Quilt all over the paper. Have fun. Once done, remove the piece of paper and look at the holes the needle left behind. If the holes are large than the needle diameter, then you are moving the paper/fabric against the needle as it is trying to loop the thread. This movement is probably messing up your stitches, and causing you tension problems. Practice with the paper until you can move the paper in relation with the needle without distorting the hole size, or tearing the paper. You can also quilt on paper with the top and bobbin thread installed. Give it a try on two pieces of paper stacked on each other. If can quilt on paper, without distorting the hole size, try setting your feed dogs to zero. I have read that some machines do not quilt well with their feed dogs down. This could be because the quilter is trying to move the fabric when the needle is down, and the feed dogs help hold the fabric against the hopping foot. This prevents the needle from being deflected, and messing up the tension. Remember, the feed dogs stop moving the fabric when the needle is down for that instant the loop is being formed. On a longarm, the stitch regulator increases or decreases the needle speed in relation to how fast the head is being moved. When you freemotion quilt with your hands, you have to do the same thing. If you want to move your hands fast, you have to depress the foot peddle more to increase the needle speed. If you do not, you will distort the needle hole or even tear the paper. Your mind is the best speed controller ever devised. It just takes a few pieces of paper to develop the skill. Notice how the space will change between the needle hole punches as you speed up and slow down your hand movement. If you have thread in the machine as you quilt on paper, notice how if you do not speed up the needle as you quilt a circle, how the edges of the circle are not round. The gap between stitches will form straight lines, that try to make a circle Best of luck to you. Tell us how things turn out. Cagey
  14. Amy, Great to hear that you are back up without a re-timing. Great job fixing your own machine. Cagey
  15. Kathleen, Your post is somewhat confusing, as it sounds like the entire needle feel out when you first hit the ruler. Is this correct? I would have thought the needle would have broken, and part of the needle fell onto the quilt. Though your sentence above would indicate the entire needle feel out. With your needle first hitting the ruler and then having it fall out multiple times, you have had ample opportunity for your machine to come out of time. Thus, I would suggest you watch the APQS timing videos, Tools needed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u4RgOAeSJ0 4:30 magnifier to see the hook assemble and diagnose problem https://www.apqs.com/introduction-timing-longarm-quilting-machine-recommended-tools/ Steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWeqiuvwk5E https://www.apqs.com/timing-apqs-machine-video/ After watching the videos, I would suggest with a needle installed watch what the needle is striking when it is lowered. Have someone turn the hand wheel slowly while you watch the needle descend with a bobbin both not installed. Once you know exactly what the needle is hitting, you can better determine what needs to be done to get your machine working. Give APQS a call after you know what the needle is hitting, and they can steer you in the proper direction. Best of luck with your repair. Cagey
  16. Just so you know, if you hover of the name of a thread poster, you will see when they last visited the site. Jamie Thomas who posted the machine for sale has not visited the site since 4 Feb 2020. You might message them directly to get an update on the machine. Best of luck.
  17. Check your smaller flea market sewing machine repair/dealers. You may find a older and smaller machine with a knee lift. Depending on the type of sewing/quilting you are doing, you may wish to also get a machine that stops with the needle in either the up or down position.
  18. Maybe some of these links will help. Check all your connections. Unplug and replug them. Good luck https://rhondabracey.com/2015/01/19/handi-quilter-sweet-sixteen-needle-sensor-failure/ https://www.manualslib.com/manual/990137/Handi-Quilter-Hq-Sweet-Sixteen.html https://support.handiquilter.me/hc/en-us/community/posts/360042704691-needle-sensor-error Technical Solutions department a call at 877-697-8458, Monday through Friday, 8-5 MDT
  19. Gorgeous quilting, and piecing. It is an outstanding job. Cagey
  20. Is submersing the quilt top/back in water to fully wet, and then hanging to dry not good enough to take care of fabric shrinkage? I guess the only way to truly know how much cotton fabric shrinks would be to do a test. Cut a 12 x 12 block and then wet/dry it to measure the amount of shrinkage. You could also wash it in a washer machine bag to see if you got a different result. Maybe even a 9 square block to see if the shrinkage varies. Use a brand of fabric you normally quilt with. It would give you a good starting point. A density of quilting test could also be performed by sewing sides on as 12.5 x 12.5 inch block and then quilting the 12 x 12 inch block, and measuring it at different densities. You could start with straight lines side to side, and top to bottom, and then fill the spaces between the lines, measuring periodically to see if the block got smaller. Though I would hazard to guess that the block will change more with more curves and circle shapes. If you do the test, let us know how it turns out. I might try it tomorrow when I make a few masks. Cagey
  21. I follow Juanita Yeagers method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP4WOJpfIms, at the 2:00 minute mark, which is a bottom layer of Warm and Natural over a layer of wool felt. The felt makes it rather stiff, and it will hang nice a flat. I have also used 100% wool over the wool felt with great results.
