My backstory: 9 months in, 3 quilts down (plus a few smaller projects) and the scariest bit BY FAR was putting the first of my quilts through the wash today 😬😬😬 I had never even touched a quilt before I started making them, so I'm winging it as I go, with the help of people like you!! Just hung it up about an hour ago and I am pleased to announce that it is still in one piece and all colours are where they were yesterday 🤣🤣 I have noticed though that I delay doing the next step (whatever that may be) if I get too nervous, until I can overthink all the possible problems and how to solve them. Then I get the courage up to do the next bit. Brains are weird sometimes 🤪
I am very new to the longarm. My husband and son bought me a previously owned machine and frame. Its all so overwhelming. You already have amazing videos and adding longarm videos would be the icing on the cake. Thanks for all of your advice and how to's .
Hiii More of this content pleasee! :DD I love to watch stitchedbySusan doing her long arm quilting for hours and hours. I would LOVEEEE to send you my first quilt! Your vibes are always so kind and awesome.
ooooh! I would be absolutely honored to work on your first quilt! It is such a magical thing to complete -- and I'm going to go check out Susan's channel and watch some of her videos. thank you for the recommendation 🤩
Hello everyone, I just bought a Pfaff Powerquilter 1650! Sewing Machine Plus had a deal I could not pass up. So after my sister and I got it all put together, today was the first time we tried quilting with it. Last night I made a small quilt with 30 8” squares. We were so excited. We tried different ways of quilting, pretty much doodling on the quilt 😂. We had to keep reminding each other to relax our shoulders and hands. We will continue to practice and build our confidence. Christen, thank you for the encouragement and support you give us, you are an angel.
Love the quilt Kristen. More long arm video’s would be great. By the way it’s 4.30 am here in Australia and I’m going back to sleep with a smile and such happy thoughts since you’ve popped into my night. Thanks for your wonderful disposition Kristen, you bring joy to the world.
I like that you were real about the space needed to house and operate your long arm. It’s definitely not something that I could squeeze into my sewing room! My local library has one so I need to sign up for the instructional course and try it out.
I love my apq Millie. 18” by 10 feet.. That is all the space I have.. no king quilts. The computer is the best part. I love your quilt. When I was a beginner is actually quilting it together.. it terrified me. Now it’s easy peasy. I love trying different techniques . Thank you in sharing.
Aw! I love that you have a millie too! And you can still do a whole lot on the 10 foot frame. 😍 Thanks for sharing that you've grown to love the quilting part too
Hey Christen! I'm starting a longarm class this week. It is definitely a scary new thing but I really want to learn. My first longarm quilt after my lessons will be Starly. Can't wait to show you.
Christen thank you for your video on long arm quilting..Yes it scares me to long arm. I am new at quilting. I am using my regular sewing machine to quilt. I admire you and your knowledge of quilting and sharing it. Thank you I am looking forward to seeing more of your videos.
I would love to see more quilting. I am new at the longarm, I mean brand new, and I am a bit afraid of it. That quilt is amazing and I would be so happy to see how you quilted it.
Just bought a long arm second hand. So this video was perfect timing. I probably won’t use it on a pieced quilt just yet but some plain fabric to get the hang off it.
I loved this video. I’ve recently found a great long arm quilter near me and it’s amazing how professional it make my quilts look. I’ve currently got 6 quilt tops made that I need to turn into finished quilts. Think I will be taking a trip to the long arm quilter some time soon!!
I’m just launching my own TH-cam channel @frances-spiritodesign, (just a few shorts so far) and would welcome any new subscribers, but only if you like my stuff!!
