Very well explained…..I am 84 years old and still quilting, but I am used to quilting on my sewing machine. This is new to me. I have the Pro-Stitcher, so I am learning.
Took my first quilt to the long arm artist 3/28/24. I entered a new ‘world’. Thank you for the excellent tutorial and I’m a Day too! Fun to find another Day. I live in Washington state so my Days came from Missouri/Alabama in 1888. 🦅🇺🇸🦅
Wonderful! My husbands family were military so with all the moving unfortunately we don’t know where our Days came from. I’m planning to play with ancestry.com soon to see what I can learn! Nice to meet another Day!
I watch your video every time I load my Longarm. I haven’t quilted for two years now and just do not remember the proper way. I really enjoy all your videos. You have taught me a lot. Thanks. Tina Spano, New Jersey ( a few miles outside of Atlantic City
Wow - I'm impressed. I have an "old" longarm machine and have been wanting to get started on experimenting with the longarm quilting process but have never really understood how to load the quilt onto the machine. Several people have shown me on my actual machine but it still didn't "register" with me. Your video is wonderful! I appreciate how real you are and how you explain every little detail. I am finally confident that I can do this and am most anxious to get started! Thank you very much!!!
Thank you so much Leah! This was the most informative video on how to load a quilt on a long arm. I really appreciate how well you explained everything. This a daunting task for those of us who are just learning how to do this. I now understand how to do it correctly. Thanks again.
My methods have changed over the years and I now load a little differently. You can find my updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading
I was just gifted a Husqvarna quilt Master sewing machine and an inspira quilt frame. I cannot even believe how lucky I am! I've been watching your videos since your Janome hd1000 days. Now I can follow along with the quilt frame videos. So excited!
I have recently bought a long arm with a frame that has 4 rails...I am hoping to find a video of you with this type of frame...you have taught me lots over the years thank you.
Thankyou Leah. My Hubby brought me a quilting frame and we set it up Yesterday. Very first time using it, so I don't have a clue what I'm doing. Your directions are clear and easy to follow, found you yesterday so can't wait to delve into your channel! Thanks. 🇦🇺
Leah Day has the most informative videos; excellent instructor! This is my first time loading a quilt on a frame and I could not be more pleased that I found your videos!!! Blessings!
Such a joy to watch. You get right to what you are teaching without a whole bunch of chatter about other things. I just found out we have a longarm machine at our senior center and can't wait to start using it. I just wanted to get a head start before I do a queen size crumb quilt I just finished. Thanks so much!
I have had my Q15R on continuum now for 6 months and avoided it like the plague because of Loading this thing never went well. Until I saw this video!! Thanks so much for your tutorial and your sense of humor :)
You are very welcome! My methods for loading have changed a bit as I've gained more experience. You can find an updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading
My son and I watched this together. This was so fun! James did a GREAT job! My son, Elliot loved seeing someone his age jump on the machine too! Hi from Elliot!
You are a wonderful instructor. You teach methods, ideas and tips that none other instructor has mentioned or hadn't thought of. Thanks for sharing. I have been following you for a very, very long time and have learned much from you.
I was given a quilting frame without the leaders so watched your video about putting them on and now this one to show me how to load the quilt. Thank you so much. I have watched several and I like yours the best. You make it seem easier with out a lot of complications.
Wonderful Kati! We just recently cashed in our change jar and it was shocking how much $$$ was inside. So yep, that can definitely work so long as you're saving lots of quarters along with the pennies!
Kati- You don’t need to save to buy new. People upgrade or move all the time and sell perfectly fine used machines. I got my Grace frame and machine for $1,200 (great Bargain!) from someone moving across the country who did not want to move it with her. Just be patient and know that soon you will find a seller at a great price and jump on it. Guilds are the best places to hear about a sale. Good luck!
This is a great information video. We moved our long arm machine yesterday. I thought I made photos and stickers for everything, but I totally forgot about the leaders. Thanks to this video, I can correct and also improve what we have going on our long arm. Thank you Leah.
I just began considering the purchase of a longarm quilter when I ran across your videos! your videos make it seem so doable for me at 71 yrs of age. I will try to contact you about a purchase !
Leah I just love all of your videos. I have learned so much. What I love is how you show us how to do it but also the whys. Thank you so much. Gg from Colorado
I was watching your videos and listened to your suggestion to finance the midarm machine. I called Sewingmachinesplus.com and purchased a midarm sit down machine. I was surprised at the space it took up and shocked when the manufacturer (HandiQuilter) brochure showed a six foot frame that took up basically the same amount of space and there was also a 16” longarm machine to use with the frame. Luckily, Sewingmachinesplus had a 90 day trial so I was able to send the sit down machine back (had to keep the table) and I now have a long arm machine like yours. I was really surprised when you reported a month after I switched to the long arm that you had already bought a longarm too. It would probably have saved me time and money.
I'm glad you were able to send it back! They do take up a lot of room and sometimes that's hard to visualize until you get it in your space. We do have a new 4 1/2 foot hoop frame which takes up a lot less space, but it works differently for loading your quilt. The key is just trying out things until you find what works best for you!
This has been great, I have been thinking of buying an 8 foot frame for my simply 16 as I am getting frustrated with the little foot frame which still requires quilts to be basted, I love my longarm because as you say you can get the quilts done a-lot quicker. Thanks for the video.
