Search the Community

Hi APQS: When you stitch a quilt path pantograph as a pattern then finish stitching the pattern how do you find the "Move to Left" "Move to Center" "Move to Right" options for the next placement? I found the APQS video on how to do this when you quilt the pantograph as a row but not as a pattern. Thanks for your guidance. Jamie Bennett REPLY

A pretty minor question, but I’m stumped so thought I’d pose the question. The quilt I’m about to quilt has a lot of white background, and some colored batik shapes pieced in here and there. . It would be considered a modern quilt. With so much white, should I use white thread, or the sort of off-white (linen) Glide? In the past, I’ve steered away from white, thinking it’s too stark or bright, but I have never had an all-white background. Also, if I use white thread, should I use a more neutral (like off-white or light grey) on the batik parts? Thank you!

My bobbin thread is pull to top, its the same thread I always use. Changed needle tighted the top thread still bad

My bobbin thread is pull to top, its the same thread I always use. Changed needle tighted the top thread still bad

Does anyone know if Lucey handles will work on Lenni? If so,do you know where they can be found? APQS doesn't have them for sale in the online store. Any info will be very helpful. Thank you!

My horizontal belt is locked up and I can't find any info on how to unlock it. Not quilting tonight, I guess.

SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN!! Why doesn't this happen when we're practicing a new design on muslin, or doing a personal quilt, or not on a deadline??? Sunday afternoon, while quilting a deadline customer quilt, I broke thread and moved to a new spot...and an inch in, bad sound, needle down, needle break, lost power. After manually removing quilt from danger, collecting the shattered needle pieces and tracing power, I realized I was in trouble. I called my awesome retailer and left a message, and then after reading loads of comments on the forum about getting real time help from APQS, I called their service and they assured me someone would call back asap. Dawn called shortly later, and using FaceTime, was able to quickly diagnose the problem, talk me through changing the fuse and regaining power, diagnose a jammed thread cutter, talk me through trying to remove the bent blade...when that didn't co-operate, talked me through disabling the thread cutter and re positioning the ruined blade out of harms way...then retesting power. We then determined the needle break had tweaked timing and the position of the bobbin assembly. Dawn patiently, kindly, and cheerfully sat through inadequate tool search, iPhone death and charger fetching, trial and error on my end, work arounds, and adjusting my bobbin assembly, sanding and truing it's post, timing adjustment, restoring front and side panels, test stitching and VICTORY. While the new bobbin cutter is on its way, I am back on the air, finished the customer quilt on time, and had it in the mail on my way to work at 3:30 am. As you can see, I continue to be a big fan of Dawn's, and am amazed at the remarkable teacher and tech she is, and how reasonable she was when I was pretty much falling apart when tool after tool failed and I felt pretty helpless. It was another APQS AMAZING EXPERIENCE, and I am so grateful for the help. What a Sunday miracle. Thanks a million, Dawn!!!! Beth Maitland, Quilting Again In Nipomo!!

Help! Have a Lenni and the rubber grippy parts on the bottom of the knobs that hold the rollers tight have worn out. They never gripped really well, but now having to stick velcro on the roller under the knob. Really should take pictures so you can see what this is all about. Has anyone else had this trouble? MIne is one of the first Lenni's. Can't quilt unless the fabric stays tight between the rollers. All suggestions welcome!

I was getting a little frustrated with my machine this weekend. Even though I wasn't running up to the edge of the throat space on either end (top or bottom of the design), half-way through quilting a row my machine would stop because of an obstruction. I cleaned the wheels, oiled everything, yada yada, and still kept getting the error. I could have looked more carefully for a problem if the obstruction had been at the same spot each time, but it wasn't. Sometimes it was at the beginning of the row, sometimes in the middle, and a couple times on the end at the bottom. I just wanted to shake the snot out of it to break free whatever it thought was the obstruction, but prudence got control of me. Whew! Have you ever run into anything like this? If so, I would really appreciate it very much if you could share with me how you fixed the problem. I've got seven more quilts to get done this week, and this problem is a complete time killer. Thanks in advance for your wonderful insight and advice. Lora.

