Best DVD for LA newbie

[Justahelper]

My wife has been piecing beautiful quilt tops for years but is brand new to the world of LA quilting. I want to help her but there are few opportunities for classes that I can find in our area.

(We can't even seem to get the free new owners class within a hundred miles of Salt Lake City.) (Update below - we have it scheduled now)

I would like to get her a DVD or two or three. If you had a best friend or family member trying to learn how to quilt on her new APQS Millenium and could only give her one DVD which one would you give her and why?

(OBTW, where would you get it?)

Thanx

Scott

[Myrna Ficken]

Hi Scott,

I am an APQS rep for Utah and a longarm educator. I teach classes in my studio down in Hurricane. Although I am futher than 100 miles So give me a call if you like and we can get you set up.

Myrna (contact info below)

[Myrna Ficken]

Hi again Scott,

I should also mention that if you do not want to travel down to my location your rep there in SLC teaches the start up class. Myrna

[Mary Beth]

Scott,

Be sure to get with Myrna, she will be able to help you with classes - and she is one of the best.

As far as DVD or videos go, check with Kings Men Quilting supply - not sure of web address - just Google it!! Also, Linda's Electric Quilt - Linda Taylor is very good. Karen McTavish books with videos. These are some of the DVD's I have that are very helpful.

The classes are invaluable - just start in the beginning and work your way up.

Hope this helps.

[ramona-quilter]

I think every quilter has this book in their library: The

Ultimate Guide to Longarm Machine Quilting: How to Use Any

Longarm Machine : Techniques, Patterns & Pantographs :

Starting a Business : Hiring a Longarm Machine Quilter (by

Linda V Taylor). It is all about basics.

So many of the new DVDs show advanced techniques. I

know that when I first started, I wanted the basics. I bought

the DVD by Karen McTavish which I now love but it was way

over my head when I first started.

The classes are a must. It is not just the classroom training,

networking, and hands-on machine time you get , but it is

also the chance to discuss your problems and questions with

a teacher and other newbies.

I flew from San Diego to Salt Lake City for a Myrna Ficken

class. Plane, hotel, classes, it was more $$ than I wanted to

spend as a newbie. My husband kept telling me, "You can't

build a church on an outhouse foundation....take those classes."

I sat in that room with other newbies listening to

Myrna talk us thru designs and techniques and you could

almost see the light bulbs go on over our heads. "Oh, so

that's how you do that" should be the name of her classes.

And then we got to try and try and try what we had learned

on the four machine heads she had for the class. It was

a real confidence builder. And worth the time and money.

[Guest LA]

Good Morning Scott!

How are you & Jeannie doing?

As you know as an APQS owner you have the freedom & choice to go to ANY APQS educator.

As far as the DVD's, wow, like sereval gals have said there are MANY! I like to order from my friend Dan Coats, he has the best customer service & is very prompt!

Take a peek at his web site & prepare to have a "melt-down" on the Ole plastic!

http://www.columbiariverquilting.com/

Give me a hollar if you have any questions!

Happy Quilting always~

Linda

Originally posted by Justahelper

My wife has been piecing beautiful quilt tops for years but is brand new to the world of LA quilting. I want to help her but there are few opportunities for classes that I can find in our area.

(We can't even seem to get the free new owners class within a hundred miles of Salt Lake City.)

I would like to get her a DVD or two or three. If you had a best friend or family member trying to learn how to quilt on her new APQS Millenium and could only give her one DVD which one would you give her and why?

(OBTW, where would you get it?)

Thanx

Scott

[Justahelper]

Thanks to all for the responses.

Great news! The local dealer finally got back with us and we are set up for the beginners' class. I think they have been going through a major remodel and lots of stuff got set on back burners. Our timing was just off.

We hear that Myrna's classes are phenominal and even though she is about 300 miles away we are going to try to make arrangements to get a class from her, and we will go to the HMQS show in SLC (Salt Lake City) in April. (We notice that APQS has no sponsorship or classes etc. there, but there appears to be lots of good stuff, so we shall see.)

We ordered some needles and a few other items from Dan at Columbia River and will check his site. I still plan to try to get some good DVDs and we do have Linda Taylor's book mentioned by Linda in Ramona above. That has been very helpful so far and we refer to it often.

I'm still looking for recommendations on DVDs though.

I can't wait to change my mood from "Overwhelmed but happy" to "Da__ we're good":D

[DebLou]

I'm a LA Newbie also. I went to the website Linda suggested and bought the DVD "PajamaQuilting for Newbies". I can't wait to get it. I've only had the beginning class and live too far away to get a hands on class. I'll need all the help I can get. Thanks

DebLou

[TinaCollins]

Hey DebLou,

I used to live in Decatur, IL 15 years ago and worked at ADM Corn Sweetener Headquarters in the lab! I still have friends & family up that way.

