ramona-quilter Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I know that several of your CQ folks were hand-guided quilters before you crossed over to the electron side. So I have a question. I have already figured out that the quilting with a computer is precise, accurate to the stitch. I am pretty accurate with a panto but my parallel lines do not compare to a computer\'s when it comes to accuracy. What I want to know is if you quilted a row of a panto using your hands and it took, say 8 minutes. How long would it take the computer to do the same panto row? Is it significantly faster? Is there, say, increased setup time for the first row and the time is faster with subsequent rows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sams Mom Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Linda, There is no time saved in the quilting. It is going to take the same time to do a row. It is running non-stitch regulated but moving at a constant speed. It is however, much easier on you. You are not guiding the machine so you sweat less, less stress on your back, arms, etc. It also frees you to some extent to multi-task. Clean your sewing room, piece, paperwork, laundry, etc. You have to keep an eye on the machine but when you get the hang of it, you\'ll know when you need to be right there and when you can pop away to do something else. I love E2E days because I know I won\'t be tired and I can get other stuff done too. Hope this helps. Donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Linda... I am a cross-over...I quilted 3 1/2 years with out a CQ. I have loved every minute of my CQ. It takes the wear and tear off the body, it is accurate, I am less tired at the end of the day and the machine can quilt patterns that are more intricate than I could ever do accurately (this is where it will not be as fast, but the pantos and block motifs are awesome). The number of computerized patterns to chose from is fantastic too with more designers having websites. As for saving time...not really. It does free up time to pin the next quilt to your zippered leaders while the machine is running or multi-tasking as Donna mentioned. But I don\'t like to leave the machine running without me being close at hand...yes...I do go put a load of laundry in or run downstairs quickly for something. As for set up time...I think it is all the same. Once you get the hang of putting the numbers in to the CQ and working with it there really is no difference. Probably the most time I spend is trying to decide on a design (too much fun). If I were to do it all over again...I would own a computerized system from the start. I was one who said I would never own a CQ and now I swear by them. Good luck on your decision. My opinion is that a computerized system is worth every penny. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsilver Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Amen to everything Cheryl said. Your time saving will be in not having to guess at placement, etc. It\'s very quick and easy to learn the system and you can do so much more than you can do without the computer. There are still things I add in to my CQ quilts, but there are just too many wonderful designs to be had. If you are quilting for others, you will be able to impress your customers even more. It is an expensive thing, but worth every penny is right. I only had my Millie 5 months before I added CQ. Ahhhhhhh! Wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaCollins Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 The time saved is that you dont have to resize motifs manually, and you don\'t have to mark intricate designs EVER. One size of a drawn block pattern can be stitched on the CQ at any size you desire- with NO marking. This saves time and money in buying patterns of different sizes for different size quilts. As far as pantographs go... you do save time because you can size the panto as big as your quilting area- Meaning if the panto is drawn at 12 inches in height, you can CQ quilt it at... say... 15 inches in height. This saves time in the respect that you do fewer overall rows with less time spent on advancing the quilt and indexing the pattern to the correct starting point for the next row. If you want to compare a 12 inch panto with the same panto quilted on the CQ at the same height... the time saved is in figuring the row index and new row starting position as the CQ does this for you. The actual quilting time will probably be about the same though because the CQ moves as fast as an accomplished freehand quilter can. That being said... you can speed up the CQ to move faster... but there is a limit to the increase in speed because thread tension/quality is still an issue. In other words, the CQ can quilt more accurately faster than a handguided quilter can... but the speed is still regulated by stitch length desired and tension quality. Make sense??? The last quilt I did before getting my CQ was a double wedding ring that I had to mark 81 motifs on... before I could quilt it. My CQ cut the total time over 300% by eliminating the need to mark designs prior to the actual quilting. I had 2 machines sitting front to front in my business. One was quilting CQ pantos, while I was freehanding on the other... giving me double the efficiency of one person.... and twice the money for each hour I worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I am glad to see this topic. I am researching computer guided quilting for an upcoming article on computer guided quilting for On Track© magazine. As a CompuQuilter owner and dealer I have my feelings and the feelings of Janet and Mary here at Country Lane Quilting but I would love to hear what the current owners of computer guided quilting systems have to say about what they are doing and what they feel the future holds for CQG (Computer Guided Quilting). This article will not be brand specific but CGQ in general. Please email me at countrylanequilting@mail.com with your comments, predictions, thoughts and anything else you might like to share with others. Even if you do not currently own a CGQ system please give me your thoughts. I would like to include as many points of view (especially about the future of CGQ) as possible. Thanks in advance for you input. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Wilson Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Hi Linda, I started out new to longarming a year and a half ago and I added my CQ within about 5 - 6 months. I agree with everyones comments so far that it does save you wear and tear on your body. I have done some hand guided pantos just to say I did and I\'ll never be doing them again freehand. The CQ is very precise and accurate and it is sooo much easier watching the machine stitch than having to move it! The digital pattern designers are coming out with some incredibly wonderful and quick to sew designs, some that stitch out rather quickly (JoAnn Hoffman, Trillium House Designs Darlene Epp) so it is really easy to do pantos fast with a perfect end product. For me it\'s done with little or no effort, looks good and I get paid well for it, I\'m happy and so are my customers. I have lately been using designs digitized by CQ digitizers/users/owners... such as the ones mentioned above to name a few and I have noticed it does make a difference for my CQ system. These designers digitize with CQ in mind, they knows how our APQS machines and CQ systems work together. It is really exciting to view these designers websites and find a pattern I love and buy it right on the spot! No need for me to go to a quilt shop or anywhere else to find my patterns. So I save time in that respect also. I may be working late at night on a quilt and decide at that moment that the pattern I chose doesn\'t look as good as I had thought, so I go online, cruise the designers websites that I know digitize for CQ and I buy the pattern, download it , and have it installed on my CQ system within minutes, that\'s fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Oh Linda, my dear. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE my CQ. Not a day goes by that I do not thank God for giving me the means to get this fabulous machine. :) I just finished quilts for Helping Hands and I could not have done them as well or quickly as with the CQ. I\'ll post a couple of pics for you to see the gorgeous designs by Jodi Beamish. There is no way on this earth I could do them this well by hand, and in only 11 minutes for each run. No way. ;) And not be exhausted. Know what I was doing while they were stitching? Making a quilt. Putting on a curled ribbon border. Ironing my honey\'s shirts. All in the same room. I could hear precisely when my bobbin ran out. Stopped the machine, changed the bobbin and hit start again. Oh yeah. I can do this. I did one of them custom too. I did eagles going all the same direction in the border, star designs in the block, a geometric design in the alternate pattern blocks and Cindy Roth\'s log cabin in the setting triangles. Do I have enough talent to do that free hand. Not a chance. I am not a Sherry Rogers Harrison or Karen McTavish or one of the other incredibly talented pro\'s out there. But with CQ, I too can do beautiful designs right out of the gate. You should see my design library. It\'s almost as bad as buying shoes. Summarizing, yes I DO save time on pantos. Yes, I do have perfect stitches. Yes, I can resize by clicking a button on my computer. Yes, I have automatic indexing so I do not have to figure out how many rows to put on the quilt. Yep. And on top of that I can define the boundaries my designs go in, fine tune the angle, flip it over so I can nest really close. Yep. Love my CQ> Nancy:P:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Linda, Here\'s Jodi Beamish\'s Feathered Leaves. She digitized them nice and nested. I did not have to do a thing to get this effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Here is Jodi\'s Aztec. I did nest it closer than it was digitized. I wanted total interlocking. Took me one click to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 And this one has the eagles, the stars, the log cabin. It was fun to do and for a worthy cause. It would have taken me days to do it freehand. It took a couple of hours. Set the three designs, then open whichever one you need for that block. Easy as pie. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeoldeforest Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I bought my CQ within one month of getting my Milli - around July last year. I could not have made money to pay for my machine without CQ. We had about 60 customers last year and more quilts than 60 that we quilted. I had customers my first month. I work a full time job and don\'t have the luxury of learning designs manually to get up to speed. I also can\'t afford my Milli and CQ without doing customer quilts. I am trying to learn to freehand some of the patterns and develop quilting skills outside of my CQ but that\'s only because I want a knowledge of what the Pros do who don\'t have CQ. Every time I try to step outside of CQ, I only appreciate it that much more!! ... and admire those that quilt without CQ so much more!!! I just got finished working on a custom quilt with some (ok a lot) of freehand and it took hours and hours...I made about $5.00/hour. I think I have decided to only take customer quilts with CQ pantos and to leave the custom and freehand work for my own quilts. CQ - yes, I too - Love it, love it, love it!!! Just one caution...instead of being a thread junkie, you may become hooked on buying patterns. P.S. Tina is absolutely wonderful when she sets up CQ!! and so knowledgeable!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam.Nagle Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Here\'s my 2 cents. I think that the CQ is great, but my LQS has a Statler. What a difference. They are doing custom quilts and they are great. My biggest complaint is training. They received one-on-one from the dealer for a solid day and actually did some quilts. There are more classes at Innovations, MQX/MQS, etc for Statler. Based on what I\'ve seen and now learned, I wish I had gotten the Statler. I am very disappointed in the lack of available training for the CQ system. I don\'t mind paying for classes, but they need to be made available. The Statler has some new features coming that would be fantasic for us CQ owners. I\'d like to see a side by side comparison and perhaps the CQ folks can add some of the features to our systems. The computerized system is a wonderful addition to the LA community, just as embroidery module