SmickChick Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Hello, I am interested in purchasing a used machine and have a few questions. What is the difference between the Ultimate I and II? Does anyone know what "original" table came with an Ultimate I? Please describe it. And can a 12' table be reduced/cut down smaller? The machine that has caught my curiosity is far away....who the heck moves 12' tables. Moving companies are quoting me $1k!!! I am mildly interested/considering in purchasing a new table for an Ultimate machine that is only 6' but has newer features like a newer gliding system. Thanks for any response! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Both machines not stitch regulated but an aftermarket system is available. Ultimate 1 has a 26 in throat (same as Millenium) and the Ultimate 11 has a 20 inch throat same as Lenni. Ultimate 11 does not have a hopping foot but has a glide foot instead. Early machine would have had a wood table and the later one a square tube metal one, 12 and 14 foot tables are the common sizes. As far as shipping get a hold of Deloa's husband Dave Jones he does shipping and service througout a good portion of the US. http://www.deloasquiltshop.com/longarmservices/deliveryservices.html Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 I don't think I would buy a longarm if I only had room for a 6 foot table. The projects you could do on it would be quite limited. I would probably opt for something like a George where you move the quilt under a stationary head. You could handle much larger projects and it wouldn't take up so much room. But, if you are only doing table toppers or small lap quilts, I guess a 6 foot table could work for you. About the maximum width you could do on a 6 foot table is 60 inches. Make sure that will be adequate for your needs. If you are talking about the Bliss system, I don't know that it comes in a 6 foot option. I'd check that out with a dealer, or email APQS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmickChick Posted January 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Thank you both! Very interesting, as I was not aware of the 20" throat on the Ult II. Thanks Nigel! As for a 6' table, I do art quilts. And 6' by whatever is large enough for an art quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamu Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 Being an owner of a Ult 11 with and added stitch regulator and a 12' wooden table....I would have to say that the only thing I would change would be the fact that it doesn't have a hopping foot. I am thinking you may not need the extra 6" throat space for art quilts since you will probably be doing alot of detailed work in confined areas. Since you are wanting a different table I would make sure that the machine you purchase will work on the table you are looking at. Some tables are not compatible with the Ultimate machines. If it was me, I would seriously consider the George machine for your art quilts. You might find a used one for a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyh Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 If you are presently quilting you art quilts on a domestic machine, I think the George is for you. There is quite a learning curve going from moving your work to moving the machine head. In 2008, I was quite proficient in free motion on a domestic machine, but I ( or rather my back) could just not handle moving large quilts, and I wanted to make them also. George was either not available in the spring of 2008, or if he was I wasn't aware of it. I am certain I would have gone that route since I don't have a lot of room and had to go with an 11' table, which takes up almost my entire working space! I love my Millie now, but we had some real battles the first year or two. You should definitely take a look at George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabric007 Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have the ultimate 11 and the throat plate space has never been an issue for me. I have had her since birth, many many years. Do have the wooden table and just once it came close as for the width of the quilt. Chose what is best for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 7, 2013 Report Share Posted January 7, 2013 I have an Ultimate I on the square legged table. Although the Ulti I and the Millie have 26" throats, there is 17" of usable stitching space between the bars of my table. (I have four bars on my table. The older tables may only have three bars, which is what I started with, and may have a little more quilting space.) I don't know what the quilting space is on the Ultimate II but would be less than 20". I, too, think a George would be a great option for art quilts, and it would also take up much less space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Think about how you quilt before you decide on a longarm. If you do lots of quilting that requires you to move the quilt from top to bottom - say, long diagonal lines, you may be disappointed in a LA. I have done LOTS of free motion on a DSM, and I convinced myself that the ease of handling larger projects - no pinning, etc - was attractive enough to move to a LA. They are wonderful for quilting projects where you basically fill the area that is available under the head with whatever you like, then roll the quilt and fill the next area. It is much more difficult to do totally free designs that are not constrained by the depth of the machine head - all that rolling backward and forward really interrupts the nice lines you are trying to develop, and you run into problems of stabilization, etc. Longarms are wonderful, but for an art quilter, I'd really investigate a George or equivalent. The extra throat space is a real blessing. The muscles and muscle memory that you have developed doing FM on your DSM transfer directly to your George. There is a significant learning curve in switching to a longarm. Instead of using the small muscles in your hands and forearms to control the quilt, you use the large muscles in your arms to control the head. I still cannot do the kind of controlled detailed fills that I used to routinely do on my domestic. Also, neither of the machines you are considering have a stitch regulator. My first machine was an Ult 1. I didn't worry about the stitch regulator because I had been quilting for many years on my domestic without one. I controlled stitch length by how hard I pressed on the foot pedal, depending on whether it was an "easy' place or a "tricky" place. On the Ult 1, you set the stitch length at some reasonable number, and then you have to steadily stitch so that you maintain that length. No instant adjustment of speed in order to compensate for a difficult corner or complex pattern. Good luck with whatever you decide. Just remember that a longarm is a wonderful way to make a large quilt. It may not be the best way to make an art quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 Reported Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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