First of all, I love the idea of long arm quilting because I'm kinda scared of free motion quilting. I feel like it gives better control. Other things that scare me? Putting the right colors together (my "artistic" eye is not that great) and fabric cutting. I know that I'll get better at all these things with practice, but in the meantime, I'm so grateful for other quilters like you that help those like me through and keep encouraging us. Thank you! 🤟
Love the quilt you're working on! I've recently moved from quilting on my domestic machine to a longarm and would love to see more videos from you. I am working on free motion, no computer. I noticed your thread color. It looks like the color that my dealer suggested to me to use because it blends well.
thx for making this video. I like to watch the quilting on the long arm...fascinating . I hand quilt ( traditionalist at heart) .and would rather send a quilt to a professional like you that try long arm myself. The local quilt shop offers classes but I am not ready to do that yet.😍
Thank you for this chat! Finally purchased my long arm, got it set up in my sewing room. Have several quilt tops ready to quilt and I’m afraid to start! Not sure what to quilt where. I feel like I need a video that explains your thinking when you are ready to start quilting. How do you decide what design you will quilt? Ordovician just try an all over design? What is the best thing to do as a beginner? I don’t want to wreck a pieced top by messing up the quilting.
Hey Carol! I have a solid piece of advice for you to try here..... Make a play quilt. I made a quick jelly roll quilt to practice on and I just used to to get used to the machine and play. Straight lines? Meander? Flowers? Yes yes and again yes. It's still one of my favorite quilts because there is so much in it where I made mistakes and learned - the only way to get better at it is to go over those learning moments yourself! 😘 You got this!
I love the behind the scenes. I love learning about the long arm. I would love to know more about the computer side of it. Programming, updating, design? I am still a beginner and I struggle with just finishing a project. I have ADHD and I lose interest or have executive dysfunction I want to finish but can't get my brain and body together. The cutting is scary sometimes, sewing on point of course.
Fellow ADHD brain here! I get it -- there are so many beautiful things out there to be made and I can never decide what to do. There are several youtube channels out there that teach the computer side of it, but I'm happy to share more videos of my machine in action! 😍
I enjoyed this video? What is the largest quilt you can quilt on your 12 ft frame? I would also be interested in how you started your longarm business.
I usually try to keep my quilt backs no wider than 120 or so because it does get to be a lot to work with... rarely do I have giant projects that come in... but king size quilts are nice and easy 🌷 I'll have to share about my longarm business sometime ✨ It is definitely something I enjoy
Even a seasoned veteran long armer has scary moments we encounter almost on a daily basis. Like, what was that new noise the machine is making? Oh a Jacqueline deJonge, that’s going to show, and you want it done yesterday? How about a buried pin in the center of a quilt that you neglected to notice (how is beyond me) but your long arm finds it easy. Talk about a noise! Or a million seamed paper pieced quilt that in the first attempt of quilting it breaks a needle? See we get through it. Ya just have to hit the scaries head on.
Thanks for the video. I am a new long armer and have more trouble setting up the quilt especially the top and the batting. The bottom I can get on pretty easily, but I’ve noticed some long armers don’t roll the quilt 😢top they just lay it and same with the batting. I wasn’t sure if there were options or not because my long arm instructions tells me to pin the bottom of the quilt top and roll it.
It takes a while to figure out what works best for you. I pin the top and bottom of my backing fabric to the rollers. I "float" the batting and the quilt tops on my machine. Floating is a longarmer term and it works for all kinds of different reasons. Look it up and see what you think about trying it. It also depends on works best with your machine setup too.
Does the long arm have a stitch regulator, so you don’t have to worry about not consistent stitch length or the dreaded eyelash effect on the back when you do curves? Also I’ve seen people quilt with a long arm and they are not even holding the arm, it looks like the machine is doing it by itself, have they programmed a pattern? I don’t think I’ll ever own a long arm, way out of my price range, and don’t have the space for it too, plus I only make about 6quilts a year so I couldn’t justify it sadly xxx
My longarm does have the stitch regulator on it, but the eye lashing has more to do with tension and speed of the machine. The addition of the computer does allow the machine to move on its own - and thats a really nice perk! BUt I can also take it off of the computer and just do freemotion too 😍
Have you looked at the small hoop frames you can get from Grace? They were affordable for me. You can even use your domestic machine on them. I ended up getting a Brother 16 inch machine on sale for it. The frames are smaller. There are videos on them and they have several sizes. They also have sales every year. I am still learning on mine, but it was way more affordable and smaller.
