Practicing on longarm

[lulu]

What do you use exactly to practice on your longarm? Do you use sheets from yard sales? Do you always have to buy batting? Can you use an old blanket instead of batting? Do you have to have some type of batting at all? Who can afford batting and fabric to keep practicing?
I have a Babylock crown jewel. Heck of a time getting tension right - huge nests underneath and then there's this other issue of breaking needles!?!?!
HELP!

[SuzyQue]

Re: Practicing on longarm

Yes, it can be frustrating and expensive to keep practicing. I have found it best to use fabric similar to what I will be quilting on in the future and batting. I buy extra wide backing or good quality muslin to practice on, but old sheets would work. Newer sheets are very tightly woven and once you get your tension right, it will not be the same for good quilting cottons. I have found getting the long arm mastered was an uphill battle for me. I have done tons of practicing. Most of these pieces go to the doghouse for winter warmth or they are donation quilts. I know some people learn it quicker and are not as perfectionistic as I, thus requiring much less practice.

Breaking needles sounds like you are not moving with the machine. I have never broke a needle on the quilt machine. Are you hitting pins or edges of rulers?What size needle are you using? Some threads require different sizes. I generally use a 18. As far as the tension goes, it does vary with different fabrics and especially with different weights of threads. It is something you have to learn to mess with and not fear. Once you get it right it only takes small adjustments to perfect it. I don't have the same machine, so hopefully someone will answer more specifically. I typically tighten til the top thread is too tight, then back it off. The ideal is to have the tension meet in the batting.

[classynsassy]

Re: Practicing on longarm

I purchased a bolt of muslin and batting from Joanns using a coupon and watched lots of YouTube videos and then I took the plung and took a 3 day class from Longarm university and it was beyond worth it, she also has online classes too. Do you have any local dealer support that you can reach out to? That would be my first step! It takes time to learn a new machine, don't get frustrated, you'll learn to love it !!

[Carlie Wolf]

Re: Practicing on longarm

If I recall, the first thing I put on my frame for practice was a piece around 40x 50 and it was a cut sheet for backing and top and then a piece of a piece of a cheap polyester blanket I had around the house. I just did meandering. I just wanted to get a feel for how the machine moved and what speed I had to go. My movements were quite erratic in the beginning. I think I did about three of these before I tried my first real quilt. I still do the occasional "practice quilts" when I'm trying some new quilting pattern. At the moment I use them for practicing feathers which I'm rotten at. I've got a system where I try out new blocks to see how they'll look and do them the size for cat cage matts and donate them to the cat shelter when they are finished.

SuzyQue is right, getting the right tension is a never ending process. It changes usually with each quilt you do depending on materials used. I check the tensioning with each bobbin change and that can be two or three per quilt. Tension adjustments continued to be a problem with me until I got the Towa Bottom Bobbin Gauge. For the first three months I did use Jamie Wallin(?)'s method for tensioning but it was always an uphill battle and I'd literally have to take an hour or so with each quilt I put on. The Towa Bobbin Gauge is pricey (around $50) but well well worth it and I believe they have a model for the Babylock also. Once I got one I swear I felt that it was the secret that long arm quilters didn't want to share with others LOL. I've never needed the Towa Top Bobbin Gauge just the Bottom one. (cheaper that way. Superior Threads sells the different models)

I've never had much of a problem with needle breakage. It's just an occasional thing. When it's happened to me it was generally when my bobbin would get stuck in the quilt and I tried to force the machine to pull out of it.....not a good idea and I'll tell you it didn't take much of a "forcing" motion. It tended to either just bend the needle slightly or throw the timing off to one degree or another. It can be just a tiny fraction of being off but just enough for the needle not to easily go into the bobbin plate hole.

In the beginning it can be quite frustrating since you don't know if it is all occurring because of something you did or an anomaly with the machine. Once you start playing with the bobbin bottom tension and then also the top tension you're not sure which really was the problem in the first place. So it then usually takes longer to fix. Once I spent two days playing with tensioning only to discover it was never the initial tension anyway. Turned out that while everything looked threaded properly the problem was that the thread had not set properly into the top tension guide wheel. You have to make sure that the thread actually did "click" into that guide.

I "feel" your pain :-) but I can assure you that it does get better and soon you'll be just zipping along with your quilting. I IS so much fun!

[Carlie Wolf]

Re: Practicing on longarm

Quilting Irish, it's the Bottom Towa Bobbin Gauge not so much the Top Bobbin Towa Gauge that you need. As long as your bottom bobbin is set properly it's rare or only very slight adjustments that you need for the top gauge and that is pretty easy to do on your own :-)

[bhaggerty]

Re: Practicing on longarm

I have that same machine and have never had the issues you are having. Sounds like your bobbins are not wound correct or something wrong with your bobbin case. Can you go back to your dealer for advice?

