Whining; Long Arm Woes

Learning something new takes dedicated hard work and focus. I have told my composition students this repeatedly over the years, and I now need to take my own advice. Since receiving the gift of the Tin Lizzie in the fall of 2016, I have taken way too much time in dedicating myself to focusing on learning how to successfully use this machine. I know I can't just step up to the machine and quilt a quilt with the skill of a professional. I must allow myself to progress on a natural learning curve.

Easier said than done.

I was told by one shop owner/Tin Lizzie dealer that I am "chicken." He would be correct. I am afraid  of it! Afraid to make mistakes; afraid of messing up a quilt; afraid of breaking or misusing the long arm machine; afraid of yet another repair trip. All of it is intimidating. I want to learn, but there is so much to learn. It becomes overwhelming. 

I have had a few successes. Gosh, those have been great. Most have been quilts I've made for others, like the ones shown above; baby quilts and t-shirt quilts. The mistakes and missteps I encounter in between those successes are what seem to intensify my fears. I let the possibility of mistakes stop me dead in my tracks. I will never learn and improve if I am paralyzed by my fear of failure.

 I just took Meadow Lily, a wedding gift, off the frame, after putting it on February 28th. My intention was to have it quilted and off the machine within a week. Definitely by the time of the wedding on the 20th. It suffered many setbacks, the biggest of which resulted in picking out the quilting of one long pass of stitches. See below for what I removed. Ugh. Is it any wonder I am slightly gun shy? This quilt will be late to the newlyweds. (It's not the first; nor the last, I'm sure.)

The problem had a couple of layers. First I did not leave enough space for the machine to quilt freely to the edge of the quilt. Second, I was sloppy in loading the backing as well as the batting. My fix for the top of the quilt as it is put onto the frame is to use a header. I sewed a long strip of stiff fabric together, and then hand basted it to the quilt. The header was then pinned to the leader on the frame/bar, this gave me space to work out stitching and creases and such. It worked like a dream and I think I will continue to do this on future quilts. Here's a couple of pictures showing what I did.

Another concern that is going to have to be addressed before quilting another quilt is to figure out why I have occasional long stitches. See the picture below; the seam ripper is pointing to the big, long stitch.

I think this can be attributed to dust (yes, this is a dusty job) and/or an old needle. Below is a picture of the dust that accumulates in the area around the bobbin after one pass of the machine down the length of the quilt. Incredible how much dust is created. I will do a thorough cleaning/oiling and insert a new needle before starting the next quilt.

I do feel I am becoming less of a chicken. It is a constant inner battle with myself. One minute I can be so determined to master this thing; the next I can procrastinate and drag my feet. Woe is me!

YouTube videos have been great at motivating me. Instagram Reels are also giving me confidence. Those gals do this so seemingly effortlessly! I tell myself I can be that confident, too, if I would just work at it.

Okay, enough whining. I have a quilt to bind!

There is a page dedicated to all the quilts I have actually quilted on the long arm. Click over in the side bar (if viewing on a laptop) or in the drop-down box (if viewing on a smartphone). Small steps.

Happy Quilting, Friends!