  22. https://www.apqs.com/apqs-video-tutorial-how-to-attach-binding-using-a-longarm-quilting-machine/
  23. Ember, Unfortunately, I believe the title says it is sold, APQS "George" for sale! ***SOLD*** George is a great machine, and wish you the best of luck finding one. Cagey
  24. Cheryl, You may wish to check to see if you will need to retime your machine with a 3.0 needle. Here is why I say that. The definitive guide to longarm quilting machine needles November 7, 2017 Needles are one of the most critical tools in a quilter’s sewing box. Choosing the right needle for the thread, fabric and batting you’re using can mean the difference between a fabulous quilt and one filled with tension issues, broken threads, and batting pokeys! Choosing the right needle New longarm owners quickly discover that longarm needles are very different from the ones they’ve used for piecing quilts. Industrial needles come in many configurations to fit different machines. Four main components identify a needle – the needle system, point style, needle size and coating. The easiest way to ensure you’re getting the right needles is to buy them directly from your machine manufacturer or an authorized dealer. If you are buying from a different vendor, verify the needle system your machine uses, and compare it to the system references on the label to make sure they will work. APQS machines use the Groz-Beckert needles pictured below. All the numbers and letters on a needle package can be confusing. APQS machines use “MR” needles, which means “multi-directional.” These needles resist bending and have a very deep, extended scarf (the notched area behind the needle), which allows tighter hook placement for superior stitches. In addition, the needle eye and long groove above it are specially designed to reduce thread twist and keep the thread loop formed when changing directions. Those features allow APQS owners to use all types of threads very successfully. Letters on the package indicate its point style (R = regular round point, FFG = light ball point). The R tip is most common for lockstitch sewing and works particularly well on woven fabrics and coated fabrics, which is why APQS recommends sharp point needles for its longarm machines. Some quilters wonder about using ball point needles on knit fabrics like t-shirt quilts; however, an R point works well since the t-shirts are typically stabilized. An R point pierces the multiple layers better, resulting in fewer skipped stitches. Titanium needles have been popular with machine embroidery enthusiasts and longarm quilters have started to take notice. These needles have a higher hardness than regular needles and have a higher wear resistance. Titanium needles are usually gold-colored. While these needles may not need changing as often, their increased hardness can result in greater damage to the quilting machine or quilting fabric if they break. For this reason, APQS recommends standard Groz-Beckert MR needles with chromium coating rather than titanium needles. Size matters Longarm quilters can move the machine over fabric much faster than anyone can push fabric under a stationary needle. This makes the needle bend considerably more as the fabric and batting pull on it. Small, thin needles would break easily under this stress. Therefore, longarm machine needles must be much larger than regular sewing needles to reduce the needle flex. Over flexing the needle can cause flat stitches on the back, “railroad tracks” and generally poor tension. Thread thickness and type also have a big impact on needle selection. The thread should be cradled in the long groove running down the front of the needle. If the needle is too small for the thread thickness, the thread will not stay aligned with the needle’s eye, causing shredding and breakage. The top thread passes through the needle eye 40-70 times during stitch formation, so the eye must be large enough to easily let the thread slide through. If you have trouble threading the needle (and you know it’s not just your eyesightJ) then the needle is too small for your thread! The chart below illustrates how longarm needle sizes are cross-referenced. APQS machines are closely timed to a 4.0 industrial needle, giving you the flexibility to move to a 3.5 size for thin threads like 100-weight silk, 60-weight bobbin-weight thread or ultra-thin invisible thread. Or you can move up to a 4.5 needle size for thicker threads like 30 or 40-weight cotton, polyester, or variegated blends. The standard 4.0 needle easily handles the most common threads ranging from 40 to 60 weights in all types of fibers. Close timing prevents skipped stitches and helps provide excellent stitch quality with all sorts of thread. Proper needle insertion The round shank on industrial needles presents a challenge for inserting them correctly. The needle eye must be straight so that the thread loop formed behind it stays open and the hook can grab it during stitch formation. You can use a magnet alignment tool on your needle to quickly and accurately position your needle. Or you can insert a straight pin into the needle’s eye to check its position as you tighten the needle screw. Sometimes quilters will turn their needle slightly to the left if a thread’s twist is affecting the stitch quality or causing shredding. This aligns the thread loop with the hook just a little sooner. If the loop starts to collapse, the hook may only pierce part of the loop. For best performance, keep the needle straight for most threads. How often should a needle be changed A new needle is very cheap insurance against batting pokeys, torn fabric, poor tension or thread breakage. While the sheer size of longarm needles makes them sturdier than domestic needles and they could potentially last through several projects, you can save yourself lots of frustration by changing the needle frequently. If you quilt for others, using a new needle on every quilt is a positive selling point for your services – it tells your customers you care about their quilt! Dawn Cavanaugh Dawn Cavanaugh is Customer Service & Education Director at APQS.
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