How to get the best out of your long armer

I have had a Handiquilter Avante for more than ten years and here are my top tips for getting th bet out of your longarmer.

1. Your backing should be 4" bigger than your quilt top on all or sides. This gives plenty of room for loading the quilt and using the horizontal clamps to keep the backing smooth. If there is insufficient backing, I will either decline to quilt your project or add borers to make the backing big enough which takes time and cost you money.

I now have the confidence to tell potential customers that I can't help them rather than risk damaging their project or my machine. I learnt that through experience!

2. Quilt tops and backings should be pressed and lightly starched. I advise using trouser hangers to keep the fabric crease free once prepped.

3. Get the best value for money by loading two quilts onto the same backing. By Annie recommends in her bag patterns to quilt more fabric backed with soft and stable so you have ready quilted fabric for more bags. I now use car interlining for the foam layer as it is better value for money

4. Whilst your quilt is being quilted, prepare your binding so it's ready to o once your quilt is quilted.

WIP Wednesday - waypoint

I am making progress on testing the Waypoint pattern for @sariditty. I have raided my stash for low volume background which are paired with yellow and green fabrics for the stars. I have sewn together four blocks and two more are in progress. I have worked out that I need a total of eighteen blocks for a quilt to donate to Quilts for Care Leavers.

I have a further seven blocks cut ready to sew at retreat in ten days' time and need to cut a further five blocks. I have some customer quilts in my queue at the moment so I can cut the blocks whilst my long arm is doing its thing.

Moda Blockheads 6

 

It has been a little windy here and a little difficult to get good photos. However, my Moda Blockheads 6 blocks are now quilted and bound and ready to donate to Quilts for Care Leavers next week. That will make a total of three to donate to Q4CL and I have our mini quilts to drop off to our hospital's NICU tomorrow.

I enjoyed making the blocks and combining the two different sizes of white spot on black fabrics worked. The purple block is too big for me compared with the other blocks, most of which are 9" square.

We have flu jabs today and a customer is dropping of some advent calendar panels and lap quilt for quilting today. Otherwise, I will be concentrating on stitching together some more test bocks for @sariditty.

Waypoint testing

I have made my first test block from the Waypoint pattern by @sariditty which is being released later this year. I am continuing to stash dive with more low volume prints paired with yellow and green fabrics. However, I realise that I have many low volume text prints which are directional and not suitable for this project.

My plan is to cut two blocks each day, stitch one and put the other aside to stitch at retreat in a week's time My long arm is all connected again so we need to add the pole when it's not raining outside and I'll be ready to quilt my Q4CL Moda Blockhead 6 project this weekend.

 

WIP Wednesday - Moda blockheads 6

On of the first thing I planned to do on our return from holiday was to catch up with the Mod Blockhead 6 blocks. I had them printed ready to cut out and stitch. Fortunately, I put the completed blocks on my design board and was amazed to realise that I had enough blocks to make up another Quilts for careleavers quilt with the blocks that were already completed.

I added a 3" border and it is ready to be quilted. My next job is to get my longarm set up properly with the cables plugged in where they are meant to be and put back the poles.  I have a customer bringing some projects on Monday so it would be good to get this quilted first.

Plans for the next few months

I am back after what seems like a long break. We did get away to spend three days in Istanbul with our daughter, but I wasn't well enough to do much on the cruise other than rest, read and eat. Our trip back was eventful with an unplanned stop in Bucharest, so we arrived home a day later than expected. I brought home with a nasty cold which has knocked me out for a week.

I am now planning for the next few months and have started with choosing just five cross stitch projects to work on. All of the other projects have been unkitted and the threads returned to their storage boxes. This will make pulling threads out for future projects much quicker.

Winter Wonderland - kitted up in about five minutes. My first small project to work on.

A honey of a tiny town. One house or tree between projects should result in progress.

Frosty Tiny Town. Again one house between projects should see progress. 

Polar plunge. one and a half units stitched out of six and planned to be a Christmas gift. One unit to be stitched between other projects.

Hello Autumn should be my next project but three of the threads were mixed up with stuff being moved back into the playroom as the floors were refinished whilst we were away on holiday.