Years ago I made a beautiful log cabin quilt with mainly Civil War reproduction fabrics. Each block has folded black corner triangles that are loose on their long edge. I added a thin border divided up so that I could add more folded triangles to form a square with the adjacent block’s triangles. I never did anything with the quilt top because I didn’t know how to quilt it. I realize now that I hate the border fabric and need to remove it. Are there pantographs or quilting patterns that are commonly used with log cabin quilts? I’ve never had a quilt long armed because I never felt comfortable trusting my quilt to someone I didn’t know. Do you have any advice?
Hi Carol! It can feel difficult to trust a complete stranger with your quilt tops... especially since you've spent so much time and energy on it already. There are so many quilt patterns out there -- I'm sure we could find one that would work for your quilt. If you want to send me a picture of your quilt top you can email me christen @ iseestarsquilting.com and I can give you a few suggestions
It comes down to a toss up of the complexity of what the quilt itself calls for (some of them just wouldn't be the same with an edge to edge design and require custom work) AND also... how much time do I actually have to quilt right now with the rest of life going on 🤣 Usually, if I'm short on time, a more complex computerized design is enough for me, but if I'm looking at maybe a contest quilt or something that I already spent like 9,000 hours (give or take a few) piecing, then the extra time is worth it.
I’m a newish quilter. I’m embarrassed to send a quilt top in for someone to put on a long arm because my seams are bad and my smashing is lazy. Any thoughts?
Yes, I have thoughts on this -- It's like going to the dr's office... they've seen it all and heard all the horror stories, but their only goal is to help you get better, right? Same here! I want people to be able to use the beautiful quilts that they have created! everyone starts somewhere and all sewists make the same early mistakes! The more you sew and make quilts, the more progress you'll see. I'd love to take one of your quilt tops and take care of it and quilt it into something you can use around your home! There is nothing like snuggling up with a quilt that is made with love and admiring every single mistake -- You know you have a one of a kind quilt made with love and learning ❤
Scariest part is trying to determine the best quilting pattern for my quilt pattern when doing it on my home machine. I'm a fairly new quilter so never sure what is best, even after doing a test run
The biggest takeaway, I never knew it took half an hour to load onto the longarm. That is an honesty I never knew. Thankyou. Hugs, Chel 🌸
You are so welcome!
My backstory: 9 months in, 3 quilts down (plus a few smaller projects) and the scariest bit BY FAR was putting the first of my quilts through the wash today 😬😬😬 I had never even touched a quilt before I started making them, so I'm winging it as I go, with the help of people like you!! Just hung it up about an hour ago and I am pleased to announce that it is still in one piece and all colours are where they were yesterday 🤣🤣 I have noticed though that I delay doing the next step (whatever that may be) if I get too nervous, until I can overthink all the possible problems and how to solve them. Then I get the courage up to do the next bit. Brains are weird sometimes 🤪
Wow!! So impressive!!! You sound like you were born to do it. It is a bit scary going through the wash for the first time, but trust your work. 🥰
Thank you
You're welcome!!
I am very new to the longarm. My husband and son bought me a previously owned machine and frame. Its all so overwhelming. You already have amazing videos and adding longarm videos would be the icing on the cake. Thanks for all of your advice and how to's .
You are so welcome. I know you can do it also!
The boot quilt is awesome!
Thank you so much!
Hiii More of this content pleasee! :DD
I love to watch stitchedbySusan doing her long arm quilting for hours and hours.
I would LOVEEEE to send you my first quilt! Your vibes are always so kind and awesome.
ooooh! I would be absolutely honored to work on your first quilt! It is such a magical thing to complete -- and I'm going to go check out Susan's channel and watch some of her videos. thank you for the recommendation 🤩
@@ISeeStarsQuilting you rock thanks so much for replying lol ♥️☺️
Hope you have an awesome week
I would love to see more long arm work. Thank you!
Thanks for the input! I'll try to include more longarm video sneak peeks in upcoming videos.
Hello everyone, I just bought a Pfaff Powerquilter 1650! Sewing Machine Plus had a deal I could not pass up. So after my sister and I got it all put together, today was the first time we tried quilting with it. Last night I made a small quilt with 30 8” squares. We were so excited. We tried different ways of quilting, pretty much doodling on the quilt 😂. We had to keep reminding each other to relax our shoulders and hands. We will continue to practice and build our confidence. Christen, thank you for the encouragement and support you give us, you are an angel.
