Block RockiT - Q'nique Offer Affordable Longarm Style Quilting

If you haven't heard about the Block RockiT Mid Arm Machine Quilter then you need to read this.  The Block RockiT is a machine that is made by the Grace Company who have been making the best quilting frames in the world for 25 years.  Kathy Quilts has been selling Grace Frames for 17 of those 25 years.

The Block RockiT has been out for about a year.  It has been in the developmental and testing phase for the last five years.  Now all the pieces have fallen into place and the Block RockiT is the best entry level quilter you can buy.

The Grace Company makes a machine called Q'nique and it is the same machine as the Block RockiT.  Basically the Block RockiT is a special edition of Q'nique that is made just for KathyQuilts.com.  The difference between both machines is that Block RockiT is branded as a Kathy Quilts product and is only sold by Kathy Quilts.  We don't have any dealers or middle men that need to get their cut of the money so we offer factory direct prices on the machine and quilting frames.  There may be other dealers that sell Q'nique but Kathy Quilts will always have a lower price and better value. Call (888)926-0222 and ask what special we are running.

Our mission at Kathy Quilts is to raise the skill level of every quilter we come in contact with.  Most pieced quilts have a personality so we want to help you create something really special by bringing out that personality.  It is our goal to help you learn what you need to finish your quilts beautifully.  Let Kathy Quilts help you to become the quilter you want to be.

The Block RockiT has a 15 inch throat.  There are people that will tell you that if you don't have at least an 18 inch or larger throat machine that you can't quilt.  This is just not true.  If you have someone that owns a longarm machine ask them if they have to lean over their machine frame to quilt.  I bet you that at least 90% of them will tell you that they have to extend their arms way over their frame to quilt.  You want to be comfortable when you quilt so extending your arms fully isn't a lot of fun.  If you are between 5' 2" to 5' 5" you can comfortable reach about 13 to 14 inches, the Block RockiT is perfect because it lets you quilt in that range.  Everyone that tries out the Block RockiT likes how light it feels in their hand.  It is less cumbersome than the larger machines and less intimidating, not to mention the cost is affordable.  The idea of needing a machine that is larger than the blocks you quilt is a fallacy.  A longer throat machine will not make you a better quilter.  As long as you have at least a 15 inch machine like the Block RockiT you will be able to finish any quilt you want.

The take away here is that Kathy Quilts has an affordable solution for those people that never thought they could afford a longarm style machine quilter.  Spend your money on fabric not on a longer throat machine.  If you are a professional quilter and you will be making a living off your machine then you might need a larger setup but if you are quilting just for yourself the Block RockiT is exactly what you have been waiting for.  Click here for more information.

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

What Size Longarm Quilting Frame Should I Get?

Buying a Longarm Machine Quilting Frame

Over the past 16 years that Kathy and I have been in the machine quilting industry we have seen a lot of changes.  When Kathy bought her Gammill Classic there weren't as many choices on machine frames to purchase as there are now. There is a lot of confusion as to what a longarm, shortarm, or midarm machine frame is.  I see online sellers calling a nine inch throat Juki 2010Q a longarm.  This serves only to confuse many people new to machine quilting.  This blog post will help you to understand the differences between the various quilting systems and how to determine which one will work best for you and your budget.

With the way things are in the world these days most people don't have lots of extra money laying around earning interest and making them rich.  When you are looking for a machine quilting system, which consists of a sewing machine or machine head, and  a machine frame, you need to make a list of what you want to accomplish with your frame, limitations for space, and physical limitations you might have.  If you have plenty of room for a machine frame and you don't have any limitations on how long you can stand, then you want to get the largest frame you can afford.

How large of a frame do I need?

With a king length frame you have the ability to quilt king or smaller quilts.  Many people will load a quilt that is longer than it is wide sideways on their frame which will allow them to quilt a longer row without needing to roll the quilt as often. If you only do queen size or smaller quilts having a king length frame can still be a huge benefit.

 Machine quilting frames usually come in King, Queen, or crib lengths. Just because your frame says that it is a queen doesn't really mean that you can do a queen size quilt on it.  If your frame has frame rails, poles, that are 96 inches, then you need to figure that some sort of side tension system, to give your quilt tension from the sides, will take up about five or six inches on both sides of your quilt. You are left with about 84 to 86 inches of usable quilting area.  You also need to have room on one or the other side of your quilt to change a bobbin.  Most machines that are used for machine quilting will have the bobbin be accessible on the end of the machine by the needle.  If the machine you want to use with a frame has a drop in bobbin, you will want to look for another machine as soon as you can afford one.