attachments are for the home sewer. It expands our design/execution horizons for ourselves and our customers. It also is a time management tool. Yes, you can do two things at once. I piece or embroider and quilt at the same time (E2E only). I\'m still nervous leaving Bernie alone by herself, but I do go check on laundry or whatever. If I had the space and the client base I would consider another machine. Yes, buying patterns can be addicting, but I\'m still going to buy thread. Once I\'ve tested my tension, I can do anything. My next quilt is going to have metallics and I\'m dying to try it on an all over and then drop in another "popper" metallic secondary design. The computerized system makes it so easy since the speed is consistent and I don\'t have to worry much about thread breaking once I get started, and yes, I\'ve trained my ear too for the bobbin out sound. (Why can\'t we have a bobbin out sensor like the Bernina\'s?) Thimbleberries stencils are now being digitized for CQ (they are for Statler) and I think that is great since there are two large TB clubs in my area. Thanks for asking John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaCollins Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Just wondering about a few things you mentioned in your post... 1.) Why do you feel the custom quilts done on Statler are better than the CQ custom quilts? 2.) What kind of specific additional CQ training are you looking for? 3.) Also, you mentioned new Statler features that you want for the CQ... Can you please be more specific? Are these features presently available or still in beta testing? Although, I am NOT officially affiliated with S&D (even though I do set up CQ systems for APQS owners), I would love to hear your opinions. The biggest factor for improving any product is getting feedback from current customers about specific functions they would like to see added. S&D has added several features over the last couple years and are always interested in new ideas for more improvements and additional functionality. If you have some thoughts for improvements, you should call S&D and let them know what you want. I know that the people at S&D are currently working on some very cool additions for the CQ too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nineva Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Weeellllll Tina, since you asked: I want to chop a design so that if I get to the bottom of a quilt and am out of room, I can run just the top of the design to fill in the space. I want to be able to crop and end so it doesn\'t stitch 4 inches beyond the edge of my quilt, OR I may just want to stagger the design to nest it and NOT have to go back and fill the empty space freehand where it staggered to the inside. The only other option is to start way off the edge or fiddle around with the program to do a start stop, start stop. It should be easier. Software can do anything. Putting two designs in the same block. Wow, that would be so cool to be able to put a frame around a feathered wreath or something like thatall at one time, even if it stitched out separately. Instead of having to open two different designs and do them individually making sure the sizes and indexes and ratios were all the same. I wanted a larger screen so I had to go buy one at Costco. Now I can see my screen from anywhere in the room. The bobbin out feature is an APQS issue so I won\'t address it. Being able to crop and chop would open up huge vistas with the wonderful designs available. Lisa Calle has some wonderful designs that look awesome staggered, but I don\'t have the time or interest in fiddling around trying to work around the inability to chop or stagger without empty spaces needing to be filled, so I don\'t purchase the designs. Don\'t get me wrong. I love my CQ. But the chop and crop are huge issues if you want to manipulate designs. I am hoping that is coming.;) I am sure someone will pop in and say it can be done in another program, but I do not want to spend $500 on another program. I want to do it in the great program I already paid for. Hahahaha:D:D:D Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaCollins Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I agree! It would be TOO SWEET to be able to combine designs in one screen. That is something I have asked for too! As far as chopping the designs (say for a partial row, or filling in a nested pattern segment), I would also like to see this myself.... Although from what I can tell (AND let me say that I am NOT a computer programming guru :cool:LOL!), this is a feature that is a little more difficult to figure out- at least for me. I do hope to see these features added to a computerized system soon- I am keeping my fingers crossed! Keep the ideas coming;).... I would love to hear other ideas from y\'all for cool features you would like to see!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 If you are having an issue seeing your monitor you might consider the overhead tracking with touch screen. We have it and it is wonderful. Our clients that have it think it is great. If you want more information contact me. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Hi Tina. I don\'t have CQ, but looked at it last fall and decided against it because it didn\'t have some features that I wanted and it had some features that I didn\'t like. 1. I wanted to be able to take several designs and combine parts of them together to make a new design. 2. I wanted to be able to design the entire quilt on the screen and then start stitching it in sections. Borders, blocks, etc. 3. I wanted to be able to quilt the border AND the corner at once instead of having to do them separately. 4. I wanted a screen that is mounted on the machine instead of off to the side. I understand that there are issues here with vibrations, etc. 5. I really disliked how you had to move the machine using the arrow keys from the keyboard when CQ is connected. I wanted to be able to move the machine like I do today to a point on the quilt, then click a button to send the location to the software. 6. I wanted more designs to come with the software. It looked like a pretty limited and pretty rudimentary set of designs out of the box so I would have had to immediately spend a lot of money to build a stash of usable designs. 