Tracie Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'm going to take the plung soon I have to wait until spring because my DH is going to build me a shop, whee whoo. I'm just wondering, as a beginner and newbie, what should I purchase with my LA. Should I get a circle lord right off, what about some pantos? Rulers or guides or anything else? Thanks for any input!! I'm so excited Tracie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 The bread and butter of a LA\'er are pantographs. This is where you can make the most money. There are many websites with patterns for sale. Kingsmen quilting supply has many different designers, so does Pattern Station, Columbia River Quilting and there are others. I know Kingsmen is at the quilt shows listed below (don\'t know about the others). Rulers and guides are always nice. If you are going to MQS or MQX, which I highly recommend (take classes)...the vendors are their with their products. You can check them all out. Circle Lord is there also. Good Luck, Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 How great for you! I can almost see your excitement:-) If I were starting over again (have been collecting stuff for several years) I would get about six good open style pantos like feathers, the newest square spiral, a flowery one, one called Waterworld, and something else that strikes your fancy. These are great to learn with and down the road your customers will love them. Then I would get a Stitch in the Ditch ruler (several different ones are made), a straight ruler, maybe a scallop or large wave template ruler, I like the little SewClear MiniCurve template and for sure a mirror with a handle so you won\'t be standing on your head all the time checking the underside of your quilt. I purchased a CL but honestly find that I use the R&S design boards way more. A DryErase board in a medium size for practicing designs, it really does work to help train the brain:-) Get your thread in about 8 basic colors. You\'ll find that thread colors are addicting and you really won\'t use all those gorgeous colors right away. Black, red, blue, taupe, neutral muslin color, a very dark olive which will go on so many colors you\'ll be surprised; a pinkish or deep blush, and a gold should set you up. And biggest must have of all for me is ZIPPERS on the leaders!! Just what I would do for starters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Jeanette, Thanks for the thread recommendations. I am about to make my initial purchase and that was a big help! Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Hi Tracie, congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your new "spring baby!" Enjoy getting that nursery all ready for the little one\'s arrival. Well, I am still a "newbie" (haven\'t had my LA a year yet) and slowly collecting gadgets and tools. When I first got started, I remember receiving some sage advice here on this chat (it\'s all sage, isn\'t it? The advice was to take it slow, not go bonkers on buying it all at once \'now\' -- instead, I should take little bites at a time with my purchases... So, that\'s what I am doing. I don\'t have everything on my "wish list" yet, but I\'m slowly chipping away at it. It costs a lot of $$ for all the tools, and I am discovering what I like doing and buying the tools to do that sort of stuff. Some good basic things to get you started: A couple of real good quilting books with background filler designs and a couple of instructional DVDs: Myrna\'s beginners DVD is good, Pajama quilter, Nichole Webb\'s DVDs are good beginners. Don\'t buy a bunch of pantos -- get 4 or 5 to start off with that are not too tight or complicated (like waterworld, popcorn, or swirls) Get some muslin and cheap batting to practice PPP. Buy a few cones of So Fine in different colors, a few cones of cotton and some poly threads to play and experiment. A small white board and dry erase markers to PPP. Maybe a small ruler (dainty ditcher) and a longer ruler from Gadget Girls, some spare needles, bobbins, some purple air soluable pens or some blue water soluable pens for marking on the muslin and more PPP time. Right now, just get comfortable with the machine and use basic simple tools to help build confidence and PPP. After you get up on step, then decide what else you want or need, depending on what you want to do with your quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I\'m with you, Tracie!! I am going to be getting my Millie shortly, and I really don\'t know what to get! I see sooo much stuff that I want, but then the reality of $ sets in! Jeanette. Thanks for the info that you gave! Brings me down to reality some!! I love the pantos!! I will be trying those out! I am seriously looking into the designware that Loes has. Good price for making your own pantos. Man! I am so excited about starting! I can hardly wait for that phone call or email, or whatever they do to let me know it\'s ready!! linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindasewsit Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Shana, just read your post too...that\'s weird, it wasn\'t there when I posted.... anywho.. you are right!! I need to slow down my brain on what I want! I saw the cl and wanted it right now~ but oooohhh! the $ are really too much for me now... ok... I am going to take smaller bites!! Thanks for the "sage" advice!!! linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracie Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Wow, thanks so much to all of you, great advice!! I get a little nervous and hope I will do good. I see all the pictures sent in and I could just wish I will get that good someday!! Tracie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrystitcher Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I thought I had to have everything and spent a lot of money at first. Now I\'ve slowed way down and find that most of the stuff I bought I don\'t use. My advice....buy some basic thread, some basic meander books (Darlene Epp is the best) and some pantos. The pantos really help you get to know the way your machine handles and everyone is right, they are the bread/butter of quilting. I love to do them over anything else. Best of luck Sharon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 When I first bought my machine I had Carol Thelen\'s book "Long-Arm Mchine Quilting - The complete guide to choosing, using , and maintaining a long-arm machine". I had to look something up in that book just about everyday it seems. No one every recommends it any more, so maybe they have all discovered something different, or they are just way smarter then me. I know some of them and they are!