Tour de Cure, Riding for Diabetes

Please help sponsor Lynn from Kathy Quilts in the Tour de Cure bicycle ride for the American Diabetes Association. The Ride is June 10th, so pledges need to be made as soon as possible. I can turn them in up to two weeks after the ride. I will be riding the 100 mile course that visits the Historic "Golden Spike National Monument" in Promontory Utah. With your encouragement and support, I know I can do it. Use your credit card to pledge your tax deductible donation. Click here to pledge $5 or $10 or whatever you can manage. Lynn's goal is $1000, please help me raise money for the American Diabetes Association We at KathyQuilts.com want to thank you for your support for shopping at KathyQuilts.com and Supporting the American Diabetes Foundation. I really appreciate your help and so do millions of Americans that suffer from this horrible disease.

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com.

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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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

Importance of using cone thread correctly on frame

Hi,

This is an email we received from one of our customers:

HI Kathy,

I was the person who contacted you about problems with my Grace Machine quilting table back in december. I wanted to let you know what has happened since I last contacted you. After I had started putting the thread in the correct place and used the new darning foot things improved a little. I still was having problems with threat breakage and missed stitches. I was having 1 to 1 1/2 inch spaces without stitches. On Sunday I was trying to quilt and I was having a lot of problems with threat tension. It was too loose but if I tightened it up the tread broke. I was so frustrated that I started to quilt the quilt I was working on using my regular machine. Today I took the Juki to a local place that cleans and adjusts my machines. What had happened when I had the thread in the wrong place caused the problem. The thread would not come off the cone well and get stuck at times. That pulled the needle to the side and the needle hit the face plate and broke. I didn't see anything out of place when that happened and it had happend several times. Well the problem it cause was a bent face plate. I had taken it off several times and cleaned the machine and never noticed the problem. But the fixit guy was able to tell with his trained eye. There were also some burrs caused by the needle hitting the face plate that caught the thread and cause the breakage. We thought I would need to buy a new face plate but my machine fixit guy was able to bend it back without breaking it. If we had needed to buy a new plate the cost to them was over $60 so it would have cost me about $80 and it would take about 6 weeks to get it. I haven't had time to try it out since I picked up the machine but I will on the weekend. I just hope this fixes things. It just goes to show how a little thing like thread placement can cause all kinds of trouble. Nothing was damaged inside because the needle broke outside the mechanism. So that is a good thing.
I just wanted you to know what happened. I thought I was so stupid but I looked over the Grace book again and it didn't say anyplace to put the thread on the botton. My Husband put the table together and so I never saw anything that would have told me that those plastic X's were thread holders. I just feel so stupid about this. Please remember to tell people about the threat placement. i don't want anyone to have to go thru what I did. I know I should have contacted you a lot earlier but I think the damage was already done by then. But maybe I would have taken the machine in earlier and it would have gotten fixed sooner. I appreciate all your help.

Take care,
Barb Tomasov

We can't stress enough how important it is to use cone and spool thread correctly. Spools are made to spin as the thread comes off them, cones should always remain stationary and the thread always needs to feed directly off the top. You should have a stand or eyelet or something that allows the thread to feed without creating any extra tension. If you have any questions, please email me at mailto:lynn@kathyquilts.com

Please visit our site where we now offer the Quilter's Cruise Control: http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=86

Thanks,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com

Great New Book that we have found

We have found a wonderful new book that can help almost any machine quilter. This book will help to unlock the hidden talent for machine quilting that is waiting to emerge. Machine quilting is really fun if you approach it in the right way. Sally help any quilter to find the talent and then learn to develop it further. Click here to read more about this awesome book







Add to cart

Juki TL 98Q V.S. other sewing machines

Hi,

There are several sewing machines that will work on your Little Gracie II, but we at Kathy Quilts, have found that the best machine to use on a Grace Frame is the Juki TL 98Q. I know that there will be several people that grumble when I say that, but that is why I will say that it is the best machine that we have used with the Grace Frames. Here are several features of the Juki TL-98Q that really set it apart from the other machines.

• The Juki is the only machine that will let you use a remote button, on a speed control that would be sold separately, to cut the thread. This might seem insignificant, but if you have ever had to bring the bobbin thread up every time after you have to stop and move to another place on your quilt, then you will really love this feature. On other sewing machines, you will have to reach over to hit the button on the machine. Remember any extra movements that you have to do when quilting, just waste time.
  

• Heavy duty free motion quilting feet - The Juki is the only machine that has two heavy duty free motion quilting feet. They will last for years, the other sewing machines have very flimsy free motion quilting feet that just don't hold up.
  

• Feed Dog Drop - There are several machines like the Juki, but they don't have a feed dog drop lever, you use a cover that you have to purchase separately. (Viking and Pfaff machine don't have a feed dog drop lever)
  

• Needle Threader - One of the best upgrades to come on the Juki TL-98Q over the TL-98E, is the addition of the needle threader. You want to spend the time quilting, not wasting time trying to find some glasses so you can see to thread the needle.
  