[lulu]

Re: Practicing on longarm

Thanks So much!

I don't use pins or rulers, I wonder if I'm moving too fast sometimes and breaking needles.
I do use the Towa bobbing gauge. It's the top tension I have nightmares over. I thought the top tension may be whats causing those bird nests????
I use needles that came with the machine. And got good quality thread from a quilt show. Also good quality batting.
The dealer here sells and repairs, but no classes. I actually hauled that big thing into him one day and when he looked and tried it - it was fine (of course!).
I've heard of the bobbin washers, but don't know if they'd work for mine, as the bobbin is not a drop in, but upright where you push it in.
I've done about 5-6 quilts, and usually do meander - which gets boring.
Thank you all for your knowledge, any comments are helpful!!!
Linda

[bhaggerty]

Re: Practicing on longarm

My dealer said the crown jewel does not need the bobbin washer/saver.
There is a small wire that is the weak link in the top tension apparatus that I have had to replace before. Easy to do. Post a picture of your top tension apparatus.

The crown jewel has built in speed controls. Therefore you needle breakage should not be from going to fast in any direction. I go super fast and have never broken a needle with mine. If your bobbins are good and you use the Towa to check them, it is likely the top tension apparatus.

[rebeccas-sewing]

Re: Practicing on longarm

Does it help to have a stitch regulator? Hearing this kind of thing is what puts me off from buying one of these longarm machines. I hate the idea of spending thousands of dollars only to have headaches trying to use the darn thing.

[lulu]

Re: Practicing on longarm

My machine does have a stitch regulator.

[SuzyQue]

Re: Practicing on longarm

A stitch regulator helps keep even stitching, but doesn't address tension issues. Check your bobbin case before using bobbin washers. My Innova has a anti back lash spring that works even better than the washers. I do use the washers in my Janome. Also, some LAers take out this spring and use magnetic pre- wound bobbins. This helps with any bird nest issues. I use a Towa gauge and have finally set the bottom tension correctly, so now it is just some tweaking on the top tension for that perfect stitch. This tweaking happens with every new quilt and thread change. I keep a large muslin sandwich nearby to rub test stitching on or try out new designs. It comes in handy if someone wants to doodle with my quilt. I have some large clamps that allows me to pop that quilt sandwich on my frame quickly. Keep at it......it takes lots of practice.......

[KarenC]

Re: Practicing on longarm

Make sure your needle is put in correctly. I had the problem once where I kept breaking needles. After the 4th one (yes, I'm stubborn and know that repeating the same process over and over does not change the results) I decided to look at my book and the needled was in backwards. Another time the needle was not all the way in. As for practice, I have used old sheets, muslin, etc. When trying to get the feel of the machine or trying new designs, I have also used a previous practice piece as my backing/batting and put a new practice top on it. After a while, just tossed that practice and started over. After using my LA for 2 years (hard to believe it's been that long) and using my TOWA guage for the bottom, I finally had a quilt where I loved the tension right off the bat. This means more practice does help to improve.

I have the Tin Lizzie ESP, and my machine also allows for the presser foot to go up and down. As I understand most long-arms do not have this. Anyway, if you forget to put it down, you will have a huge birdsnest on the bottom and it eventually breaks the thread. There is also a free beginner LA class on Craftsy as well as many other online videos. One of my problems was first not believing in myself. Once I watched the videos and kept repeating "I CAN do this" instead of " I will never get this", things went a lot better. Now, I can't wait to finish a top, just so I can quilt it.

[lulu]

Re: Practicing on longarm

I know there are classes online - but some seem so "general". I wish there was one specifically for my machine. It did come with a video, but again, very general.
It's that tweaking the top tension that I just can't wrap my head around!!!

[KarenC]

Re: Practicing on longarm

I know there are classes online - but some seem so "general". I wish there was one specifically for my machine. It did come with a video, but again, very general.
It's that tweaking the top tension that I just can't wrap my head around!!!

That part will get better. I know what you mean. Just once the bottom is what you want, just adjust the top. My dealer also told me to don't be afraid to adjust the top a lot. I wish your dealer provided on site classes for you where you could even use your own machine. I went to a 3 day hands on retreat with Linda Taylor in Montana that was awesome, although it was pricey too. Don't know if that is an option for you. If it is, PM me and I can give you more details.

[SuzyQue]

Re: Practicing on longarm

One way to save fabric and batting while you are learning and practicing is to change color of threads and quilt back over what you have already done. It will be messy looking and thick........but if you use contrasting threads you can see where you are, where you have been, and your improvement over time. I have done up to 4 different colors before I had to get rid of it......messy!