What is the difference between the Grace SureStitch and Grace Speed Control?
I wanted to write a little blurb and compare the Grace SureStitch and the Grace Speed Control. There is a big difference in price so for those of you that are wondering whether you should get the SureStitch or not I will tell you why it is money well spent. Machine quilting can be lots of fun but it can also be really frustrating learn. There are two variables that you need to keep in mind when quilting, machine speed and speed of the carriage as you move it around. If you move the carriage too fast with the machine running too slowly you will get huge stitches. The opposite is also true when the machine is running too fast for how fast you have your carriage you will get tiny stitches.
Getting good even stitches can be achieved without a stitch length regulator with enough practice. If you just don't have the money for a SureStitch or you don't have a sewing machine that is compatible then take heart and just quilt with what you have. Wishing your quilts done hasn't ever worked for me so buckling down and just quilting is what it takes. When you can, I recommend upgrading.
When you are quilting on a machine frame there are times when you start, quilt for a bit, then stop. It is very easy to bump the speed control knob and have the speed either slowed down or sped up so the next time you hit the on button the speed might be really slow or really fast. With the SureStitch you don't have the problem. It is a lot easier to have a stitch regulator that when you turn it on the needle moves slowly up and down. As you move the carriage around it will speed up the sewing machine. As you slow down it will slow the stitches down. This really makes regulating your stitch length a lot easier. You can focus on your quilting and less on whether your stitches look good or not.
KathyQuilts.com has some videos that show actual quilting on real quilts not just some lame practice quilt. Click here to check out our videos.
Check out our sale one the SureStitch - stitch length regulator made by the Grace Company by clicking on this link
Quilting is a very interesting hobby. It is one of the few hobbies that not only can divert you from the stresses and pressures of day to day living but the end product leaves you with a tangible thing that can be used to keep you warm on a chilly evening or an heirloom to pass down to family or friends.
Quilts are pieces of your life. The more effort you put into your quilt the more meaning it has for you. Once you have pieced your quilt and you are ready to quilt it you have a decision to make, do you quilt it yourself or trust your treasure to someone else to quilt? I have been a part of the quilting industry, more especially machine quilting, for about 15 years. As I have watched Kathy develop as a professional machine quilter I have had also developed ideas of what is good and horrible quilting. When you have someone that is extremely talented quilting and you have to take all the pictures of every quilt you get a good idea of what looks good.
I have seen some horrendous quilts come in from customers and leave Kathy's quilting room looking really cute. If you don't understand the roll of quilting and what it does for a quilt then you won't understand what I am talking about. Quilting takes layers of fabric and batting and bonds them into a finished product that can have many uses. That is the theory of quilting but there is much more to it. The way a quilt is quilted will determine if it would win a ribbon at the state fair, find a place in your heart, or have you ooooing or ahhhhhhing over how awesome the quilt is. Quilts should have a personality. There are really busy quilts that don't fall into this category, but quilts that show motion, have a theme, tell a story, or quilts that have large areas where artistic quilting can be done, can be master pieces or total flops.
Kathy had a customer that brought her a quilt that had already been quilted by a "professional" machine quilter. It was an, "Over the River and Through the Woods" quilt so it had a winter scene. The lady had seen a quilt that Kathy did for a shop and after taking the class this lady wanted her quilt to look like the quilt she saw in the class. This was the first quilt that this lady had ever done so after spending a chunk of change on the quilt kit and taking the class she took it to someone else, (not Kathy), to quilt. After paying the quilter for finishing her quilt, she took it out at home and cried, "This doesn't look anything like what I envisioned my quilt would look like. It's ruined!" The problem was that just because someone charges for their quilting doesn't mean they will quilt any better than you could. This professional quilter had stitched in the ditch around everything. Technically she had quilted it but there wasn't any quilting that made you think it was a cold Wintery scene. You didn't get the feeling that you were on a sleigh ride to Grand Mother's house. The lady went to the quilt shop where she took the class and she got Kathy's number so she could have Kathy do her quilt. Kathy's customer unpicked the whole quilt and then brought it to Kathy. She really didn't need to unpick the quilt because Kathy could have just added the right quilting and totally changed the whole look and feel of the quilt.
When you have a quilt that you are thinking about starting, you need to find out who the best quilters are in your area. See if you can view their work in quilt shop class samples. Talk to people at the shops and ask them who is (are) the best quilter(s) they know. If you are going to spend time and money piecing a quilt you don't want to skimp and go cheap on the quilting. Remember that the quilting can make or break your finished quilt. Call the potential quilter and see if they have a waiting list. If they are only out a week or two you might want to call someone else. Kathy almost always has about seven to 12 week backlog on her quilts. Kathy has people call and get on her "list" before they even start the quilt so when their quilting date comes up Kathy will only have had their quilt for a few weeks. Get on the list if they have one!
Here are some things to make sure of so your quilter will be more likely to be successful. First make sure to press your seams when piecing your quilt. There isn't anything that is more annoying than getting a quilt from a customer that they haven't thought enough of their work to press the seams. Find out from your quilter if they want the quilt back to be a certain size larger than your quilt top. Make sure you measure it or watch the people at the shop measure it to make sure it is the correct size. Find out if they want you to supply the batting or if they will supply it. Find out the cost so you know ahead what you are looking at cost wise, surprises are not fun. Find out what type of quilting your quilter does. If all they do is pantograph patterns find someone else. For some quilts pantos are fine but if your quilter can't freehand quilt then they are still a newbie and you should find someone else. People have to start somewhere but unless you know they can quilt don't give them the chance to ruin your quilt. If you have someone that quilts and doesn't charge very much again you need to know why. Kathy will usually get around $200 to $300 for a queen size quilt depending upon if it is custom or pantograph pattern quilting.
I know this is a lot to digest all in one setting but when you are trusting someone with your priceless heirlooms you need to make sure you know what you are getting into. If you have questions please email me at lynn@kathyquilts.com and I will be happy to answer them.
