Differences between stitch regulators and speed controls

Machine quilting involves two variables, one is the speed of your sewing machine, the other is the speed that you move the frame carriage around. These two factors determine the length of your stitches. If you have your sewing machine running too slowly for the speed that you are moving the carriage, you either break needles, or your stitches are huge! Many quilters call these long stitches toenail catchers. On the other hand, if your sewing machine is going too fast for the speed that you are moving the frame carriage, your stitches that are too close together.

The Grace Speed Control, only controls the speed of the sewing machine. You have to get the stitch length that you desire by moving the frame carriage around, matching the speed of the machine. This is better than not using a speed control, but you need to practice to get good even stitches.

The Quilter's Cruise Control, on the other hand is a stitch regulator. There is a small computer, (brain), that with the help of the optical encoders, senses the movement of the frame carriage. The brain tells the sewing machine how fast to stitch. The advantage of this system is that you can move your carriage at a speed that you are comfortable with while quilting. The stitches will be nice and even.

With enough practice, you can get pretty good at getting even stitches with just a speed control such as the Grace Speed Control, here is a link: Grace Speed Control, but one of the stumbling blocks that many home machine quilters find themselves in is that they don't get to quilt every day like the professional quilters do. What happens is when you get a chance to quilt, you have to get back into your quilting groove, and it can be frustrating to feel like you are quilting with both hands tied behind your back!

When you are able to use a Stitch Regulator, such as the Quilter's Cruise Control, here is a link: Quilter's Cruise Control® Stitch Regulator (Special Order), you have the confidence that you can start out slowly, and get use to your frame, without worrying about whether you are moving your carriage around fast enough.

Both methods are far better than just using the foot pedal of your sewing machine. It is nice that there are some choices when it comes to quilting on your frame.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Happy Quilting!

--Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone 1 888 826-0222
email: lynn@kathyquilts.com

http://kathyquilts.com "Quilting without limits"

P.S. Visit our quilting-tips page on our web site for tips on how to use your Grace Machine Frames the way they were designed to be used. Here is the link: http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=77

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Rocking on My Quilts with the Quilter's Cruise Control

For a long time I resisted checking out the Quilter's Cruise Control because I just didn't think it was necessary. Kathy learned to quilt on her Gammill Classic Longarm frame without one, so why should other people need a stitch regulator?

It came to me that Kathy and other professional machine quilters have hours each day that they can spend quilting. If I had that kind of time to quilt, I could be an accomplished quilter. Unfortunately, I just don't have that luxury with all of my time being divided up between Family, KathyQuilts.com, and riding my bicycle when I get a chance too. Every time I do get to quilt, I have to basically relearn how to quilt. It takes me a while to get my quilting groove on! With the Quilter's Cruise Control, I am able to take my time while getting use to my frame again. My stitches look awesome, I don't feel the pressure of having to move my frame carriage around faster than I want because my Juki is blazing at some uncontrollable speed!

With the Quilter's Cruise Control, I can follow a pantograph pattern as slow as I need to go so that I can have a flowing motion to my quilting. I love how I can slow down when I have a design that has a point or spike that would be so difficult before. I would have to rush to quilt in and back out of the point and invariably mess it up as I came back out of the point. I just find it hard to keep my stitches even when there are sharp angles or points that I am trying to keep crisp and clean looking.

I have been working on doing feathers, and they take some practice. With the Quilter's Cruise Control® Stitch Regulator I can take my time and not feel rushed. The Cruise Control is one of the best things to ever happen to my quilting. I love using my Juki TL 98Q with the GMQ Pro and the Cruise Control, with Quilter's Cruise Control® Remote Switch. Kathy can still quilt circles around me, but I can at least complete a quilt without feeling like a fish out of water.

Happy Quilting!

--Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone 1 888 826-0222
email: lynn@kathyquilts.com

http://kathyquilts.com "Quilting without limits"

How Can the Quilter's Cruise Control Help?

The Quilter's Cruise Control is designed with the casual quilter in mind. That is the Quilter, regardless of ability, has a time constraints that don't allow hours of quilting. Machine Quilting really takes time and practice. It also take being consistent, meaning that you don't quilt for one or two days and then put it away for a year. When you can only quilt sporadically at best, then every time you begin anew, you have to relearn, and it take time to get back into your quilting groove. The Quilter's Cruise Control is really helpful in this case because it allows you to quilt slowly and take your time. This not only helps you to get use to using your frame again, but if you are doing complex, or intricate quilting, you don't have to worry whether you have the speed set just right or not. Having even stitches also is a huge benefit, because it can look like you are a gifted quilter, even if you don't really have the "gift".

There are only certain machines that work with the QCC, so it is important to determine compatibility before ordering your Cruise Control.

The Quilter's Cruise Control is special because it is what they call a stitch regulator. It has a brain that senses the movement of your machine frame carriage and then tells the sewing machine how fast to stitch. With all that complexity, there comes a fairly hefty price, the Cruise Control is $499, and most every one gets the Remote Switch ($25), so they can turn the "Brain" on from either the front or the back of the frame. You have the new Little Gracie II, so you won't need the Parking Space. When you switch on the QCC, it is in what they call, "Idle Mode". That means that it is stitching, but at a few stitches per minute. When you start moving the carriage around, it begins to speed up the machine. It is really cool.

Click Here to visit our Stitch Control page on our web site KathyQuilts.com



Lynn KathyQuilts.com

(888)826-0222

Email lynn@kathyquilts.com