I think that's a good move Laurelle. I've been looking at the hoop style frames and while I'm curious, and they certainly are smaller and cheaper than other frames, I think the best method is on a traditional frame like this with 2-3 bars to roll the quilt up this way so there's no basting required.
Thank you very much...you nice voice , details , tips is Great! I have a Pfaff longarm at home have not touched it in a years...but floating the batting and not using the side clips I believe will help. Bless you!
You have made learning the quilting process pleasurable. Thank you. I would love to see more longarm videos. I purchased a longarm but have received it yet.
Thank you so much for this video. I have just bought a grace frame and watching videos to set up. Yours has been the most helpful. I am curious about the plates that you can use as templates.
I made the the blue star quilt that you have on the back wall 2 yrs ago my UFO.....lol and am finally putting the binding on it. I'm wanting to know the name of the quilt for my quilt label. My was done in Patriotic fabric for a raffle for our local Community Club. Thank you in advance for your help and all you do to make quilting easier.
Helpful information. I have a quilt frame and I think it is the same one you have. I have a Bernita 830 to use with it but I am scared to use it. Pathetic I know. Your video helped me get some courage :)
I also have been looking for help on loading my quilt onto the Q-zone hoop frame. The straps get in the way of moving my 15R across the frame. I must not be losing the fabric correctly. Any suggestions?
Hi Leah.I love your very detailed videos.Can you explain a little about how the machine is locked into place to stitch a straight line.I didn’t realize the machine could do that.Thank you.
Nellie Flanders HandiQuilter sells a Simply Sixteen midarm (16” throat) with several frame options. I have a Little Foot Frame, which is like a six foot wide embroidery hoop. I’ve quilted a king size quilt on it using large tool holder magnets to keep the quilt in place while quilting. This is the video I was thinking of: ua-cam.com/video/vhcQbwIxalE/v-deo.html
Cindy Griffis I have a Husqvarna free motion sit down quilting set up and do not like it, the machine is ok though. Was wondering if this machine would work with the frame Leah is using, think she said 8 ft
Nellie Flanders I’m not sure about that. The HandiQuilter sit down machine (Sweet Sixteen) has the capability of being turned into a longarm. The reason I originally bought it was because I wanted to switch to a longarm someday (I thought they were prohibitably expensive and large. (The one I’d seen at the dealer where I bought my domestic machine was $35,000. My Sewingmachinesplus salesperson said HandiQuilter was the only maker that had the option to change. Since I bought my machine I have seen setups where even domestic machines are put on a carriage with handlebars so they can be moved around on a table. I’d check UA-cam and google to see if that would work for you. The difference between a sit down and longarm is the way the machine moves over the fabric/table. My machine communicates electronically with the carriage to “track” the movements. This is a link to a video about a carrier for a regular machine on a large frame: ua-cam.com/video/vhcQbwIxalE/v-deo.html
Yep, this is set up as an 8 foot frame, and you can add a 2 foot addition if you get more space later. We also have a new 4 1/2 foot wide Q-Zone frame which works differently, but it takes up a lot less space.
Also I noticed you have a little basket on your longarm....can you show up close. I am new to my longarm and I have the same one and I love idea of you having your notions on your qnique . More tutorials on this machine would be awesome . Thank you very much.
Hi Leah, I am looking into purchasing a Grace Q'nique15R and I thought that I would ask your expertise on the Q'nique longarm, what are your pros and cons on your machine? Do you ever have any problems with thread tension? I sure would appreciate any input that you might have on this. I am so confused on this, Leah you are my mentor when it comes to quilting videos and the how to knowledge you give to all us quilters. Much appreciative, Susan
Great questions Susan! Three pros and things I love about the machine - it's not nearly as expensive as other machine / frame combos, it's very sturdy, and the machine has two sets of feet now that really expand what you can do with it. And three cons - it is only 15 inches which can seem pretty small on a big quilt. The light is a big bright and I've covered it a bit so it isn't quite so glaring (kind of the opposite problem you usually have). One tiny little issue I have is the thread popping out of one guide, but that might be a weird nuance of my machine and now that I'm aware of it, I'm in the habit of checking it. These are little things and this is why I quilt on this machine and share videos on it - I'm SUPER happy with it! I had another longarm and sold it because I wasn't comfortable shooting videos on it that would sell that machine. I know tension is a concern for most quilters looking to switch to a longarm and it's certainly an adjustment, but I've never struggled with it. Here's a video on how I do a tension test: leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/troubleshoot-tension-on-a-longarm
@@LeahDay Thank you Leah for your input on the Grace Q'nique. I may go ahead and purchase mine this week-end. I am certain as I too cannot really afford the more expensive Quilting machine. this will be my first Longarm. Have a great week-end. I enjoy watching your videos and all your projects and inspiration.
Hi Leah first thank you for all the helpful videos I was wondering if you could do a video about cleaning and oiling the Qnique 15 or the 14 + that you have if you already have something similar could you point me in the right direction thank you again and have a wonderful new year weekend
I noticed that you didn't install any side tension clips to your quilt after fully loaded. Do you find that you don't need this step due to the way your quilt is sandwiched so straight and the up and down tension is so even?