If you only do queen length quilts having a king length frame will allow you to have plenty of room for side tension and to change a bobbin on either side of your frame.  There are some quilters that will use that extra space to load a narrow practice strip to the side of their real quilt to practice a motif or design, and when they have it looking like they want, they roll over to the part of the quilt that they want to quilt and quilt what they just practiced. You can forget what you just practiced by the time you take your practice quilt off your frame and pin on your real quilt.

How large of a machine head do I really need?

This will mostly be determined by your budget. Longer is better isn't it? Not necessarily. When we were at HMQS in Salt Lake City this past May, we saw all the major longarm machine frame companies. A longarm is really a machine that has about 20 inches of more of throat length. There are some that will tell you that 16 or 18 inch throat machine heads are longarm machines but we won't argue who is right, we will just say the big dogs like Gammill and all the longarm clones were there. We would have people come to our booth that said they had to have a machine that was 24 or more inches long. These people were abut five foot nothing and they want a machine frame that their short arm reach wouldn't allow them to use all of that forward and back movement. Kathy and I both stand about six feet tall and a machine frame that offers 18 inches would be plenty for us. Kathy has a Gammill Classic that has 26 inches of throat space but if she were to do it over again, the Juki Virtuoso frame would handle anything she would want to quilt. If you have long enough arms and you know you will be quilting for a business you might consider a machine frame with a larger capacity. The Juki 2200QVP Quilt Virtuoso Pro is a great machine frame because it gives you enough quilting area that you aren't rolling your quilt every time you turn around but it isn't so large that you are wasting the capacity of your frame.You want to be close to your quilting with having to use binoculars to see your quilting. The Juki Virtuoso frame allows you to raise your quilt up where you don't have to strain your eyes to see what you are working on.
This blog post is mostly about longarm machines but there are those of us that don't have the money to spend on a longarm machine frame setup. Getting a Juki 2010Q and a Gracie King is a great solution for you if you fit in this category. You can learn to quilt just as well on a shortarm machine frame as on a longarm. Don't feel that just because some sales person that wants to big commission tells you that you have to get a larger setup that anything smaller is just a waste of time. The machine frame isn't want will make you a better quilter, practice, desire, and the right help make all the difference in the world. We help people become great quilters, that is what KathyQuilts.com is all about.

Should I buy from a local shop?

This is a question that we have dealt with for years. Stylish Fabrics / KathyQuilts.com is located in Logan Utah. Granted not all of our customer can come right to our shop and get help, but they can get all the help they need through phone, email, Skype, or FaceTime if they have a iPhone or iPad. But what if I have a problem with my machine? The beauty of the Juki machines we sell is that they almost never break down. We have been selling Juki machines for about 12 years and have only had a few come back. Most of the problems people encounter are user error. We sew off every machine before shipping them out so we know they are perfect and ready for you to use. This has saved us so much time in the long run. Juki builds great machines but they are still learning about machine quilting and setting up machines so they tension is set for quilting. In our experience most quilt shops sell so many machines and other items that they don't have any one person that is really an expert on using a quilting frame. Juki is trying to train their dealers so they are more knowledgeable than most dealers, but taking a class is a far cry from making someone an expert. Kathy has been machine quilting for nearly 16 years and is one of the most successful quilters in Utah if not the nation. She quilts for people all over the world. She almost always has a four month or so back log turnaround time. Not that she is slow but because she has so many people that want her to quilt for them. 
If you think that just because you can drive to a shop and buy your machine that you will get better service I can tell you straight up that the chances of there being anyone there that can help you to get the most out of your machine frame will be very slim. Those shops might offer classes along with the purchase of your frame but you should ask to see some of the work those teachers done. Ask them how many customers they have or how far they are out with their quilting backlog. If they are just "teachers" then you might want to carefully consider if you actually know more than they do. It isn't much of a benefit if you know more than the person that is supposed to teach you. Click here to see a small sample of the quilts that Kathy has done.
Kathy and I have our video and eBook library that will teach you most of what you need to know. We also are available six days a week to answer any question you have about quilting, or buying a quilting frame. There are a lot of quilts out there that could have looked so much better if the quilter that did them could have understood that quilting isn't just running a machine over the quilt and sewing, two pieces of fabric and batting together. When you quilt your quilting should help to bring out the personality of your quilt. Let Kathy and me get you started on the path to better quilting. Quilting is fun when you know what you are doing. Anyone can learn to machine quilt with enough practice. If you get the right help from the beginning you will have less frustration and turn out quilts that you can really be proud of that aren't just stippled. Remember that you spent a lot of money on that fabric and batting, don't compromise on how your quilt turns out. If you learn to freehand quilt you can branch off from there and use templates, rulers, guides, templates, and pantograph patterns and never be afraid of quilting your quilt again.