• Items that are included - The Juki TL-98Q is not only a great machine to use on your frame, but it also works great for piecing. It includes a knee lift, great extender table, walking foot, and several other presser feet that make it just as good off your frame as on.
  

Kathy Quilts includes a three year labor warranty so you will not have to pay to get your machine fixed. Ship your Juki in its original box to KathyQuilts, we fix it, and ship it back for free. We have been doing this for years and it has worked out very well. We have had to repair a few Juki TL 98E's, but to my knowledge, we have never had a Juki TL-98Q come back for service. If you would like to check out our Juki page, Click here

We also recommend our speed control box to help you get better control of the speed of the Juki. Click here

Click here for the leader sets. Scroll down the page just a little, and you will see the Starter Kits, and Leader Sets.


Happy Quilting,

Lynn
KathyQuilts.com
Phone: (888) 826-0222

Click here to visit our "Quilting Tips" page for help with quilting:

Thread Breaking on Machine Quilting Frame

Hi,
On our website, we have some great quilting tips, and you can probably get some answers there, but here are a few things you can check. So, let me just ask you a few questions first. These are probably really elementary to you, and you've already tried them, but I need to ask so I can think about the situation and if I can think of ways to solve it. You probably have something really simple, and once we pinpoint it, you'll be quilting away.
http://www.kathyquilts.com/customer/home.php?cat=77
Here you go:
1. Are your Feed Dogs down or disengaged?
2. Is your Presser Foot in the down Position? (this is the most common problem and fix.) ALWAYS CHECK THIS ONE!
3. Does the Machine sew well when it's off the quilter? Take it off and sew a few seams with it OFF the quilter. Sew on two pieces of fabric with a piece of batting in between, so that you'll know when you have the tension just right on a quilt, not just fabric. If it sews fine, then the problem probably lies in the way you have the quilt rolled onto the frame. The most common problem is that the quilt gets rolled up and over the rail inside the quilting machine (this is the wrong way), when it HAS to go underneath the rail, and then rolls around the rail that way. You just don't want to stitch through air, as you'll break needles and thread because the bobbin can't catch the top thread unless the quilt is quite close to the throat plate.
4. How is the quilt rolled on the take-up rail, (the rail inside the arm of your sewing machine.) Does the quilt go up and over the rail, or underneath the rail and around. When the quilt is rolled up, do you see the quilt back on the rail? Or do you see the quilt top?
5. If the quilt is rolled up right, make sure the rail is almost skimming the throat plate, not up an inch or two, as you have the same problem as above, with your machine trying to stitch through air. So, you might need to lower the rail so that the quilt is closer to the plate of the machine.
6. Do you have your cone thread on one of the black X's on the backside of the carriage (back by the back handles), and threaded through one or both of the brass eyelets? (depending on what side you're using the cone thread on.) You CANNOT use the cone thread on the Juki itself, as the Metal Thread guide HAS to be folded DOWN before you slide the Juki into the carriage area. Slide it back in as far as you can. You cannot use the Juki with the thread guide up. (Call us with this one at 1-888-826-0222 as SOME OF THE NEWER MODELS of frames WILL WORK WITH THE GUIDES UP. Call Us!)
7. Thread has to spin freely, so cone threads have to feed almost straight up from the cone, or else your thread will break, or the excess tension will cause the needle to break.
8. Are you using 100% cotton thread? Here in Utah, the 100% cotton thread gets really dry, and I find that I can only use the first part, and then it's useless to me (and this is the case for many, other people.) Our climate here in Utah is overly dry, and cottons dry out quickly and break easily.
9. Change the thread! Try something different and see if it works. If other thread works fine, then you have some issues with that thread. Play with the tension and adjust it back and forth until you can make it work properly. If you can't make it work well, then just put it away and use it for something besides quilting.
10. Do you have the SAME THREAD on the TOP and in the BOBBIN? The machines are made to work best this way. If it works fine for you to have different thread on top and in the bobbin, then that's great. BUT - we've found that many problems are resolved by having the same thread on both because of the tension on your machine.

I'd guess it is one of these problems, which really isn't a problem at all - just an easy fix. If you've tried different threads, I think it's probably the way you have your quilt rolled up (which could be backwards) or your thread just isn't feeding easily or the simplest - just making sure your presser foot is lowered. Use your darning or embroidery foot.

I hope this might help you out, but just give us a call at 1-888-826-0222 and we'll talk you through this. I quilt every single day, and find people run into these simple problems all the time, and they're usually an easy fix. I'm sure it will be for you, too.

Good luck,
Kathy

Using Pantograph Patterns on your frame

This is a message that Kathy posted to one of her Machine Quilting Groups that I wanted to share on our Blog.

