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

Please visit our KathyQuilts Blog at: http://kathyquiltsblog.blogspot.com for discussions on Quilting Tips and Tricks. Please let us know what you think.

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