This is one of my first quilt that I made. It's been sitting in my closet for a long time. A finished quilt is better than one not finished. Right? Any of your ideas and help would be greatly appreciated. I'm giving this to me daughter in college at OSU.

Hello Everyone! I have had my Lenni since August 2015, but due to a number of issues, was not really able to do much but set up my machine, and test to see if it worked. Then it sat... sadly, for almost a year. Recently, I was able to attend a beginner class (I'd already had a 'renter's class', but that was over a year ago) with the lady who sold me my Lenni (thanks Tracey Russel of Whirls 'n Swirls Quilting in Oshawa, ON Canada). I had been so afraid to do something detrimental to my machine that I wasn't confident to try... Tracey's class gave me the confidence to give myself permission to try to use the machine. After carefully going through cleaning procedures and running through some test fabric, I loaded on a quilt top for the charity that I support and the 'Bumpity' pantograph that Tracey gave me. Yay, all worked well. A few glitches, which Tracey's class covered so I was still OK, and then I loaded my second charity quilt with a different pantograph. OMGOSH, I am actually doing this, and I love it! Then I put on a baby quilt top that I've had waiting for over a year. Yay! another one done, and then another one! Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me throughout the process of selecting and buying a machine, and especially to Tracey, who, not only being an APQS dealer, is also an amazing teacher and author of her own FMQ books! Can't beat this APQS family. Love to all Sherry H, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Lenni Mom, August 2015

Help! I have a new Lucey, it works great with pre-wound bobbins, but you can't currently get the white bobbins pre-wound from Superior so I got some BottomLine to wind my own. I got the standard "deluxe" bobbin winder. APQS set it up for me in person, he wound one bobbin and it was wonky so he made an adjustment. I can NOT get it to wind properly!!!!! The thread seems to come out of the tensioner discs as soon as the thread starts being pulled through. Driving me crazy & I've wasted quite a bit of thread now. Any thoughts? I have 2 photos of a bobbin it wound (overwound imo), and then I did another but didn't take a photo - I stopped it part way in. I realize the thread isn't through the 2nd hole in the photo but it was when winding & this was my finger troubleshooting to see what was happening.... still can't figure out why/how but it's coming out of the tension discs. Thanks! Heather and sorry - these all flipped sideways when I attached them.

Can anyone suggest a pantograph pattern that would look nice on this nine-patch? Or does it not lend itself well to pantograph? Thank you so much. Carol

I did a no no this morning. I was doing my usual cleaning the hook area and put my oil on it. Of course I always put a rag under it and I have a quilt on so wanted to make sure none got on it. I held the rag up and it caught in and around my hook area. The fuse blew and I had to manually turn the side thingy to get the needle up. I was able to then cut the rag out, replace the fuse, etc. It seemed to work but when I turned the machine on it makes an awful clanging noise. No problem with the needle hitting anything. Amy says it's probably a broken gear and will need replaced as well as packing it with the grease. She sent me instructions and have decided to attempt it myself. My question after all this long windedness is has anyone done this themselves and how hard is it? I have a 2012 Millie.

Can anyone tell me if using a closet for the end of my longarm frame is a good idea? The closet is 28 inches deep and the opening without doors is 5 ft. 9". I would be just able to squeeze around other end of frame to back. There would be plenty of space in front but tight in closet area. Back would have 2 ft. Of space. Can anyone tell me if they think this will work? I really want a longarm but that's my only option. Nothing else will share the space. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated..I am a newbie,,1st post.

