Gail Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 Hello APQS people, I'm thrilled to be able to talk to people who are long arm machine quilting!!! I have at least a million questions and WELCOME responses or e-mails (up to maybe 600). For me, I dwell in the world of fabric, thread, colors and sewing. The more, the more happy I become. Have sewn since I was a little girl. Quilting for ?? 15 years? Love to piece, hand applique, hand quilt and yes, machine quilt. I currently have a Pfaff regualr machine. I feel like I've been having an affair with my sewing machine for years. The DH (it that darling husband?) doesn't seem to mind. My massive collection of questions: What is your background? What was your goal when you first got your long arm? Business, full time, part time? Were your expectations met? Are you fullfilling whatever you set out to do? Support family, you, or paying for your fabric habit? Where you wanting to make the long arm a family supporting business? Extra income? Or just need to have a long arm to express your thrill of threads and the way the sew onto fabric? What machine do you sew on? Why? Preferences? Recommendations? The questions go on and on. Please e-mail me at bgromines@comcast.net Did you try out all of the machines? Gammill, APQS, Nolting, Handi-quilter, etc. and more etc? Is this your first machine? How long have you had a long arm machine? Every question that you ever asked or thought of I am asking. Planning to make a final decision probably by April and the AQS show. Anyone within driving distance of Metro Detroit that would let me have a bit on hands on with their machine? Did you buy new or used? Recommendations? Gail bgromines@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 What is your background? I've been sewing since I was about 12 years old, quilting for about 20 years. I am a full-time faculty administrator at the University of Oregon and a part-time professional quilter. What was your goal when you first got your long arm? I got the longarm so that in retirement (5 years from when I bought the machine) I could have a little income to pay for health insurance. Expectations have been met, as far as I can tell. Where you wanting to make the long arm a family supporting business? Extra income? Or just need to have a long arm to express your thrill of threads and the way the sew onto fabric? Extra income for me and to support my fabric habit. What machine do you sew on? Why? Preferences? Recommendations? I have an APQS Liberty. LOVE IT! Just the right size for me, stitch regulated, runs nearly any kind of thread I ask it to, very few problems. Did you try out all of the machines? Gammill, APQS, Nolting, Handi-quilter, etc. and more etc? I made my decision by checking out repair records, etc. on the internet. I believe APQS makes one of the best machines available. Is this your first machine? How long have you had a long arm machine? This is my first, and most likely my last, machine. No desire to replace it. I have tried other machines and I still like mine best! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 Here is my 2 cents...go to MQX (Machine Quilters Exposition in Manchester, NH)or MQS (Machine Quilters Showcase in Overland Park, KS) and test drive every machine and figure out which is the best for you. Take classes...there are always quilters taking classes that don't own a long arm yet, but plan on buying one. I love my Milly and my Liberty. I also have a compuquilter. I started a business because I like to keep busy and work from home. I have been quilting for about 20 years and long arming for about 3 1/2 years. I started out with a Gammill...if I had test driven all the machines I won't have bought a gammill...it is not a bad machine, but not the right one for me. It is a heavier machine and I am only 5'2"...even the classic is to heavy for me. I also had trouble with the machine flat linning stitches on the backing and no matter what I did I couldn't get is corrected. I feel APQS has the best stitch quality of all the machines and they are so helpful when there is a problem. Let's face it...nothing is perfect and things are bound to go haywire at some point, but help is always there. Hope that helps. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 What is your background? I've been sewing since I was in 6th grade, sewed all my own clothes for years. Made one awful quilt in my 20s and didn't try again until my 40's. What a difference in tools and fabric from the 80's to the 2000's! I've made over 50 quilts since, all quilted on my home sewing machine. What was your goal when you first got your long arm? I wanted the longarm because I felt I couldn't do my best work fighting with the weight of the quilt and the small throat space on my home sewing machine. I make a lot of quilts. I plan on starting a business in January making custom quilts and renting out time on my machine. I have another fulltime job so this is to build up a customer base and pay off the machine for now, with the idea that when I retire (in 10 years) I can put in as much time as I want. I already have several commission quilts lined up and people in my guild interested in taking a class and renting the machine. Were you wanting to make the long arm a family supporting business? Extra income? Or just need to have a long arm to express your thrill of threads and the way they sew onto fabric? I've done a lot of estimates, and don't think I can earn much more than the $10-15/hour range, but that's okay since I would do this for free and it would only be for some extra income and to help pay for the machine. What machine do you sew on? Did you try out all of the machines? I was ready to buy a Gammill when the little voice in my head said - Ask my friend who has a Gammill how it's going with her machine. She's had it a year, told me she loves it, but that it has a real problem that she can't get the tension right so that the color on top doesn't show on the bottom and vice versa. The only solution she's found, and which she's heard from other Gammill owners, is to use the same color thread on front and back. How limiting! I confirmed that their own service manual acknowledges this problem and recommends using the same color thread. That changed my mind. I then found a used APQS Millenium at a great price not far from where I live. I had mainly tried the Gammill, and seen some of the smaller throat machines - very limiting. A friend bought one with only about 7" usable space, and after a year is buying a bigger machine. I love the fabric advance feature, the stitch regulator, being able to use all kinds of threads, etc. Is this your first machine? How long have you had a long arm machine? First. Just got it last month, but have tried out everything, including the Hartley Fence, loads of different threads, done several practice quilts, etc. I don't have a single regret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Meant to include my contact info: Julia Graves juliagraves@verizon.net http://mysite.verizon.net/juliagraves/ if you want to see some of my quilts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrystitcher Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have been sewing since old enough to run a machine. I made lots of clothes in high school and taught my friends how to sew. Got into piecing about 15 years ago and from there went into teaching quilting and forming 3 guilds in Indiana, Tennessee and Iowa. It is a passion for me!! I knew I wanted a long-arm about 5 years ago, but couldn't justify it for my hobby. Decided to start looking at used machines seriously about a year ago. I purchased an APQS because they are local to me and I knew they were top of the line machines. I purchased a Discovery which has no SR or bells/whistles, but I love it. I am trying to build a clientele so that when I retire in 5 years or less that I can have extra income and stay at home to do it. I wish I would have bought one 10 years ago - just do it!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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