For a rolling rail frame, like the one I'm using in this video, your quilt must be smaller than the frame. This is why quilters set up rolling rail frames at 12 feet long - because this type of frame must be bigger than the quilt you're quilting. For HOOP style frames, you can shift the quilt side to side and quilt any size quilt on a small frame. So the question is - what type of frame do you have (do the rails roll?) and how big is it set up?
Hey- Thank you for this tutorial, very well paced and easy to follow. After reading through the comments I see you do not baste the sides. Is that correct? You use 15 SPI for your basting. Do you find that to keep the quilt squared better? How do you deal with fullness on the borders? Last question- do you find that your quilt can develop a frown at the bottom from not basting the sides? Thanks so much:)
Nope, I don't tend to baste the sides, though I do use side clamps more often now. I like for the fabric to be able to escape just in case my fluffy batting starts to form pleats.
So I followed your video here...but i didn’t exactly center the front rail...I let it hang to see where it would fall nice then pinned. When putting the backing on the front or is the back rail???? The one furtherest from the table and tensioned it up, I put soup cans in the middle to keep tension while I was rolling it up...it worked pretty good....do you think that is ok?
I put my frame together and the stich regulator and worked great I was pleased till I took it off the Fram and found that the back stitches were a mess all bunched and looked like a row of mess my juki manual has no anything about how to fix this help
Lots of different things can cause this. I'd troubleshoot one thing at a time - first make sure your threading is right. Then height of your foot, then if your needle is inserted properly, then how fast you are moving the machine, then if its your thread or the fabric in your quilt. Yes, all of these things! Also make sure to use practice sandwiches until you're sure the stitches are looking good.
Miss Leah, I just got my long arm and I’ve been watching you , I’m not sure how to load my quilt. Please help. I wish you could help me with my fist time. If you could help me I would surely help.
I like having a straight line already stitched on the quilt (it’s straight due to locking my machine channel lock). I find it easier to line up the quilt top and a little faster because I’m only working with one layer at a time. Try it both ways and see which you like best!
Great tutorial thank you! I’m just now transitioning to using my long arm. When using my domestic machine I would quilt; then cut off the batting and leave an inch of backing around the edge and fold that over to use it as the binding (I call it cheater binding). If I want to continue using that method for binding, would I baste the batting and top on to the backing rather than using the straight stitch as you did? So that I can remove the basting stitch once I’m done quilting, and then be able to cut away the excess batting but leave enough of the backing to fold over for batting? Thank you in advance for your help!
I have a Q21 and Continuum II frame. Regarding the tension for the quilt backing, how tight is too tight? I am not having thread breaks, however, my pantos seem to go downhill, left to right. My back and top are square. When I am ready to advance, I have enough tension that when I turn the knob on the front bar (not the take up bar) that the tension release is immediate and the quilted portion "sags". It does not seem like the front bar is pushed in from the tension. My past quilting machine was a 1943 Singer industrial machine that had been converted into a quilting machine. I really had to have a significant amount of tension when quilting on this machine. I have not been putting that amount of tension on the Continuum frame. Thoughts?
That doesn't sound like a backing tension issue - that sounds like you're not rolling the quilt up on the back rail evenly. As you roll up, you need to roll / smooth out the quilt with your hands evenly along the rail. That way the quilt stays even across the length. It sounds like you are smoothing out to the left but not the right which is causing the design to veer. Try to align a seamline on your quilt with the back rail so you can see if that seam is staying straight to the back rail. It does sound like you're getting the quilt slightly too tight. It needs to be bouncy with some spring, but not so tight the quilt layers are being distorted.
I have a Baby Lock Jazz II and just got the Grace Queen Pro frame. What size Velcro do you use to attach leader cloth to the bar. My leader cloth has the “stuffed” edge. Should I unstuff it before attaching Velcro to the 4 sided bar? Can I use the red rods with this set up? Look forward to hearing from you.
Unfortunately this is the wrong leader cloth for this frame. You should use the leader cloth with velcro and then yes, you can use the Red Snappers with this frame. The correct leader cloth can be found here - leahday.com/products/continuum-frame-leader-cloth
Thanks for the tutorial. How do you attach the quilt when floating when you reach the bottom of the quilt? The backing is taut and the batting lays fine, but I feel the quilt top itself is not well held once you move the bottom border under the needle.
Here's a video that helps explain that step - freemotionproject.com/2018/11/quilting-to-the-edge-of-your-longarm.html My methods have changed over the years so now I baste a quilt fully as I load it on the frame and the bottom edge is already secured to the batting and back before I reach that section.
Hi Leah, I live in the UK and last year bought myself the same machine as you, but as you say they have renamed it. I haven't used it for a while, work has got in the way, but I cannot for the life of me remember if there is an automatic thread cutter? I have looked all through my manual and cannot see if there is one, it is probably staring at me in the face, any help would be most welcome. Love your tutorials. Teri
For thicker quilts, you'll want the pink 2-inch diameter Quilt Clips. If you order them from us, just make a note in your order you want the pink ones as we usually only carry the blue 1 1/2 inch. leahday.com/products/grace-qnique-accessories
Leah. I am in a wheelchair. I am not able to walk and I have to hold on to stand so I am very worried that I will not be able to do the set up for the quilt. Do you have any thoughts on who I should talk to to find out more?