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Where to Buy My Juki 2200 in Utah

Juki / Grace Company Virtuoso Frame

We were setting up our shop demo Juki 2200 yesterday and were so amazed at how easy it is to assemble the Virtuoso machine frame that comes with the Juki 2200 QVP.  So we now have one setup at Stylish Fabrics in Logan Utah for you to come and play on. We are located at:

Stylish Fabrics / Kathy Quilts!
138 North Main Street
Logan Utah, 84321
Call (435) 752-4186 or Toll Free (888)826-0222

It sits by a Handi Quilter Avante which is also an 18 inch longarm machine quilter.  Nice to compare between the two.

The Juki is so much nicer that Handi Quilter and all the other longarm companies are getting a little worried.  If you get a chance to play on one of these you will find out why the other companies should really be worried.  The Juki 2200 works so seamlessly with the Virtuoso frame that they are really like one unit and not a frame with at 18 inch machine head on it.

The one thing that will make assembling the frame much easier is following the instructions.  I know that sounds dumb but rather than reading them there were steps that we thought, "I know how this goes together," then after having to take some things undone, we would follow the instructions and do it the correct way.

Setting the Juki 2200 up isn't hard at all but it helps if you have someone that knows what they are doing and understands how to tell you so you understand that they are talking about. Kathy Quilts has the knowledge and Stylish Fabrics has the Frame. Feel free to come in our shop and take the Juki 2200 for a test drive.  We are the only Juki dealer that has the rear handles for the Juki 2200 in stock. If you are looking at buying your Juki 2200 KathyQuilts.com is offering the rear handles for free through April 15th.  After that the cost is $99 but if your looking at following pantograph patterns you need those handles.  More rear handles will not be available until sometime in May.  We only have 10 sets of handles and six of them are shipping in the next couple of days so don't wait to order! 

Why You Should Buy Your Juki 2200 QVP from KathyQuilts.com

Why you should buy your Juki 2200 from KathyQuilts.com

As we have been sewing off the Juki 2200's we have notice that Juki Corporation is new to machine quilting. They don't seem to understand the difference between quilting and sewing. For someone that isn't that familiar with sewing or quilting they might seem like they are the same thing, but they are not. We have found that the tension is set for sewing and not quilting. Since we know the difference we setup every Juki 2200 so that it is ready to go out of the box. 

We don't want our customers to get their Juki and find that the stitch quality isn't that great. If you know how to adjust the tension then you could do it yourself but it is a better experience to have the professionals set it up for you. We are the only Juki dealer that sews off our machines before shipping them out.

If you are comparing KathyQuilts.com with any other dealer, ask them if they sew off the Juki 2200's before shipping them. It takes a lot of extra effort to sew off the Juki 2200 because you have to attach the front handles, and the touch screen so you can run it. Most dealers are not willing or don't know how to sew off a Juki 2200. They also don't know about quilting so they can adjust your Juki so it is ready to quilt on. Buy your Juki 2200 from KathyQuilts.com a Juki dealer you can trust to make sure your machine is perfect when it arrives at your door. 

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Is the Juki 2200 QVP Quilt Virtuoso Pro the right machine frame for you?

Juki TL-2200QVP is such a wonderful machine quilter.  The Virtuoso frame made by the Grace Company work seamlessly with it.

Kathy Quilts sews off every Juki we sell including the Juki 2200.  We want to make sure that when you get your new Juki that it is ready to go.  We are very pleased with the care that Juki puts into the new 2200.  These are made in Japan so they seem to take extra special care that your Juki 2200 is ready to go.  We usually just adjust the thread tension a little and it is ready to ship.  Another reason that we sew off your machine is that we want to make sure your touch screen works and that everything will work as it should when your Juki arrives.

Since we have been sewing these off we have a better idea of how these work and how to help you decide if this is the machine quilter for you and why you should purchase it from KathyQuilts.com.  I was speaking with a lady that bought her Juki from a local dealer because she could drive to the shop and pick it up.  The problem she ran into was that she knew more about the Juki 2200 than the shop owner did.  She was asking me about the Juki 2200 because she found that we knew more than anyone that she could contact.  Don't let this happen to you. KathyQuilts will help you not only learn how to quilt on your Juki 2200, but we will teach you techniques that you will probably never learn if you are left on your own to figure out.