That sounds like such a fun time. Quilting with others is the best!!!
Thank you for sharing the behind the scenes . I don't have a long arm, and don't want one. So to see what you do validates my decision.
Your quilt is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you think so! I put a lot of love (and thread) into that quilt! 🙌🙌
@@ISeeStarsQuilting it certainly shows.
That's an awesome quilt on your longarm. I had no idea there was so much time involved in getting a quilt onto the longarm. Thanks for the sneak peek.
It is a job! but its so beautiful to see the results and the completed quilts. Thank you for watching ✨
Awesome quilt! Paniolo style! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I appreciate your support. 🙌❤
Love the sneak peek of that quilt!! ❤❤
Thank you so much Becky!
That quilt with the cowboy boots is awesome! Kudos to whoever pieced it. The quilting you were doing was really highlighting the boots. Great job!
Thank you! I made this quilt myself! 🙌👢
Love the quilt Kristen. More long arm video’s would be great. By the way it’s 4.30 am here in Australia and I’m going back to sleep with a smile and such happy thoughts since you’ve popped into my night. Thanks for your wonderful disposition Kristen, you bring joy to the world.
That is so very kind Susan, thank yo so much. I am so happy you watched, and sweet dreams. 🥰
I like that you were real about the space needed to house and operate your long arm. It’s definitely not something that I could squeeze into my sewing room! My local library has one so I need to sign up for the instructional course and try it out.
Thats a wonderful way to still use the machine and be creative without having to rearrange your whole house 🙌
Yes I would love to see more of longarm technique. I am thinking about learning to longarm and making that investment.
YAY! That is wonderful.
Can’t wait to see that quilt completely finished
I can't wait to show all the details in this quilt! 👢
Really enjoyed this.
I am so glad Hannah!
I love my apq Millie. 18” by 10 feet.. That is all the space I have.. no king quilts. The computer is the best part. I love your quilt.
When I was a beginner is actually quilting it together.. it terrified me.
Now it’s easy peasy. I love trying different techniques .
Thank you in sharing.
Aw! I love that you have a millie too! And you can still do a whole lot on the 10 foot frame. 😍 Thanks for sharing that you've grown to love the quilting part too
Hey Christen! I'm starting a longarm class this week. It is definitely a scary new thing but I really want to learn. My first longarm quilt after my lessons will be Starly. Can't wait to show you.
I can't wait to see. 🤩
Christen thank you for your video on long arm quilting..Yes it scares me to long arm. I am new at quilting. I am using my regular sewing machine to quilt. I admire you and your knowledge of quilting and sharing it. Thank you I am looking forward to seeing more of your videos.
I love to share and learn from others. It is my joy in life.
I like how you outlined the boot. We go around the appliqué but not like you did. Amazing
Thank you so much! I am sure yours is just as lovely!!!
So cool! Thanks for sharing as always 😊
You are so welcome!
I would love to see more quilting. I am new at the longarm, I mean brand new, and I am a bit afraid of it. That quilt is amazing and I would be so happy to see how you quilted it.
It takes some practice, but I like it!
Please show more of long arm. I have more of a manual medium arm for 16 years and am scared to try using it. Money spent with no return
Be brave! Panels are a great way to start. "Journey of a thousand miles". "The best way to begin...is to begin"
You just have to go for it, it takes some practice but you will get it in no time. It is worth it.
Just bought a long arm second hand. So this video was perfect timing. I probably won’t use it on a pieced quilt just yet but some plain fabric to get the hang off it.
That is so exciting. I can't wait to hear all about it.
I loved this video. I’ve recently found a great long arm quilter near me and it’s amazing how professional it make my quilts look. I’ve currently got 6 quilt tops made that I need to turn into finished quilts. Think I will be taking a trip to the long arm quilter some time soon!!
That sounds so wonderful! You will be so glad you did. 😄
I’m just launching my own TH-cam channel @frances-spiritodesign, (just a few shorts so far) and would welcome any new subscribers, but only if you like my stuff!!