Can you tell me more about moving a quilting project from home machine to longarm? I have a basted quilt but I just bought a longarm - not sure how i can quilt in on my longarm without taking pins out first.
I have a video on this here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/switching-between-a-home-machine-and-longarm You may have to take out some of the pins, but don't worry, quilting it will be so much faster once you get it on your frame.
I have since switched to using Red Snappers to clamp the backing fabric to the leader cloth. I no longer carry them myself due to shipping costs, so just run a search to find retailers online.
At this stage of my quilting experience, no, I didn't use the bungees. As I learned more, I began to see where I needed them. Now I always use bungee cords clamped to both sides of the quilt.
I am trying to save up for a longarm but there are so many out there. What do you like about the q'nique? How large of a quilt are you able to quilt on it? Is it loud?
We have three different sizes of Qnique longarms now - a Qnique 15 is our smallest model and you can quilt any sized quilt with this longarm. The real key is the frame you use and we have two different styles of frames now to work with. I would advise watching more videos here to see how these work and how much space they take up - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/frame-quilting-friday-machine-quilting-fun-on-a-longarm
You're going to need to cut down your king sized quilt to fit the Q-Zone Queen Frame. That frame has a major limitation - 103 inches is it's maximum quilt size and there is no way to expand the frame or to load a bigger quilt. Trim off the borders or find a creative way to split the quilt into two halves, then find an equally creative way to connect it back together. Good luck!
Yep, this was a very early loading video and I soon learned that funny things can happen towards the end. I now baste the quilt on the frame to get the layers nicely organized all the way to the end and straight and square to the backing fabric.
Thank you so much for you instruction...new long arm...quilt on...I can do this !!!
Yes! You can do it!
Very well explained…..I am 84 years old and still quilting, but I am used to quilting on my sewing machine. This is new to me. I have the Pro-Stitcher, so I am learning.
Took my first quilt to the long arm artist 3/28/24. I entered a new ‘world’. Thank you for the excellent tutorial and I’m a Day too! Fun to find another Day. I live in Washington state so my Days came from Missouri/Alabama in 1888. 🦅🇺🇸🦅
Wonderful! My husbands family were military so with all the moving unfortunately we don’t know where our Days came from. I’m planning to play with ancestry.com soon to see what I can learn! Nice to meet another Day!
I watch your video every time I load my Longarm. I haven’t quilted for two years now and just do not remember the proper way. I really enjoy all your videos. You have taught me a lot. Thanks. Tina Spano, New Jersey ( a few miles outside of Atlantic City
Wow - I'm impressed. I have an "old" longarm machine and have been wanting to get started on experimenting with the longarm quilting process but have never really understood how to load the quilt onto the machine. Several people have shown me on my actual machine but it still didn't "register" with me. Your video is wonderful! I appreciate how real you are and how you explain every little detail. I am finally confident that I can do this and am most anxious to get started! Thank you very much!!!
Thank you so much Leah! This was the most informative video on how to load a quilt on a long arm. I really appreciate how well you explained everything. This a daunting task for those of us who are just learning how to do this. I now understand how to do it correctly. Thanks again.
My methods have changed over the years and I now load a little differently. You can find my updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading
Thanks for showing your learning process on your Moxie. I also appreciate you discussing some of the challenges you ran into.
This is the best video tutorial that I’ve seen on loading the quilt. I have been afraid to try my long arm, but now I can!
Yay! I'm so happy to hear this!
Excellent instructions.
Glad it was helpful!
I was just gifted a Husqvarna quilt Master sewing machine and an inspira quilt frame. I cannot even believe how lucky I am! I've been watching your videos since your Janome hd1000 days. Now I can follow along with the quilt frame videos. So excited!
Wonderful! So happy to have you along for frame quilting now too!
I have recently bought a long arm with a frame that has 4 rails...I am hoping to find a video of you with this type of frame...you have taught me lots over the years thank you.
That sounds like you're using a frame with an Idler Rail. Here's the loading video you will need - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading
Thankyou Leah. My Hubby brought me a quilting frame and we set it up Yesterday. Very first time using it, so I don't have a clue what I'm doing. Your directions are clear and easy to follow, found you yesterday so can't wait to delve into your channel! Thanks. 🇦🇺
You are so welcome!
Leah Day has the most informative videos; excellent instructor! This is my first time loading a quilt on a frame and I could not be more pleased that I found your videos!!! Blessings!
Aw! Thank you so much!
Leah, I love your videos. You explain things very well, and you're really funny! Such a joy to watch, every single time!! Hugs!!! ♥️
Thank you Sheryl!
Your instructions and explanation is so helpful. Tmrw I will put it to the test. Who knew the leader clothed was so important. Hahaha.
Such a joy to watch. You get right to what you are teaching without a whole bunch of chatter about other things. I just found out we have a longarm machine at our senior center and can't wait to start using it. I just wanted to get a head start before I do a queen size crumb quilt I just finished. Thanks so much!
Such a great teacher and personality
I have had my Q15R on continuum now for 6 months and avoided it like the plague because of Loading this thing never went well. Until I saw this video!! Thanks so much for your tutorial and your sense of humor :)
Wonderful! I'm so happy to hear this!
I realize this is an old video, but you did such a good job explaining the steps. Thank you.
