My Longarm Learning

When quilters find it difficult to move a quilt around under a domestic machine to do free motion quilting they naturally try to find an easier solution! It's really hard moving the bulk of the fabric and wadding under a small freearm. You continually have to move it to stitch a new area. Sometimes it gets stuck and then suddenly frees itself and before you know it you've got short stitches and long stitches and you're unpicking it because you don't want to ruin the end result which has taken you ages to piece. We've been there too.  You can watch our video of my experience trying to complete a Log Cabin quilt under my domestic machine here . I finished the quilt on a Sweet Sixteen Longarm with stitch regulation and a 16" free arm space. It was so much easier and I LOVE the result! You could always use a "Quilt As You Go" method like Angela Walters shows here . However it still doesn't give you the freedom of longarm quilting and the playtime that...

Recipe for Success in  Longarm Quilting One of my favourite quotes is from "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Sainte Exupery. I first read his beautiful book when I was at school. Later in life, in my mid twenties when I was spending time in Paris on a regular basis I decided to improve my French by reading the French version. When I got to the phrase that had struck me as a child I wrote it down in my journal and I've transcribed it into the front page of every journal since. In English one translation reads. "It's very simple . It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." The original French. " Il est  très simple : on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." It applies to many things. Sometimes we can persuade ourselves in our head that the reason that we can't do something is for X, Y or Z reason when deep in our heart we know it is because we aren't app...

 I was struck this week by the importance of words of encouragement.  I know plenty of parents who have spent the early part of 2021 encouraging and cajoling their children to do their school work at home. Sometimes the roles are reversed and children are persuading their elderly parents to keep exercising despite the difficulties of lockdown. We all know how important words of encouragement can be, particularly if we are feeling isolated. Motivation becomes more difficult. It's one of the reasons why we have Facebook Groups like Longarm Learning Curve for Handi Quilter owners. You may not know it exists but within the group are all the previous HQ Owners in the UK (and worldwide HQ Owners can also join). The admins in the group are me (Liz), Lynda Jackson, Handi Quilter Ambassador and Educator and Nel Eyre a Handi Quilter Owner. We ensure the advice and guidance is on point and relevant to the group but otherwise no question is silly, stupid or unimportant. There is also a br...