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Linda Taylor has an excellent book also - Ultimate Guide to Longarm Machine Quilting. I second the Darlene Epps books - they\'re terrific. Go slow on all the rulers and gadgets - they take awhile to learn to use and are fairly expensive. I second getting a small collection of pantos and then let your customers pick the ones they want you to use and build your stash that way. When you look at pantos, pick open designs without a lot of points where you will have to start and stop. Angel Wings is a really simple one that looks fabulous on crib quilts and is very quick. Make sure you get spare parts - it\'s distressing to be laid up for a simple $2 part that you pay $8 s/h for... so get a needle set screw, an extra bobbin case, a bobbin case spring, several pigtails, fuses and a spare lightbulb. When you place your order, ask for grease for the gear box - they\'ll send it for free - you just pay the extra postage. After awhile the grease gets air pockets and you need to add more. It\'s very simple. The pigtails wear out (especially if you use monofilament thread) and develop grooves which will cut your thread. I went to MQX and got a lot of templates and have hardly used any of them. Get something basic like a straight edge and a MiniCurve from willowleafstudio. Good luck! Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Tracie, Congrats! I know how exciting this is. I got my machine at the end of Aug. I had an old rotary before that and was so looking forward to the better machine. I had a little bit of an advantage because I had my other machine a year so I knew what kinds of things I liked to do and what I would want to do with my Milli. Shana gives good advice, go slow. Having a small variety of threads is a good idea. Practice with the basics and work on building up. For me I use a lot of white, off-white, neutral taupe kind of color (Mother goose from Signature is excellent and there is an equivalent color from Superior). Try different threads but get small quantities at first to see if you like them. It is much cheaper than buying big cones that you may never use! I love my dainty stitcher ruler and it is the one I use the most! I wouldn\'t trade my zippers, extended base or micro drives but I like to do fine work and they make my life so much easier. I would say the best thing I did was going to MQX. You can take classes and put your hands on all the tools and books and really see how it feels, looks and you\'ll know if you would use it. Don\'t forget to breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 What a useful thread for those of us \'soon to be\' newbies. I\'ve seen and heard of so many gadgets that I think I would like and in my \'not so thoughtful\' moments, would go ahead and buy. One advantage of having waited so long for my machine to arrive is having had time to consider what to buy. Lots of those \'I want\'s\' have been put on the back burner to be considered in due time. At the moment I have A good selection of threads A selection of prewound bobbins Spare needles A bed sized piece of muslin and backing from Joanne\'s for that PPP (plus batting of course) A good DVD that I have watched and watched I have TOWA guage that I got for Christmas, as a gadget I will find useful but I know is not essential. The new machine will come with a few basic supplies such as pantos to get started, on which one can build. Some thread, bobbins and needles. Like others, I agree that it is better to gather things as you need them. The timing of my arrival is perfect as I can PPP with what I have, then within a couple of months of its arrival, I will be going to MQS where I can revisit my shopping list. However things I am seriously considering and would welcome opinions on are Spare bobbin cases - how many? Expanded Base Micro drive handles Circle Lord, only when I have mastered the basics (does that ever happen?) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmquilt Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Tracie, I was getting ready to play with my machine and thought of something I bought that I wish I would have bought first. A small aircompressor for $50. I use it all the time to clean my machine not just the bobbin area. It justs shoots all the dust away from the machine. I use it on the wheels to shoot threads out. The hopping foot area gets dusty and it shoots that all away. It\'s a little noisy but worth the investment. Michele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Michele you are so right on the aircompressor. Hubby has one that I use and I can call it his gadget and not mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriVB Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 About the air compressor--my studio is in a converted garage stall in the machine shed on our farm--so this summer my DH would put his air compressor by my door but still in his shed--well winter came to Iowa and his door froze shut with the freezing rain--so for Christmas he gave me an air storage tank--$18 at Sears--and I just have to fill it with his big compressor--works great!!!--and had to buy a different hose and end as the one on the tank was just for putting air in tires--but still so worth it to me--doesn\'t need to be plugged in to use. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 My 2 cents. Definetley the air compressor. I had purchased a cheap one for mh DH last year (2006) Christmas, and between the two of us, we killed it. Thankfully, Santa brought him a much better one this year. You can buy the canned air, but it gets expensive, not good for the environment, and it\'s pretty wimpy in comparison to what the air compressor does. As to the other stuff, I\'d vote to wait and see what you get with your machine. Mine came with microdrive and base expander, and I ended up selling them. She also came with a few pantos, a nice thread selection, soem pre-wound bobbins and some aluminum bobbins as well. I ended up selling the prewounds as well because "my girl" just didn\'t like them. I am with Julia on a having an emergency kit of spare parts. I lost the tubing that goes on my bobbin winder and then bobbins wouldn\'t stay on. Since I was using only the ones that I wind myself, this ground me to a halt! I\'ve since learned that a rubber band wrapped several times works as well. Get yourself a pack of grease while you are ordering other things from APQS. The machines get pretty noisey when that grease gets a bubble in it, and suddenly you can\'t hear your stereo. The white boards are wonderful, but someone posted elsewhere about her "magnadoodle" from Fisher Price. I have Darlene Epps books, and am even thinking about a second copy to have at home so that I don\'t get home and have to call the customer to ask what the design they chose looks like (that was last night). My final suggestion, instead of purchasing a bunch of stuff now, save that money in an account where you can earn some interest instead of spending it on stuff that will gather dust until your new baby arrives. You\'ll get all kinds of goodies from Superior, pantos from whoever, so you\'ll be ready to play when the baby is set up. You might want to use this time to piece some practice tops that you can do whatever to, then give them to charity. I give mine to the local police dept., but it they are too ugly for humans, I give them to the animal shelter for dog/cat beds. They don\'t seem to mind if I only serge off the edges instead of finishing them. Wow this is long, I didn\'t realise I had such wonderful advice. (LOL) Maybe I\'m just avoiding work. Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Here\'s another thought on the uses for the air compressor-- I use cheap chalk (no additives or wax) to do general marking of spines, etc and the compressor blows that chalk residue off when I finish. I blast away after unloading and hanging and it really disappears. Just a thought. Congratulations and let the fun begin!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmwife Darlene Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 My husband said he would get me an air tank and use his large compressor to keep it filled for me. Thanks for the new idea Linda on another way to use it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Superior threads offers a sample pack of their different threads so you can try them all. Then you can decide which ones you like to use, and order that kind. I found that helpful. Air compressor - I bought a small one at Home Depot and returned it the same day. I hated the noise! :mad: But, you are now reminding me that the cans are bad for the environment. Now I am having some guilt issues!!!!! I\'ll have to rethink that one. Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Jen, I still jump everytime that aircompressor restarts itself. Hubby did tell me that I could do the initial fill of the tank and then turn it off until the pressure drops too much. You can blow for a while before you need to deal with the noice again and you aren\'t caught off gard when it comes on. Too bad they can\'t come up with a quiet version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsilver Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Two extra bobbin cases. Maybe a pack of different size needle... I work at lot with batiks and they seem to like the 3.5. Extra bobbins- I hate prewounds. I changed to the featherlight clamps ( 2 pair) from Kings Men and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. Wait on the things except spare parts until you see what you can do with what comes with the machine. I have an emergency kit with a couple of spare fuses, needles, set screw, proper screwdrivers that STAY in the longarm room, WD 40, pinpoint oiler.. Oh and start a wish list.. you will discover what you need as you go. Congratulations. I have had my Millie a year now and am loving every second of it, even the glitches I have made have taught me something important. You will ADORE you machine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasews Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I learned to do the micro stitching without the microdrive handles. I thought I would get some now that I\'ve been quilting 4 years and I tried them at an APQS demo and hated them. I\'d adjusted to what I had and then the small handles just didn\'t feel right. As far as the CL, I did finally get one as well as several templates. I don\'t use the templates much but the circle maker is a must for me. A week hardly goes by that I don\'t need to make some kind of circle. Save your pennies, it is really worth it. I used acrylic circle templates before the CL. I bought at least a dozen bobbins (I\'m not fond of the aluminum so I get the others) and I could use even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadywood Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 I upgraded my machine with IQ, so I\'m selling my entire library of pantos. Check out the list at: http://www.shadywoodquilts.com/pantographinventory.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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