All suggestions on how to do this is appreciated! I have just finished the top for a new Christmas tree skirt. I want to put in on the longarm to quilt it (of course, isn't that why I bought it?). I want to put a ruffle on the bottom of it and I want the ruffle to be between the layers or something so that it looks 'finished', but I can't think of a way to do that, for some reason I can't come up with a solution on how to accomplish this. I am sure there is a SIMPLE answer on how to do this. Any suggestions on how to do this would be appreciated. My thinking cap is thunk out........ Photo is attached to this post, the red circle is the new top, the other photo is of my old tree skirt that I quilted about 30 years ago on my domestic sewing machine, the ruffle was attached to the top, then the back attached, turned inside out after stitching the seams........pre-longarm! TIA, BobbieSue

All suggestions on how to do this is appreciated! I have just finished the top for a new Christmas tree skirt. I want to put in on the longarm to quilt it (of course, isn't that why I bought it?). I want to put a ruffle on the bottom of it and I want the ruffle to be between the layers or something so that it looks 'finished', but I can't think of a way to do that, for some reason I can't come up with a solution on how to accomplish this. I am sure there is a SIMPLE answer on how to do this. Any suggestions on how to do this would be appreciated. My thinking cap is thunk out........ Photo is attached to this post, the red circle is the new top, the other photo is of my old tree skirt that I quilted about 30 years ago on my domestic sewing machine, the ruffle was attached to the top, then the back attached, turned inside out after stitching the seams........pre-longarm! TIA, BobbieSue

Hi everyone. I need some help. This client brought me this quilt to do custom on. I am not a perfect quilter and have not done anything quite so detailed. Any ideas for quilting. It's just not talking to me. I need diagrams if possible since I don't completely understand what some suggestions are. Also, I think the borders are going to be quite full. And it's all paper pieced and small bits of paper have been left on the back. Will they cause a problem while quilting it?? Thanks for your help.

I'm just learning my Quilt Path and the one big issue is that it "times me out" and goes back to the very beginning so I have to start all over and reload the program. This happens when I've left for only minutes. Is there a way to bypass this or change the time so it is longer before shutting me down? This is very frustrating. Beth

hi everyone! I have been watching/reading this forum for about a year now. I have a favor to ask. Seems that word has gotten out that I am doing some long arming for hire (thus far its been limited to one wonderful non judgemental friend). I am wondering if anyone would be will to share the take in form that they have developed when receiving a quilt to long arm. I have looked at that program that is 195.00 but at this time I can not justify spending that since I don't even know if I am going to enjoy quilting for hire! Right now I get so nervous having someone else quilt on my machine that I don't sleep so time will tell. I also do not want to not ask the correct questions or sell myself short on this trial time. Thanks for your help in advance Janet

Hi I hope as many people see this over the weekend that it will give me a better feeling of what I think. I got an email from a quilt shop offing a job as a long arm employee. It said you could be trained, and would do work for the shop. I got the position, it was for a couple of days a week, then take over the department. Then the owner had her nose in everything. Then there were complaints about my quilting, but I never received training or assistance, just my pay check cut. Then Oh you also teach people how to use the long arm . And there was a student to teach with their quilt. I have been doing this for a couple of weeks. Then I was told they are being audited and I need to more or less put on my time slip that I am paying the owner 40 percent of the earnings and I am just a contract person using the stores equipment I found complaints from customers were lies from some people and others were told that the quilt was not don right and to bring it back. I KNOW I am not qualified to teach, I feel tremendous liability, and I do not know if it is legal to cut wages, if there is a complaint. The last part was I was told to take things home and do them since it is a very long drive to the store and back and only come when there are students. I have not been paid in three weeks and they have not even had me sign papers or taken info from me. I was told I would get a 1099 at the end of the year. Is this legal, any of it and I wonder how to get my pay if it is not. I do not think I should stay. Thank you for any help

I am posting this for a fellow longarm quilter. She is stumped as to how to quilt it. She's had it for awhile. Initially when she received it she was told it was for the customer's nephew's wedding. He is in the National Guard. She had said she thought something military/patriotic as the fabric lends itself toward that. The patriotic design has her stumped. If you dont think patriotic we would love to see other suggestions. Any design ideas from you experts? Would love to see ideas. Thanks!