Bits and Pieces

As you're unpacking your new Machine Quilter frame, you'll find some mysterious metal bits. They're bubble wrapped to the underneath of the bottom carriage with the G-clamps. You'll use the G-Clamps to clamp your side arms to your table. In this post we'll explain what to do with the other metal bits.
Every one of our frames comes with these three metal bits pictured in the photo above. The elbow shaped bit is a stylus for pantographs. The other two bits fit into a rounded triangular piece of wood to make a thread stand which you can use on or off the frame.

The Stylus

This elbow shaped metal piece is a stylus for following pantographs. It fits into a hole in the top carriage. The simple metal stylus allows frame users to follow a pantograph pattern just like longarm quilters. There is a  high tech laser stylus available. It does exactly the same job as the simple low tech metal stylus that comes free with your Machine Quilter frame. We think that simple is better.

 A pantograph stylus allows you to copy the design on the pantograph design that's laid onto the frame table. As you trace the pantograph design with the stylus, which is attached to the carriage,  the sewing machine needle will draw the same design on your quilt fabric. It sounds like magic. But using a pantograph has it's own set of challenges. The carriage movement needs to be smooth. If you move the stylus in a jerky way, the line of quilting will be jerky too.  Treat the pantograph pattern just like a Free Motion Quilting line design. Turn off your sewing machine and trace the  panto pattern over and over again with the stylus on the carriage.  Your brain and muscles will remember the pattern and be able to create a smooth and flowing line with a pantograph.

I would strongly recommend waiting, and doing pantograph patterns later. Initially, it is better to focus  on creating overall lines designs yourself. This requires a bit of letting go and loosening up so you can and make mistakes and learn from them. Trying to do the perfect pantograph interferes with this process. First, learn to relax and draw your own lines. It takes a few quilts and lots of practice to gain fluency with free motion designs. Once you're able to guide the carriage where you want it to go for your own designs, you be able to tighten up to do the panto designs. 

The Thread Stand

The other two bits of metal also fit onto the top carriage. These remaining 2 bits make a thread stand so that older sewing machines, without extend-able thread guides, can still use the larger cross-wound thread cones. Once the thread goes through the eye of the thread guide, you simply thread your sewing machine as normal.

Many of the newer sewing machines, like my JUKI TL98P come with extend-able thread guides already built in. But these bits and pieces are included with our frames to make sure that any sewing machine can take advantage of the more economical cross-wound cones. 

The MQ frame has an integral thread stand

Now you know what the metal bits are for. Most people using our Machine Quilter frames invest in the Juki TL QVP Mini straight stitch sewing machine to use on the frame. The Juki TL QVP Mini comes with its own extendable thread guide so the bits are unnecessary. 

Instead we provide a triangular wooden base so that you can still use the bits OFF the frame.  Put the short bit in the bigger hole in the middle. Put the long thin bit with the loop on the end in the smaller hole to the side. Now you have an extendable thread guide that allows you to use the larger, more economical cross wound cones on your ordinary sewing machine. It's just a little gift from us to you.

using the thread stand off the frame

Simply place the cone on the thread stand, pass the thread through the metal loop and thread your sewing machine as normal.

 Now you can use the larger cross wound cones with any sewing machine, no matter how old.