7. I hated all the wires and gadgets hanging everywhere to hook up the system to the machine. 8. I was unimpressed with how the system was unable to backtrack accurately. I\'ve seen several quilts lately done on a Statler and saw the same thing. So I\'m guessing that this problem might not have been something with the system. I haven\'t looked at other systems yet, so I don\'t know what features are available. I do intend to spend some time at MQS this year checking out Intelliquilter and other systems that may become available between now and then. Debbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Pam, You bring up some good points. I think that there are talented designers out there (Joann and Grammie Tammie, are you listening?) that would be able to teach these classes. I think that we are just seeing the beginning of the computer age for quilting and things, especially training, are just lagging behind. I went to a Kay Oft class at MQS last year and it was really geared to the Statler. I don\'t have a Statler, see ya and I left. I bet next year there will be more classes. As far as the bobbin alarm, I do love mine. I get an annoying beep-beep-beep (until turned off) when my 215 yard bobbin gets down to the last 10 yards. Sometimes I turn it off which defeats the special feature and then I run out of bobbin. Grrr. I am trying out a new process when I do an E2E. After a row, I stop and go to the front of the machine: - I release clamps - Remove the bobbin case and blow out the bobbin area - Insert a new bobbin into the case and pop it into the Towas to test tension before I put it in the machine. - Unroll some backing and go around back to line up (roll take-up) the pattern to my reference point. - Once it is lined up, I go back to the front to clamp, straighten the top/batt and pin baste the sides. - And off I go with a fresh bobbin. I hate to look up from a panto and see that I ran out of bobbin thread 8 inches ago. Grrrrrr. I would rather throw away a partial bobbin than run out. The only time I have actually run out of a new bobbin on a row is when I free-hand and fill up alllllll the quilting space. I also have a thread breakage alarm when my top thread breaks and it is the same annoying alarm as the bobbin-out so I sometimes ignore it thinking it is the bobbin and that I have 10 yards left...I can finish this row with 10 yards. Yeah, not pretty. My first machine didn\'t even have the single stitch, I had to thumb-turn the flywheel (ouch) to pull up the bobbin thread. Machines have come a long way since that 1989 Ultimate I I had. I think that this forum is a good place to discuss what features a machine quilter really needs and wants and is willing to pay for and train for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Debbi, Backtracking is not the system it is the designer not digitizing correctly and getting the lines precisely on top of the other. Just so you know that the computer can only quilt what it is given. Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaCollins Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Cheryl, Great point! You are very correct about the design needing to be digitized accurately for a clean sew-out. I have seen some wonderful CQ digitizers step forward lately and I am sooooo excited by the new designs they have. By the way, I LOVED the way Jodi Beamish\'s Feathered Leaves quilted out!! Thanks so much Nancy for posting this photo!!! I didn\'t have this design... but I will soon!! LOL!! I do LOVE LOVE LOVE the way a quality design quilts out so beautifully- without any effort on my part!!! Please tell me more features you want to see in your computerized quilting system!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwltnldy Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I\'m still a hand-guider and recently bought a Circle Lord. Boy, do I feel like I\'m in the dark ages reading this...I\'m now insanely depressed. I have worked very hard to develop my freehand but even Karen McTavish and Sherry Rogers Harrison are not PERFECT. They are not computers and should not be competing with them. I know that soon there will be separate categories for hand-guided and computer guided judging and that is only fair. It is so discouraging to think that all my hard work and effort into developing the skill is pretty much worthless now. I am a capitalist and I know deep down that anything hand-guided isn\'t going to make as much money as computer guided and so one part of me realizes that eventually I will go out of business if I don\'t keep up with technology, but the "artist" in me is still sad. I know I am on the losing side of this issue just like the buggy whip makers were when cars were invented. Mood: Heavy heart - seeing the writing on the wall and not wanting to read it.... Robin in Vista, CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Wilson Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Hi Tina, I\'d like to have the ability to see the quilt layout on the screen when using a tagged design so I can see both parts of the design on one screen, instead of guessing what it would look like together by flipping between the designs/screens. I also would like to have more training on my CQ, such as at quilting events even if the workshop/class is a few days long. I do not mind paying for extra training, it\'s having it available at more convenient places to travel to. Nadia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Robin, Do no give up or give in!! Unite my sister...I will not be purchasing a CQ. We may need to form our own little group...but can\'t see a CQ in my future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thanks Cheryl. I figured when I saw the Statler quilt with the same problem that it wasn\'t a system problem. I just didn\'t know what the problem actually was. Thanks for the info. A couple of questions come to mind regarding this problem: 1. I\'m guessing that you would have to modify the digitized design to fix the problem? 2. Can you modify all digitized designs that are purchased or are you stuck with a bad design if it isn\'t digitized accurately? 3. Is there a way when looking at a design to purchase if it is digitized accurately? Debbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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