You are very welcome! My methods for loading have changed a bit as I've gained more experience. You can find an updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading
My son and I watched this together. This was so fun! James did a GREAT job! My son, Elliot loved seeing someone his age jump on the machine too! Hi from Elliot!
Aw! That's great Barbara! Hi Elliot - I hope you have fun sewing or quilting!
You are a wonderful instructor. You teach methods, ideas and tips that none other instructor has mentioned or hadn't thought of. Thanks for sharing. I have been following you for a very, very long time and have learned much from you.
Thank you so much Emma! You seriously made my day!
I use quilting safety pins - no more sticks. Thank you for this video- I am a new long-arm owner and this is such a help.
Great suggestion Rosemary! I'll try that!
Thank you. Great attention to detail made this the greatest learning video
I was given a quilting frame without the leaders so watched your video about putting them on and now this one to show me how to load the quilt. Thank you so much. I have watched several and I like yours the best. You make it seem easier with out a lot of complications.
I love this! Getting new machine next week and I have never used long arm before. So excited!! Thanks!
You're so welcome!
A long arm is on my Some day wish list. I am saving my pennies. I rented time on one for a project and it was so satisfying.
Wonderful Kati! We just recently cashed in our change jar and it was shocking how much $$$ was inside. So yep, that can definitely work so long as you're saving lots of quarters along with the pennies!
Kati- You don’t need to save to buy new. People upgrade or move all the time and sell perfectly fine used machines. I got my Grace frame and machine for $1,200 (great Bargain!) from someone moving across the country who did not want to move it with her. Just be patient and know that soon you will find a seller at a great price and jump on it. Guilds are the best places to hear about a sale. Good luck!
This is a great information video. We moved our long arm machine yesterday. I thought I made photos and stickers for everything, but I totally forgot about the leaders. Thanks to this video, I can correct and also improve what we have going on our long arm. Thank you Leah.
Thank you Linda! I'm so happy you found this helpful!
Great video and very well done! Super easy to follow and great demonstration. Thank you!
Another good reason to turn the quilt landscape is the roll will be a lot smaller in diameter in the machine, especially if you have a small machine.
I just began considering the purchase of a longarm quilter when I ran across your videos! your videos make it seem so doable for me at 71 yrs of age. I will try to contact you about a purchase !
That's great Theresa! You can find a few holiday deals here: leahday.com/products/grace-q-zone-hoop-frame
Thank you so much! Not sure how I would quilt without your help!
You are awesome, a wonderful teacher! Thanks.
Leah I just love all of your videos. I have learned so much. What I love is how you show us how to do it but also the whys. Thank you so much. Gg from Colorado
I have found that if I don't explain WHY in the video, I'll end up explaining it multiple times in the comments! LOL!
Lol. I am now getting ready to watch some more of your videos
Off topic, but I see you have the same media cabinet that I do. Best thread storage ever! I thought I was the only one who had thought of that! LOL.
LOL! Scrapbooking drawers from Michaels - yes, indeed!
Excellent instructions! Thank you.
Thank you! Very helpful and complete!
Great instructions!! I understand better now!!
Thank you so much for this video, we have similar products and I am learning on my own. Much appreciated.
Thank you Cynthia! I'm so glad you enjoyed this video!
I was watching your videos and listened to your suggestion to finance the midarm machine. I called Sewingmachinesplus.com and purchased a midarm sit down machine. I was surprised at the space it took up and shocked when the manufacturer (HandiQuilter) brochure showed a six foot frame that took up basically the same amount of space and there was also a 16” longarm machine to use with the frame. Luckily, Sewingmachinesplus had a 90 day trial so I was able to send the sit down machine back (had to keep the table) and I now have a long arm machine like yours. I was really surprised when you reported a month after I switched to the long arm that you had already bought a longarm too. It would probably have saved me time and money.
I'm glad you were able to send it back! They do take up a lot of room and sometimes that's hard to visualize until you get it in your space. We do have a new 4 1/2 foot hoop frame which takes up a lot less space, but it works differently for loading your quilt. The key is just trying out things until you find what works best for you!
This has been great, I have been thinking of buying an 8 foot frame for my simply 16 as I am getting frustrated with the little foot frame which still requires quilts to be basted, I love my longarm because as you say you can get the quilts done a-lot quicker. Thanks for the video.
I think that's a good move Laurelle. I've been looking at the hoop style frames and while I'm curious, and they certainly are smaller and cheaper than other frames, I think the best method is on a traditional frame like this with 2-3 bars to roll the quilt up this way so there's no basting required.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for making these wonderful videos. I've watched tons of videos on loading and this is by far the best.
Awesome! I'm delighted to hear this!
Thanks so much, you have helped me, Just got a 15pro and I am having a hard time starting off, I have no experience...wish me luck
Thank you, I have always pinned . I needed instructions on floating . I wanted to try to float, needed the push!, you are very helpful.
Thank you Sylvia!
I have not used my Q’unique 14 a lot but am thrilled to see your video. I have the lovely blue snaps but not the channel lock ..... need that.
Thank you Karen! Please use your machine! I share new videos every Friday so you can follow along and learn with me!
Thank you very much...you nice voice , details , tips is Great! I have a Pfaff longarm at home have not touched it in a years...but floating the batting and not using the side clips I believe will help. Bless you!