Can anyone give me any hints on following a pattern (where to start, direction to go etc.) I can't seem to be able to see the starting point and direction or how to make it flow smoothly. Tammy


Tammy,
With a pantograph pattern, I was always taught to move from the
Right to the Left. This is opposite from the way you would normally
read or write. This makes your quilting machine move in a 'forward'
direction. Your tension will probably be much better by moving in this
direction as often as you can. It doesn't mean that you can't move
'backwards', but to constantly move that way is like going in reverse,
and that's when I find that my threads could pop or skip. (I do suggest
that there is probably no right or wrong way, but this is just the way I
was taught years ago, and it's worked great for me.)

First, after your quilt is attached and ready to quilt, you want to
put your needle down into the quilt at each corner of the quilt, so that
you can place your blue tape (or however you mark each side of the panto
so that you'll remember to stop) at each side of the pattern. Twist and
turn your laser light so that you won't go off your quilt and into the
leaders, etc. I also move the machine along that top edge of the quilt
(while looking at my panto) to make sure none of the parts of the panto
run off the quilt. (I often only quilt half that panto on the first
row, especially if it's an interlocking pattern, so that I don't have
empty spots on the quilt top edge.) Move your panto pattern around
inbetween these two marks so that you can center the pattern or how you
want the pattern to look on your quilt.

So, when you're standing behind your machine, start at the right
side of the pattern, and follow it all the way to the left of the
quilt. Then, I put my needle down in the Red dots on the pattern that
say "top of pattern", and gently roll my quilt. I slide the Pantograph
Pattern so that the 'bottom of pattern' dot will be at the approximate
spot where the laser light falls. With the needle still in the quilt
(be very careful here so that the quilt doesn't rip or tear - gentle), I
get the quilt ready for the next row by getting my quilt tension right
and attaching the clamps, etc. I slide the panto pattern until the
laser light exactly hits where my next red dot is, and this will offset
or align the panto pattern correctly. Then, I quilt the 2nd row.

On panto patterns that don't have 'top' and 'bottom' of designs, I
make my own by deciding the appropriate distance between the pattern so
that it doesn't look like I've made 'rows' of quilting. I put my 'Dots'
on the top and bottom of each design (sometimes I have to put the panto
over the top of itself so that I can see exactly where I want the offset
to land.) I want the look to look like it's all one continuous design
on my quilt, without obvious lines where there is no quilting. Some
patterns are very elaborate with lots of crossing of the lines of
quilting, and most of these either have an arrow to follow so that you
move in the right direction, or they have a different color where the
lines cross so that you don't mistakenly move in the wrong direction.
Also, on many patterns, when you unroll the pattern and put it on your
frame, you want to be able to read the words and directions that may be
printed on the panto, and many of these show you with arrows the
direction to quilt (and it's usually from the right to the left while
standing behind the frame.)

That's probably as clear as mud, I know, but the machines do run
better if you try to feed fabric through them the same way as if you
were sitting at your domestic machine, in a mostly forward motion. I
always quilt a panto from right to left, and never follow it back the
other way. This can get your quilt to zigzag (how do I know this?), so
aligning your quilt and panto with each row, makes your quilt come out
perfectly in the end. Remember that quilts have a lot of variation in
the size through the center, the different fabrics used, the grains and
bias, etc. This means that each row will be different from the last
row, and I usually treat each new row as if I were starting the quilt
all over, aligning the laser light up where I need it, etc. I don't
want my panto patterns to 'shift' unless I want them to on purpose.

I do about 95% custom quilting, but sometimes a panto pattern is fun and
can enhance a busy quilt. I find it fun for a change, and can really
listen to my books on tape or CD as I go along, and don't even realize
that I've finished my quilt so quickly. I don't have to think nearly so
much when I use a panto pattern.

Happy Quilting!
Kathy w/ gam classic 7 years - almost 1800 quilts

Quick note from Lynn

Hi,

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can concentrate on quilting and all the fun that goes with it. We have a lot to say, and find it difficult to decide where to post our comments. There will be a combination of articles and post on Yahoo groups, this Blog, and our web site. I will have more later on, we appreciate everyone that reads what we have to say.

Thanks,

Lynn

Why I like the Juki TL-98Q for Machine Quilting

New Juki TL 98 Q Makes Quilting Easier!

The Juki TL 98Q is our top pick for the best sewing machine for the Grace Machine Quilter or the Little Gracie. The improvements over the previous Juki TL 98E are totally awesome. The new "Q" offers a larger bobbin case area that makes changing the bobbin easier than on the 98 E. One of the things I like the best is that there is now a telescoping thread guide. This new guide is especially nice when used with the Little Gracie, since there is not a thread guide built into the carriage like on the GMQ.