I love the boot quilt. I have never quilted but I have really been exploring lots of info and videos. I am getting ready to jump in.
Yay!! You will love it. 😍
Love love LOVE THIS QUILT!! ❤❤❤
That looks fun 😊
It really is.
Thank you for sharing this! I use my Jazz II on a Grace Cutie frame. It's the closest I'll get to a longarm but works for me. Enjoy your Millie!!!
Awesome! I'm glad you can do what you love. there are so many different options out there to make beautiful quilting designs!
First of all, I love the idea of long arm quilting because I'm kinda scared of free motion quilting. I feel like it gives better control. Other things that scare me? Putting the right colors together (my "artistic" eye is not that great) and fabric cutting. I know that I'll get better at all these things with practice, but in the meantime, I'm so grateful for other quilters like you that help those like me through and keep encouraging us. Thank you!
🤟
Thank you for being so sweet, and I know you would do great at it. It takes some work, but so worth it.
Love the quilt you're working on! I've recently moved from quilting on my domestic machine to a longarm and would love to see more videos from you. I am working on free motion, no computer. I noticed your thread color. It looks like the color that my dealer suggested to me to use because it blends well.
Thank you so much for watching. I will show more sneak peaks in videos to come.
thx for making this video. I like to watch the quilting on the long arm...fascinating . I hand quilt ( traditionalist at heart) .and would rather send a quilt to a professional like you that try long arm myself. The local quilt shop offers classes but I am not ready to do that yet.😍
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this chat! Finally purchased my long arm, got it set up in my sewing room. Have several quilt tops ready to quilt and I’m afraid to start! Not sure what to quilt where. I feel like I need a video that explains your thinking when you are ready to start quilting. How do you decide what design you will quilt? Ordovician just try an all over design? What is the best thing to do as a beginner? I don’t want to wreck a pieced top by messing up the quilting.
Hey Carol! I have a solid piece of advice for you to try here..... Make a play quilt. I made a quick jelly roll quilt to practice on and I just used to to get used to the machine and play. Straight lines? Meander? Flowers? Yes yes and again yes. It's still one of my favorite quilts because there is so much in it where I made mistakes and learned - the only way to get better at it is to go over those learning moments yourself! 😘 You got this!
Wish you lived next door! You are the best!
Christine you should think about red snappers loading is so much faster
Thank you for sharing that. I will look into that.
I love the behind the scenes. I love learning about the long arm. I would love to know more about the computer side of it. Programming, updating, design? I am still a beginner and I struggle with just finishing a project. I have ADHD and I lose interest or have executive dysfunction I want to finish but can't get my brain and body together. The cutting is scary sometimes, sewing on point of course.
Fellow ADHD brain here! I get it -- there are so many beautiful things out there to be made and I can never decide what to do. There are several youtube channels out there that teach the computer side of it, but I'm happy to share more videos of my machine in action! 😍
I enjoyed this video? What is the largest quilt you can quilt on your 12 ft frame? I would also be interested in how you started your longarm business.
I usually try to keep my quilt backs no wider than 120 or so because it does get to be a lot to work with... rarely do I have giant projects that come in... but king size quilts are nice and easy 🌷 I'll have to share about my longarm business sometime ✨ It is definitely something I enjoy
Even a seasoned veteran long armer has scary moments we encounter almost on a daily basis. Like, what was that new noise the machine is making? Oh a Jacqueline deJonge, that’s going to show, and you want it done yesterday? How about a buried pin in the center of a quilt that you neglected to notice (how is beyond me) but your long arm finds it easy. Talk about a noise! Or a million seamed paper pieced quilt that in the first attempt of quilting it breaks a needle? See we get through it. Ya just have to hit the scaries head on.
I love that....hit the scaries head on. Thank you for watching and your support.
Thanks for the video. I am a new long armer and have more trouble setting up the quilt especially the top and the batting. The bottom I can get on pretty easily, but I’ve noticed some long armers don’t roll the quilt 😢top they just lay it and same with the batting. I wasn’t sure if there were options or not because my long arm instructions tells me to pin the bottom of the quilt top and roll it.