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about this unbelievably awesome 18 inch machine quilter.  Email me at mailto:lynn@kathyquilts.com or call (888)826-0222

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Juki TL-2200 QVP Quilt Virtuoso Pro Is So Cool!!!

Juki TL-2200QVP

 

Kathy and I have had a couple of opportunities to play with the new Juki TL-2200QVP 18 inch by 10 inch (18X10) longarm machine quilting frame.  It is amazing how awesome it is.  It is really hard to go into all the deals so I will just mention some of the great features and why they are important.

Easy to Setup

The story with this new machine quilting frame and machine head is that together they make a really simple to set up and use quilting system.  Many of the other manufactures have Handi Quilter or someone else build the machine head for them and the Grace Company make the frame, with the Juki 2200, Juki makes their own machine head. They used one of their tried and true industrial models and modified it to create this awesome quilting machine head.  The Grace Company was asked to make the frame and they hit the ball right out of the park! I have seen machines on machine frames but until now I haven't see one that the machine and quilting frame worked so seamlessly together.  This is the easiest Grace Frame to assemble because it is pretty much assembled when you get it out of the box.  You won't have to spend hours trying to tweak it and get everything aligned.  It will work right out of the box.  You don't have to pay someone to come set it up.

Who Will Want This Machine Frame?

This frame will not be for everyone.  Everyone will want one but the cost will weed out those that just don't have the $9,999 that is costs to own one.  Juki is rolling these out at a price point of $7,995 for the first 90 days after it starts shipping in March.  After that the price will go up to the regular street price of $8,995.  Will it be worth the money?  You bet it will!  With this Juki 2200QVP machine quilting system you will have 14 inches of quilting area.  This isn't as much as quilting on a Gammill Classic like Kathy quilts on, but is still enough for most quilting situations at about half the cost of the Gammill.  Kathy says that the Juki 2200 quilts very well and that it is very smooth to quilt with.  If you love to quilt and have the money the Juki 2200 is for you.  If you want to quilt professionally but don't want to spend over $10,000 then the Juki TL-2200 is a great place to start.  It is really hard to get started quilting professionally but if you don't have to sell the farm, it is less stressful if you can get all you need at a lower cost.

What is so special about the Juki TL-2200QVP

The Juki 2200 has a direct drive motor, which means that it doesn't have a belt that can wear out.  It gives you better control over your stitches which makes your quilting look better.  There are four modes you can run your Juki in:

• Cruise - When you stop moving the machine head when quilting the needle will continue to move up and down slowly.  This is a stitch regulated mode so the faster you move the machine the faster it will stitch.  You can move too fast and the Juki will beep to let you know so you can slow down.  You will use this mode most of the time if you want your stitches even.
• Precise - This mode has the needle come to a complete stop when you stop.  When you start to go again it takes off.  This mode, like its name is precise, so when you are quilting really complicated designs that require you to move slowly this would be the mode we recommend.
• Baste - When you just want to baste your quilt you can set the stitch length and move across your quilt.  This does a very nice basting stitch.
• Manual - If you want to quilt without any stitch regulation this is the mode for you.  If you are use to quilting this way like Kathy, then it really is a nice mode because the motor just purrs.  You don't get the sound of the motor going faster and slower.  You can crank the machine all the way up to 2200 stitches per minute and go to town.
• Thread Cutter - The Juki 2200QVP is the only machine on the market that has a thread cutter.  If you are used to using a thread cutter with your Juki 98E, 98Q, 2010Q, or 2000Qi, then you will be happy that the Juki 2200QVP lets you cut your threads as well.  You can have it so that every time you stop quilting it will automatically cut your thread or you can push a button on the touch screen and it will cut your thread.  Using the thread cutter leaves a tail on the back side of the quilt that is about 1/8 inch long.  You can use a crochet hook to grab that tail after you are done quilting and bury it inside the quilt.

We have these in stock now and are shipping them!  If you are thinking about getting an 18 inch machine quilter the Juki 2200 should be the top of your list!

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

We are going to Las Vegas!

Hi,

Kathy and I are going to Las Vegas to the VDTA/SDTA convention in February.  Juki is releasing their new 18 inch longarm machine and they invited us to a class where they are training us.  We are really excited to help people that have been waiting a long time for Juki to release their longarm machine.

Here is a picture of the new Juki TL-2200QVP

We are so excited about this new machine and how it will help make machine quilting a lot easier.