With age, eyes are one of the first things to be affected. Threading a needle seems like it should be a fairly easy task, well now it is. The new Juki TL 98 Q has a needle threader. No more hunting around for your glasses, or having to strain your eyes, the push lever automatic needle threader easily thread the needle so you can get quilting faster.

The thread trimmer makes it so you don't have to bring your bobbin thread up every time you need to cut your thread. This machine is a speed demon, it stitches 1500 stitches per minute. To tame that speed when quilting, check out the Kathy Quilts speed control box (click here), the box has an on/off switch and speed dial, as well as a thread trimmer button.

The Juki has a large throat area, (called the harp). Large quilts are not a problem with the Juki TL-98 Q. Kathy Quilts offers a three year labor warranty. We do all of our own support, we don't sub-contract out our warranty work, we do it all in house. We actually sew off each sewing machine before we ship it to you. That way we can ensure that it works properly when it arrives at your house. The Juki is just as good a sewing machine on a machine quilting frame as it is off the frame. Any project that needs just a straight stitch machine can be tackled by the new Juki Q.

Now My Machine Frame is Set Up, What's Next?

After you have your new machine quilting frame setup, you might wonder where you should start. Many of our customers are new to machine quilting, so they are some what lost in know where to begin.

This article assumes that you already have your frame set up and a practice quilt loaded on correctly. I will not be covering the correct way to load a quilt here, but Click this link to read about loading your quilt on a Grace Machine Quilting Frame.

When you have a new frame, there is a bit of a break in period to help your wheels 'warm up' or to move smoothly. They might feel a little stiff at first, but will loosen up. The easiest way that I have found to get the carriage, (the place where your sewing machine rests on the frame), bearings to perform properly is to do a lot of scribbles. It is sort of like doing scales when practicing on a musical instrument. You should warm up your machine and frame every time you use it. We suggest every day before quilting. Do this each day by practicing on your practice piece. This will let any excess oil fall onto your practice piece, and let any lint be sewn into the practice piece.

You will always want to start quilting from the end of your frame that has the black cog wheels. You can quilt from the other end, but most professional machine quilters find that quilting from left to right, (if you were standing in the front of your frame where the rails are up against your tummy) gives you the best tension and stitch results from your sewing machine. Your fabric is made to go through the sewing machine in that direction. It is also like when you are sewing with a machine on a desk or table. You feed the material through the front of the sewing machine, not the other way around.

If you do your quilting scribbles (such as loops or stippling or meandering) clockwise direction, with the loops looking like when you have a pen that you have to scribble on a piece of paper to get the it to write. Do a whole row of scribbling clockwise, stop at the end of the row, cut your bottom and top threads, move back to the starting, (Cog Wheel side of your frame), roll your quilt so your next row of scribbles will just overlap the first row. This new row that you are just starting, will be quilted counter-clockwise. The next few rows will be a combination of alternating clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Although this type of quilting may seem rather boring, you are laying a foundation for controling your carriage, that will help you to become a very good quilter. This type of quilting is what is known as continuous line quilting. When you are quilting, you don't always want to spend a lot of time jumping from one block to the next where you have to cut your threads. Continuous line quilting is more efficient and helps you to get your quilts done faster. It looks great, and makes quilting more enjoyable.

As you proceed through your quilt, introduce other elements into your quilting, such as stars, leaves, writing, meandering, stippling or other shapes. Change the size of the circles or loops you are doing. Quilt large circles and then do small ones, do spirals. The key here is the repetition. You just need lots of time on your frame to get use to it and learn how it works.

Even after you have had your frame for a while, if you haven't done any quilting for an extended period, it doens't hurt to do your practice quilting as a warm up, especially after you oil your sewing machine. For quilters that have the GMQ Pro, and have it set up for King length, when there is room, you can use a narrow practice quilt loaded beside the real quilt you are working on. This practice quilt can save you lots of time and trouble, it is always easier to do some practice before messing something up your regular quilt and having to unpick your quilt. Some people clamp on this practice piece with bicycle clamps. Others just hold the piece in one hand while moving the carriage with the other hand. You just need a few seconds to run the machine on the practice piece, but this will show you if your thread tension is right and help run the oil and lint off onto the dummy piece of quilt. This piece can be large or small - just use the scraps leftover from another quilt. Then, set it aside and use it tomorrow. You'll be able to use this piece over and over and over before you need to replace it.

Learning to quilt on a machine frame isn't really all that difficult, but it does take persistance and desire. And Practice, Practice, PRACTICE! With practice, you can become a beautiful quilter. It's really satisfying to see your OWN quilting progress on your OWN quilt.

Click here to see the different package deals we have on the GMQ Pro.

Ideas on Quilting

Kathy Quilts is moving into the world of Blogs! We are new to Blogs, but it looks like a great way to share some of the great quilting tips and tricks that have made quilting so much easier.