It takes a while to figure out what works best for you. I pin the top and bottom of my backing fabric to the rollers. I "float" the batting and the quilt tops on my machine. Floating is a longarmer term and it works for all kinds of different reasons. Look it up and see what you think about trying it. It also depends on works best with your machine setup too.
@@ISeeStarsQuilting thank you so much for the advice and please have more videos for the long arm.
Does the long arm have a stitch regulator, so you don’t have to worry about not consistent stitch length or the dreaded eyelash effect on the back when you do curves? Also I’ve seen people quilt with a long arm and they are not even holding the arm, it looks like the machine is doing it by itself, have they programmed a pattern? I don’t think I’ll ever own a long arm, way out of my price range, and don’t have the space for it too, plus I only make about 6quilts a year so I couldn’t justify it sadly xxx
My longarm does have the stitch regulator on it, but the eye lashing has more to do with tension and speed of the machine. The addition of the computer does allow the machine to move on its own - and thats a really nice perk! BUt I can also take it off of the computer and just do freemotion too 😍
I don't have room for a long arm sewing machine; plus, I can't afford one. For me the hardest part of making a quilt is quilting.
The little rebel is a good economical alternative plus you can piece long arm and free motion with a table top frame. I love the little rebel
Have you looked at the small hoop frames you can get from Grace? They were affordable for me. You can even use your domestic machine on them. I ended up getting a Brother 16 inch machine on sale for it. The frames are smaller. There are videos on them and they have several sizes. They also have sales every year. I am still learning on mine, but it was way more affordable and smaller.
There are other versions, or you can always have someone else do it as well.
Where do I find the Quilt Care 101 sheet for download? Thanks!!
Please help me find this download.
Years ago I made a beautiful log cabin quilt with mainly Civil War reproduction fabrics. Each block has folded black corner triangles that are loose on their long edge. I added a thin border divided up so that I could add more folded triangles to form a square with the adjacent block’s triangles. I never did anything with the quilt top because I didn’t know how to quilt it. I realize now that I hate the border fabric and need to remove it. Are there pantographs or quilting patterns that are commonly used with log cabin quilts? I’ve never had a quilt long armed because I never felt comfortable trusting my quilt to someone I didn’t know. Do you have any advice?
Hi Carol! It can feel difficult to trust a complete stranger with your quilt tops... especially since you've spent so much time and energy on it already. There are so many quilt patterns out there -- I'm sure we could find one that would work for your quilt. If you want to send me a picture of your quilt top you can email me christen @ iseestarsquilting.com and I can give you a few suggestions
How do you decide between a computerized design and an original or custom one?
It comes down to a toss up of the complexity of what the quilt itself calls for (some of them just wouldn't be the same with an edge to edge design and require custom work) AND also... how much time do I actually have to quilt right now with the rest of life going on 🤣 Usually, if I'm short on time, a more complex computerized design is enough for me, but if I'm looking at maybe a contest quilt or something that I already spent like 9,000 hours (give or take a few) piecing, then the extra time is worth it.
I’m a newish quilter. I’m embarrassed to send a quilt top in for someone to put on a long arm because my seams are bad and my smashing is lazy. Any thoughts?
Yes, I have thoughts on this -- It's like going to the dr's office... they've seen it all and heard all the horror stories, but their only goal is to help you get better, right? Same here! I want people to be able to use the beautiful quilts that they have created! everyone starts somewhere and all sewists make the same early mistakes! The more you sew and make quilts, the more progress you'll see. I'd love to take one of your quilt tops and take care of it and quilt it into something you can use around your home! There is nothing like snuggling up with a quilt that is made with love and admiring every single mistake -- You know you have a one of a kind quilt made with love and learning ❤
😊 I need to finish it now.
Scariest part is trying to determine the best quilting pattern for my quilt pattern when doing it on my home machine. I'm a fairly new quilter so never sure what is best, even after doing a test run
I agree. I think we all worry about that, but just trust your heart.
I’ve been quilting for almost 10 years and I still tie my quilts because quilting on my home machine scares the be-Jesus out of me
❤❤❤❤ the quilt ❤❤❤❤
That is quite okay, do what you love!