I live in Missouri now though, so I am 3 1/2 hours drive from you, straight down I-55. If you have any questions... just give me a ring! 573-576-3160;)

[quilterscafe]

Hi Scott,

Just wanted to say real quick here, I was fortunate enough to be able to swing buy and pop in for a brief visit during a class with Myrna while she taught a class on location here in California. She is the sweetest, warmest, kindest, giving person your wife could ever ask for in an instructor. And if Myra is listening, girl, you can quilt up a storm in a flash! When people say she is one of the best, they really mean it! You are VERY lucky you are as close to her as you are compared to the rest of us! I've been listening in to all the advice on this chat room for months and I learned more from Myrna in five minutes. Its that one to one ability to ask questions and receive answers 'real time' that will help your wife move through the steep learning curve quickly and with ease, without all the fear and frustration of going through it alone.

I have found that most teaching guides are very basic, they never cover all the bases, and it takes a long time to accumulate all the pieces of knowledge you need to gain the skills you want to acquire to feel a level of satisfaction with your work. Having a pro right there next to you cheering you on like Myra does, helping you develop the technical skills and knowledge to get up and running quickly is worth an entire library of DVD's.

Kathy

[suzakel]

Hi Scott!

Supportive spouses are the best!! My husband is also very supportive, and he is truly appreciated.

I bought my Millennium two years ago, and it came with a DVD. Some of the info. was a little outdated due to upgrades, but I still found it very helpful. Did your wife's machine come with a DVD? There is lots of basic, helpful info. on there if you have it.

The Carol Thelen book that someone mentioned is also very helpful. I've always wished I had the Linda Taylor book too, but never invested in it, and probably don't need it anymore.

I loaded the DVD on my husbands laptop and took it down by the machine and loaded practice pieces of muslin step by with the DVD until I had it down. I found it VERY helpful in terms of how to load a quilt. I can still hear Dawn Cavanaugh's voice in my head every time I load a quilt. :-)

Both of you, hang in there. Things are a bit overwhelming at first, but you'll get it. There are definitely some things to learn, but it's all doable.

Make sure the machine is level and things are gliding nicely and then just encourage her to spend time at the machine, making loops, writing her name in thread, etc.

Another good book for a newbie is "Pathways to Better Quilting" by Sally Terry. It starts out with basic shapes to work on and talks you through eventually putting it all together. It is available many places, including Columbia River Quilting.

Good luck to both of you! Keep us posted!

Sue K.

[Justahelper]

Yes we got a DVD with the machine and it has been invaluable. I don't know what we would have done without it.

I took (name removed)'s advice and went to Columbia River's web site and Jeanne picked out some video's that looked good to her. I thought I'd check with the people on this forum for feedback on them. Have any of you watched any of these videos and if so how would you rate them for a newbie?

____________________________________________

Pajama Quilter for Newbies, by Dawn Ramirez

(I'm assuming you quilt in your pajamas and this is not a how to on making "pajama quilts"???)

Background Frenzy by Pam Clarke

Fancy Feather Frenzy 2 by Linda Taylor

Borderlines Video by Pam Clarke

____________________________________________

Thanks!

We look forward to your thoughts.

Scott and Jeanne

[Mary Beth]

I've taken a class with Pam Clarke and she is wonderful. I'm sure the videos are good.

[GERRY]

Hi Scott & Jeanne:)

At Innovations, last Sept., I managed to take 6 of Pam Clark's classes, all about 3 hr's long........... She gave me the best basic info you can get, 2 of the classes were the same title as those DvD's Jeanne ordered. I think they will help a great deal with free-hand work

For Pantographs, trial & error, worked for me, just follow the line with the light. If you take a dry run through the whole panto, before you start the machine, it helps. "OH" & smaller tight patterns are easier than large, open, sweeping patterns with long curves.

But mostly, this forum/chat room heped me the most, there isn't a question I've had that I couldn't find the anwser to. I go for the search button at the top of the page every time I have a question or problem, if I can't find the answer there, I just ask all these jenerous people & very soon they have the problem solved.

I know that the "PPPing" answer seems to be a pain, (I hated to see it, & you'll see it alot, on this forum), but it's true, as you practice you learn the feel & sound of the machine, & all the things that can go wrong & how to fix each one of them. It kind of scared me at first, but if you forget how much the "thing cost, & just think of it as a very large "sewing machine" it will take the scare away, after all the sewing machine is a quilters best friend.

Have fun learning the LA biz, Jeanne will love it, & with you in there rooting for her, & helping (I'm jealous) she will do great.

Lots'a luck newbies,

[Anita Owen]

Hi Scott,

I only do pantograph quilting but I have watched the Pajama Quilter by Dawn Ramirez. I thought it was a very good dvd for a beginner or someone who has never done custom quilting. It is an hour long and costs $20.00 and can be purchased at kmquiltingsupply.com . She originally did a dvd to help a friend who was getting started custom quilting and her friend talked about it so much on the longarm list that she started a demand for Dawn to sell the dvd so others could have the same help. I enjoyed the dvd and my sister also enjoyed it when she bought her machine a few months ago.

Anita

Olalla, WA

[Justahelper]

Why is it called "pajama quilting"?

Scott

[Guest LA]

Think "Casual" Scott!

[annlittle1]

Its called pajama quilting because we can stay in our pajamas all day long if we want to. I know that if I don't get dressed before I start quilting I'll still be in my pajamas at 4:30 when my husband comes home. No pantyhose, no makeup and no uncomfortable shoes. Ain't it grand? You can even take off your shirt if you get too hot--just keep something handy in case you have to sign for a package!

