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.

How to find a quilting frame or hoop

How to Choose the Right Quilting Frame or Hoop

Finding the right quilting frame or hoop shouldn't be so hard but there are a lot of people selling quilting frames or hoops that that don't know what they are talking about so they create a lot of confusion. We will cover everything that you need to know to make your finding and buying a quilting frame process a lot easier and more enjoyable.

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Getting Started

Will be hand or machine quilting?
There are many people that feel that if you are not hand quilting your quilt that it isn't really quilting. While hand quilting has its place so does machine quilting. There are many people that just can't hand quilt because of physical limitations. You can really do a lot more machine quilting than you can hand quilting. If you plan on using the quilt machine a machine quilted quilt will last longer and stand up to the abuse. If you an antique hand pieced quilt you might want to hand quilt it. Whether one method is really better than another doesn't really matter what does matter is which method you enjoy. After you have made your choice you can if you want at machine frame, or a hand quilting frame or quilting hoop.
How large of a frame or hoop do I need?
If you are talking about machine quilting we recommend the largest frame you can fit in your quilting space. It is always easier to if you don't push your frame to its capacity every time you pin on a quilt. If your quilt is longer than it is wide you can load the quilt on with the long edge pinned to the frame rail and you will have a longer row that you can quilt before needing to roll your quilt. This really helps on machine frames because you will have less quilt rolled up inside the arm of your sewing machine. 
With a hand quilting frame the same is true as with the machine quilting frame. Get the largest size frame that will fit in your quilting room. There is always some room at the end of the quilting frame that is taken up by the side tension clamps that you will not be able to use for your quilt work area. The Bungee Clamps take up about five inches on either side of your frame so when figuring the maximum size quilt you might ever do add 10 inches and that will be about the size you need.
Quilting in a Hoop is a little different because you have to baste your quilt together before you hoop it. You aren't limited by the size quilt, but as a general rule bigger isn't always better. The Grace Hoop2s come in 14, 18, and 24 inch size hoops. Very few people can really use a 24 properly. The way to know what size hoop to purchase is to measure from the bend in your arm to the tip of your middle finger. Mine measures 16 inches so the largest hoop I really should get would be the 18 inch. Basically you need to be able to reach to the center of the hoop.
What is your quilt frame budget?
Years of experience has shown that very few people have unlimited funds to spend on a quilting frame or hoop. The good news is that the Grace Company has the best quality, most quilter friendly, quilting frames you can buy. They have lower cost frames that might not be as fancy and their high end ones but they work just about as well and you wouldn't be able to tell which frame your quilt was quilted on so any Grace Frame will do a great job.
Steel or wooden quilting frame?
There are Grace Dealers that will tell you that only the steel frames are strong enough to do any serious quilting. The Grace Company was built on wooden quilting frames so they have them down to a science. Wooden Grace frames are every bit as good as the aluminum or steel ones are. If your budget dictates that you can only a Gracie Queen or King then you can rest assured that your frame will work every bit as good as the Majestic.
Can I use my own sewing machine?
When the first home machine quilting frames came out they tried to make is so people could use a regular home sewing machine. Over the years we have found that sewing machines like the Juki TL-2010Q work better than regular home sewing machines. When you are quilting on a frame if you don't have enough throat space, (throat length is the area to the right of the needle), then you will not have very much forward and back movement if you are near the end of your quilt. Eight and a half inch throat machines are the shortest we recommend. The Juki TL-2010Q stitches at 1500 stitches per minute which sounds like a lot but it is just about the minimum speed that we recommend when machine quilting. The Grace machine frames come with a speed control so you can turn the sewing machine on and off with a button on the handle of your machine frame. This control or the stitch length regulator, SureStitch, are only compatible with certain sewing machines so before purchasing a sewing machine that some sales person says is the best thing since sliced bread make sure it is compatible. Just because a sewing machine has the word quilting edition included doesn't mean that it is compatible.
What accessories do I need?
The way we sell the Grace frames you usually have the bare essentials but you should have a working quilting system. Like the cloth leaders, none of the other Grace dealers include leaders that are ready to use right out of the package.
Lamp and Bulb - Our number one recommended accessory. If you can't see what you are working on then it will be a lot harder to enjoy quilting. We offer two lamp and bulb combos. The Grace Hoop2 and Z44 Pro use the Grace Swing Arm Lamp, we offer it with a Brite White Bulb because what good is a lamp without a bulb? The Grace Gooseneck Lamp and Bulb is for machine quilting frames. I really like the Gooseneck Lamp for machine quilting because many times your thread matches the quilt top so much that you can't see what you are quilting on so you turn off the over head lights in the room and move the lamp head down by the needle so it will cast a shadow across your quilt. Simple process but Kathy does this all the time. She loves her Grace Gooseneck Lamp and Bulb.

Gracie Laser - We really like freehand quilting for most of our quilting but every now and again someone wants their quilting done as cheaply as possible. That is when Kathy will do an over all pattern. The Linda Taylor pantograph patterns Kathy uses are more complicated than most peoples freehand quilting so the quilts still turn out great. So it is good to be able to follow a pantograph pattern. The Gracie Laser is the tool of choice. This is our second most recommended accessory.

Stitch Regulator - One of the hardest things about machine quilting is knowing how fast to move the carriage to get the desired stitch length. If you move the carriage too fast and the sewing machine is running slowly you can get huge stitches. The opposite is also true that if the machine is running too fast and you aren't quilting fast enough you will get way tiny stitches. With a stitch length regulator, like the Grace Company SureStitch, as you move the carriage it the SureStitch senses the movement and will speed up your sewing machine or if you slow down then your sewing machine will slow down. Not having to worry about how your stitches are going to look you can focus more on what you are quilting and not how many stitches per inch you are doing. The downside to adding a stitch regulator is the cost, usually around $500 on top of what your machine frame and sewing machine will cost. You can use a speed control but you will need a lot of practice to get even stitches. We recommend the Grace SureStitch if you can fit into your budget, if not save up for it and add it later.

Plastic Pattern Perfect - The Plastic Pattern Perfect is a template guide system that allows you to follow a pattern with a special stylus that tracks through the pattern. It really is like bicycle training wheels for your Grace machine frame. This method of following patterns is easier than following pantograph patterns. Pantograph patterns are usually printed on a roll of paper and you follow a the red dot from a laser. Since you have to move the carriage of the frame with your hands, you are the one that has to keep the laser on the line of the pantograph pattern. It is harder than it sounds. With the Pattern Perfect you have the aid of the stylus riding in the groove of the pattern to keep you on track.

Quilt CAD - Quilt CAD is software that is designed for your Windows based computer that allows you to design how you would quilt your quilt before even taking a stitch. You can even print out your own pantograph patterns that you create. If you like playing on the computer and designing patterns, Quilt CAD can be a very useful tool.

QuiltMotion - Now for the coolest accessory of all! QuiltMotion is a way you can hook your computer up to your Grace machine frame and have it stitch designs out over and over again. You can record a design you would like to do, make some modifications on the computer then save it in your pattern library. You can stitch that design you created over and over. There is a new addition to QuiltMotion that looks like an iPad called the Quilter's Creative Touch. It is a touch screen that extends the capabilities of QuiltMotion and makes it so you don't need to supply a computer to use QuiltMotion. QuiltMotion is cost prohibitive for most people but there are those that have the means to invest in the $4,500.