Thank you Cindy! I hope that helps!
That is a beautiful crazy colored backing...and we are lookin at the wrong side correct
That's Island Batik Fabric - it's gorgeous!
You have made learning the quilting process pleasurable. Thank you. I would love to see more longarm videos. I purchased a longarm but have received it yet.
You can find all of my longarm quilting videos linked here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/frame-quilting-friday-machine-quilting-fun-on-a-longarm
@@LeahDay Thanks
Thank you so much Leah for this video. It is the absolute best that I have found on loading.!
Thank you Janet! I'm so happy you found this helpful!
Very informative. Thanks for a great video 😊
Thanks Leah! This video has helped me a lot, I picked up a few tips from it.
Awesome Pat! I'm so happy to hear that!
Awesome!
Thank you so much for this video. I have just bought a grace frame and watching videos to set up. Yours has been the most helpful. I am curious about the plates that you can use as templates.
Awesome tutorial
Your method is better than the one which came with the frame. Thanks.
I'm so glad you found this helpful!
Cool 😎 I hope to get a longarm one day 😬 Thanks for sharing!
I use floral pins. They are long and strong.
Leah could you in the future show a video on how to use panto on our Qniques. Thank you and loving your podcasts😊
Yes, most definitely! I'm working on a pantograph collection and will be doing videos on them just as soon as it's done!
I made the the blue star quilt that you have on the back wall 2 yrs ago my UFO.....lol and am finally putting the binding on it. I'm wanting to know the name of the quilt for my quilt label. My was done in Patriotic fabric for a raffle for our local Community Club. Thank you in advance for your help and all you do to make quilting easier.
That's wonderful Carolyn! That's the Mega Star Quilt and I'm so happy you're using it for your local charity!
Great video
Great video, Leah--very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Helpful information. I have a quilt frame and I think it is the same one you have. I have a Bernita 830 to use with it but I am scared to use it. Pathetic I know. Your video helped me get some courage :)
That's great Julie! Remember, this is just fabric and thread and nothing to be afraid of!
Yes would be very interested in a Q zone video on loading a quilt! Been unable to locate a video that was as informative as your videos.
I'm working on that Debra! I hope to have Q-zone soon to play with!
I also have been looking for help on loading my quilt onto the Q-zone hoop frame. The straps get in the way of moving my 15R across the frame. I must not be losing the fabric correctly. Any suggestions?
So helpful!
Thank you for watching!
Hi Leah.I love your very detailed videos.Can you explain a little about how the machine is locked into place to stitch a straight line.I didn’t realize the machine could do that.Thank you.
I have a video on using channel locks specifically right here: leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/straight-line-quilting-on-a-longarm
Just ordered my grace clips. So excited. Me and pins don’t go good together lolol
Great explaining. Good info. Thank you
Thank you Theresa!
Hi! Very good demonstration and this machine and frame doesn’t look as gigantic as others. I have very limited space. Thank you for sharing.
Nellie Flanders HandiQuilter sells a Simply Sixteen midarm (16” throat) with several frame options. I have a Little Foot Frame, which is like a six foot wide embroidery hoop. I’ve quilted a king size quilt on it using large tool holder magnets to keep the quilt in place while quilting. This is the video I was thinking of: ua-cam.com/video/vhcQbwIxalE/v-deo.html
Cindy Griffis I have a Husqvarna free motion sit down quilting set up and do not like it, the machine is ok though. Was wondering if this machine would work with the frame Leah is using, think she said 8 ft
Nellie Flanders I’m not sure about that. The HandiQuilter sit down machine (Sweet Sixteen) has the capability of being turned into a longarm. The reason I originally bought it was because I wanted to switch to a longarm someday (I thought they were prohibitably expensive and large. (The one I’d seen at the dealer where I bought my domestic machine was $35,000. My Sewingmachinesplus salesperson said HandiQuilter was the only maker that had the option to change. Since I bought my machine I have seen setups where even domestic machines are put on a carriage with handlebars so they can be moved around on a table. I’d check UA-cam and google to see if that would work for you. The difference between a sit down and longarm is the way the machine moves over the fabric/table. My machine communicates electronically with the carriage to “track” the movements. This is a link to a video about a carrier for a regular machine on a large frame: ua-cam.com/video/vhcQbwIxalE/v-deo.html
Yep, this is set up as an 8 foot frame, and you can add a 2 foot addition if you get more space later. We also have a new 4 1/2 foot wide Q-Zone frame which works differently, but it takes up a lot less space.
I’m loving this video, I’m just wondering why you’re not using safety pins instead of pins?
Safety pins would be very difficult to close while on the frame. Straight pins are more common to use in this situation and the best choice.
This was so helpful. Thank you!
I'm so happy this was helpful for you Michele!
Also I noticed you have a little basket on your longarm....can you show up close. I am new to my longarm and I have the same one and I love idea of you having your notions on your qnique . More tutorials on this machine would be awesome . Thank you very much.
I shared a little video on that here: ua-cam.com/video/g9uVurvseaM/v-deo.html
I have more videos coming every Friday!