One of the best tools I found is a VHS tape called "Donita Reeves Tips and Techniques for Long Arm Quilting". I don't know if it comes as a DVD but I learned a lot from it. Pam Clarke's tapes and DVDs are all great. While Donita's tape starts with loading the quilt and moves on from there, Pam's tapes and DVDs are really about quilting some basic shapes and how to mark your quilt so that you can do a quilt quickly and still have it turn out great.

Phyllis Hughes

[DebLou]

Thanks Anita, I'm glad to know someone has used the PajamaQuilting DVD. I hope I get the hang of it.

Tina, how cool is it that you used to live in Decatur. Most people have never heard of it.

Scott & Jeanne let us know which DVD's you started with and how you liked them.

I'm really getting hooked on this chat board. I learn a lot. I still have tension problems on the underside and I have a lot of trouble winding bobbins on my stand alone bobbin winder.

Deblou

[Justahelper]

As I mentioned in my post above I suspected it was just quilting in your PJs, but I wanted to confirm it.

We decided to start with just two DVDs and I ordered them last night. One was Linda Taylor's Fancy Feather Frenzy 2. There wasn't a FFF 1 but this one says it is for beginners too, so I hope it is not too advanced. The second was Pam Clarke"s Borderlines Video.

We ordered them both from Columbia River Quilting and can't wait to get them.

I own a small Video production business and so I'll give you an in depth critique on both video's after we have watched them. Of course the most important thing will be do we learn more than our money's worth from watching them.

Stay tuned :cool:

Scott

[andriko]

is the key in my opinion.

I too have Pyamas quilting, and it gives you a real good start.

But the best what could happen, is to have Sherry and Myrna together and watch them demo and talking for 3 whole days.

Boy, was I fully loaded with information. At that time I still had 4 month to go without my Millie.

Interestingly, I remembered everything ( I guess ) when I got my machine and had no major problems operating the machine. And 2 months later I could give a helping hand to start for my LA friends

So, to have hands-on classes is the best you can have.

Every tipp and hint you can get out of a book or DVD is worth the money of those medias.

In January I will take a class with Myrna at Claudias in Krefeld. I am realy looking forward to.

Greetings from Switzerland

[Justahelper]

Andriko

Switzerland is perhaps the most scenically beautiful country we've every visited. Maybe when you start teaching some classes we can get over there again on a tax deductable education tour Meanwhile, we'll be PPPing, getting to the classes we can and watching the DVDs over here in the home of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Scott and Jeanne

[quiltski]

Originally posted by Justahelper

Yes we got a DVD with the machine and it has been invaluable. I don't know what we would have done without it.

I took (name removed)'s advice and went to Columbia River's web site and Jeanne picked out some video's that looked good to her. I thought I'd check with the people on this forum for feedback on them. Have any of you watched any of these videos and if so how would you rate them for a newbie?

____________________________________________

Pajama Quilter for Newbies, by Dawn Ramirez

(I'm assuming you quilt in your pajamas and this is not a how to on making "pajama quilts"???)

Background Frenzy by Pam Clarke

Fancy Feather Frenzy 2 by Linda Taylor

Borderlines Video by Pam Clarke

____________________________________________

Thanks!

We look forward to your thoughts.

Scott and Jeanne

[Ritathequilter]

Hi Scott

The most helpful source I found as a newbie was the Donita Reeves tapes. I recvd them on VHS, then copied them to DVD so I could watch them in my sewing room whenever I had to. They are wonderful and she leaves out nothing.

I've not watched the videos (or even heard of them) that the others suggested here but plan on getting a couple of them. One can never have too many resources!

I'm still new at longarming and every top is a challenge and I've a thousand questions with each one as well. But I'm struggling thru it and learn something with each top. I thought learning to quilt would be the big deal but learning to use the machine properly is a task in it's self.

There's so much info right here on this forum. Just look in the archives when you have time...you'll find a lot of answers to your questions.

When I first started on the girls here suggested that I browes Weshots for pictures, for ideas on what to quilt on different kinds of quilts, and that has also been very helpful!!

Good luck to you and your wife.....and happy longarming!!

Rita

Canada

[Guest LA]

Hi Scott,

Your son & darling grandkids were in the shop on Friday, we had a great visit.

Can you drop me a line when you get a moment, I wanted to pass some helpful info on to you that Dustin & I were discussing.

Talk to you soon,

Linda

Originally posted by Justahelper

As I mentioned in my post above I suspected it was just quilting in your PJs, but I wanted to confirm it.

We decided to start with just two DVDs and I ordered them last night. One was Linda Taylor's Fancy Feather Frenzy 2. There wasn't a FFF 1 but this one says it is for beginners too, so I hope it is not too advanced. The second was Pam Clarke"s Borderlines Video.

We ordered them both from Columbia River Quilting and can't wait to get them.

I own a small Video production business and so I'll give you an in depth critique on both video's after we have watched them. Of course the most important thing will be do we learn more than our money's worth from watching them.

Stay tuned :cool:

Scott