Hi Leah, I am looking into purchasing a Grace Q'nique15R and I thought that I would ask your expertise on the Q'nique longarm, what are your pros and cons on your machine? Do you ever have any problems with thread tension? I sure would appreciate any input that you might have on this. I am so confused on this, Leah you are my mentor when it comes to quilting videos and the how to knowledge you give to all us quilters. Much appreciative, Susan
Great questions Susan! Three pros and things I love about the machine - it's not nearly as expensive as other machine / frame combos, it's very sturdy, and the machine has two sets of feet now that really expand what you can do with it.
And three cons - it is only 15 inches which can seem pretty small on a big quilt. The light is a big bright and I've covered it a bit so it isn't quite so glaring (kind of the opposite problem you usually have). One tiny little issue I have is the thread popping out of one guide, but that might be a weird nuance of my machine and now that I'm aware of it, I'm in the habit of checking it.
These are little things and this is why I quilt on this machine and share videos on it - I'm SUPER happy with it! I had another longarm and sold it because I wasn't comfortable shooting videos on it that would sell that machine.
I know tension is a concern for most quilters looking to switch to a longarm and it's certainly an adjustment, but I've never struggled with it. Here's a video on how I do a tension test: leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/troubleshoot-tension-on-a-longarm
@@LeahDay Thank you Leah for your input on the Grace Q'nique. I may go ahead and purchase mine this week-end. I am certain as I too cannot really afford the more expensive Quilting machine. this will be my first Longarm. Have a great week-end. I enjoy watching your videos and all your projects and inspiration.
@@susanhardy8309
Good luck with your decision, and I wish you many, many hours of quilting happiness!! Getting a new longarm is SO exciting!! :)
Hi Leah first thank you for all the helpful videos
I was wondering if you could do a video about cleaning and oiling the Qnique 15 or the 14 + that you have if you already have something similar could you point me in the right direction thank you again and have a wonderful new year weekend
I noticed that you didn't install any side tension clips to your quilt after fully loaded. Do you find that you don't need this step due to the way your quilt is sandwiched so straight and the up and down tension is so even?
What's your suggestion for quilting a top that's wider than your frame?
For a rolling rail frame, like the one I'm using in this video, your quilt must be smaller than the frame. This is why quilters set up rolling rail frames at 12 feet long - because this type of frame must be bigger than the quilt you're quilting.
For HOOP style frames, you can shift the quilt side to side and quilt any size quilt on a small frame. So the question is - what type of frame do you have (do the rails roll?) and how big is it set up?
Leah love my machine but I think I need my frame bars adjusted to fit me deferently my shoulders get tired
I recommend adjusting the height of your frame so the front rail hits just below your bra line. That's what worked for me!
Hey-
Thank you for this tutorial, very well paced and easy to follow.
After reading through the comments I see you do not baste the sides. Is that correct?
You use 15 SPI for your basting. Do you find that to keep the quilt squared better?
How do you deal with fullness on the borders?
Last question- do you find that your quilt can develop a frown at the bottom from not basting the sides?
Thanks so much:)
Nope, I don't tend to baste the sides, though I do use side clamps more often now. I like for the fabric to be able to escape just in case my fluffy batting starts to form pleats.
So I followed your video here...but i didn’t exactly center the front rail...I let it hang to see where it would fall nice then pinned. When putting the backing on the front or is the back rail???? The one furtherest from the table and tensioned it up, I put soup cans in the middle to keep tension while I was rolling it up...it worked pretty good....do you think that is ok?
I put my frame together and the stich regulator and worked great I was pleased till I took it off the Fram and found that the back stitches were a mess all bunched and looked like a row of mess my juki manual has no anything about how to fix this help
Lots of different things can cause this. I'd troubleshoot one thing at a time - first make sure your threading is right. Then height of your foot, then if your needle is inserted properly, then how fast you are moving the machine, then if its your thread or the fabric in your quilt. Yes, all of these things! Also make sure to use practice sandwiches until you're sure the stitches are looking good.
Miss Leah, I just got my long arm and I’ve been watching you , I’m not sure how to load my quilt. Please help. I wish you could help me with my fist time. If you could help me I would surely help.
Do you ever use the batting bar when you set up a new quilt?
Why do you baste the batting first when you could the batting and top at the same time?
I like having a straight line already stitched on the quilt (it’s straight due to locking my machine channel lock). I find it easier to line up the quilt top and a little faster because I’m only working with one layer at a time. Try it both ways and see which you like best!
To install the quilt info will be very helpful
Thank you Thomas!
Great tutorial thank you! I’m just now transitioning to using my long arm. When using my domestic machine I would quilt; then cut off the batting and leave an inch of backing around the edge and fold that over to use it as the binding (I call it cheater binding). If I want to continue using that method for binding, would I baste the batting and top on to the backing rather than using the straight stitch as you did? So that I can remove the basting stitch once I’m done quilting, and then be able to cut away the excess batting but leave enough of the backing to fold over for batting? Thank you in advance for your help!
Yes, use a larger basting stitch for the edges in your case. Have fun!
That's exactly how I do it so thank you for asking this question. I like to keep the process as simple as possible.
@@LeahDay so are you saying to use the above method we would baste the sides once we have it loaded on the long arm?
I have a Q21 and Continuum II frame. Regarding the tension for the quilt backing, how tight is too tight? I am not having thread breaks, however, my pantos seem to go downhill, left to right. My back and top are square. When I am ready to advance, I have enough tension that when I turn the knob on the front bar (not the take up bar) that the tension release is immediate and the quilted portion "sags". It does not seem like the front bar is pushed in from the tension.
My past quilting machine was a 1943 Singer industrial machine that had been converted into a quilting machine. I really had to have a significant amount of tension when quilting on this machine. I have not been putting that amount of tension on the Continuum frame.
Thoughts?
That doesn't sound like a backing tension issue - that sounds like you're not rolling the quilt up on the back rail evenly. As you roll up, you need to roll / smooth out the quilt with your hands evenly along the rail. That way the quilt stays even across the length. It sounds like you are smoothing out to the left but not the right which is causing the design to veer. Try to align a seamline on your quilt with the back rail so you can see if that seam is staying straight to the back rail.
It does sound like you're getting the quilt slightly too tight. It needs to be bouncy with some spring, but not so tight the quilt layers are being distorted.
Oh My Goodness....I feel exactly the same! Spreading out batting....ick 😒
I have a Baby Lock Jazz II and just got the Grace Queen Pro frame. What size Velcro do you use to attach leader cloth to the bar. My leader cloth has the “stuffed” edge. Should I unstuff it before attaching Velcro to the 4 sided bar? Can I use the red rods with this set up? Look forward to hearing from you.
Unfortunately this is the wrong leader cloth for this frame. You should use the leader cloth with velcro and then yes, you can use the Red Snappers with this frame. The correct leader cloth can be found here - leahday.com/products/continuum-frame-leader-cloth
Thanks for the tutorial. How do you attach the quilt when floating when you reach the bottom of the quilt? The backing is taut and the batting lays fine, but I feel the quilt top itself is not well held once you move the bottom border under the needle.
Here's a video that helps explain that step - freemotionproject.com/2018/11/quilting-to-the-edge-of-your-longarm.html My methods have changed over the years so now I baste a quilt fully as I load it on the frame and the bottom edge is already secured to the batting and back before I reach that section.
Hi Leah,
I live in the UK and last year bought myself the same machine as you, but as you say they have renamed it. I haven't used it for a while, work has got in the way, but I cannot for the life of me remember if there is an automatic thread cutter? I have looked all through my manual and cannot see if there is one, it is probably staring at me in the face, any help would be most welcome. Love your tutorials. Teri
No, there is no thread cutters on any Qnique longarm machine.
How big do the clips need to be in order to fit over the wounded backing of a large quilt.
For thicker quilts, you'll want the pink 2-inch diameter Quilt Clips. If you order them from us, just make a note in your order you want the pink ones as we usually only carry the blue 1 1/2 inch. leahday.com/products/grace-qnique-accessories
Leah. I am in a wheelchair. I am not able to walk and I have to hold on to stand so I am very worried that I will not be able to do the set up for the quilt. Do you have any thoughts on who I should talk to to find out more?
Can you tell me more about moving a quilting project from home machine to longarm? I have a basted quilt but I just bought a longarm - not sure how i can quilt in on my longarm without taking pins out first.
I have a video on this here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/switching-between-a-home-machine-and-longarm
You may have to take out some of the pins, but don't worry, quilting it will be so much faster once you get it on your frame.
@@LeahDay Thank you very much!!
I have a nasty back and if I pin the first leader cloth from the front the pain gets pretty bad. Is there a variation that anyone can recommend?
I have since switched to using Red Snappers to clamp the backing fabric to the leader cloth. I no longer carry them myself due to shipping costs, so just run a search to find retailers online.
I see that you did not use the bungeclips when attaching the quilt, are they really necessary?
At this stage of my quilting experience, no, I didn't use the bungees. As I learned more, I began to see where I needed them. Now I always use bungee cords clamped to both sides of the quilt.
Leah, I need those pins you use with the leaders when loading a quilt. Can you tell me where to purchase them?
Great video!
I’m new to longarm quilting.
Do you baste down the sides as you advance the quilt?
I definitely do now. I also use the side bungee clamps as well. You need side tension to stop the quilt shrinking in at the middle.
I am trying to save up for a longarm but there are so many out there. What do you like about the q'nique? How large of a quilt are you able to quilt on it? Is it loud?
We have three different sizes of Qnique longarms now - a Qnique 15 is our smallest model and you can quilt any sized quilt with this longarm. The real key is the frame you use and we have two different styles of frames now to work with. I would advise watching more videos here to see how these work and how much space they take up - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/frame-quilting-friday-machine-quilting-fun-on-a-longarm
What if i am using a king quilt but my grace frame is a queen frame q-zone queen? How do i load it?
You're going to need to cut down your king sized quilt to fit the Q-Zone Queen Frame. That frame has a major limitation - 103 inches is it's maximum quilt size and there is no way to expand the frame or to load a bigger quilt. Trim off the borders or find a creative way to split the quilt into two halves, then find an equally creative way to connect it back together. Good luck!
Are you using a basting stitch for batting and top placement?
I don't think I did at that time. I do now.
What do you do at the bottom of the quilt? I feel like I get to the bottom and I have waves 🙄
Yep, this was a very early loading video and I soon learned that funny things can happen towards the end. I now baste the quilt on the frame to get the layers nicely organized all the way to the end and straight and square to the backing fabric.