Eye Hand Coordination

Following on with  5 reasons why I love machine quilting frames. Here's reason # 4: Machine quilting frames help you see what you're quilting. FMQ wherever you do it, requires a certain amount of eye hand coordination. Drawing the right way round is a huge advantage. So is being able to see what you're doing!

So this 4th reason that I love machine quilting on a frame, has to do with visibility. Our Machine Quilter frames are designed to give you the best view of what you're quilting.. When you're free motion quilting sitting at the sewing machine you are working on a relatively small section of your quilt, maybe 5 by 7 inches. In contrast, a machine quilting frame lets you see a whole slice of your quilt. This really opens up your view. On a frame you can see where you've been, where you are and where you're going. This helps you keep your stitching consistent. Being able to see what you're doing makes you a better quilter. 

Our Nifty Grip speed control handles replace your foot pedal, so you don't have to do one thing with your foot and another with your hands. The Nifty Grips mean that you don't have to kick your foot pedal across the floor, or squeeze it with your hand at the same time as you're trying to guide the sewing machine. 

Our Nifty Grips are designed to make machine quilting much much easier. They're also designed so you can see what you're stitching. They're low for comfort, and being low they won't block your vision. Machine quilting frames create the perfect platform to foster eye-hand coordination so that the ideas in your mind's eye can flow out your fingers.

Happy Customer

Lesley and Ian came up for a free demo a few weeks ago. 

Lesley decided to take the plunge and purchase her very own 6 foot New English Quilter frame. 

She ordered a 6 foot table too so we could custom the table legs  to get it to just the right height for Lesley to quilt in comfort. Using a quilting frame means that Lesley will never have to baste, pin or tack a quilt together ever again! The frame holds each layer of the quilt sandwich steady and perfectly tensioned.
Lesley also purchased a new JUKI TL98P lockstitch sewing machine and a set of Nifty Grip speed control handles to replace the foot pedal.

Now lesley can glide the sewing machine over the top of her quilt effortlessly creating beautiful and bold lines of stitching. The speed control Nifty Grip handles are ergonomically designed so that guiding the machine is comfortable and puts no stress on Lesley's neck or back.

Lesley and Ian came up on Monday to collect her New English Quilter Frame, 6 foot purpose built table and Nifty Grip speed control handles. She brought her new Juki TL98P sewing machine that she'd purchased from Franklin's so that we could get it tensioned and running smoothly. We give a free workshop to customers who choose to collect their frames. Our free workshop gives Lesley the chance to run the new sewing machine through its paces and get advice and tips for getting started. When Lesley and Ian went home they were able to get the frame up and running in no time.

Lesley emailed today to say;

"I’m having such fun. 

I love my frame
 it's fantabulous!!!!!!"

Lesley is delighted to have the benefits of a long arm for the fraction of the cost. She's happy that the frame just the right size to easily fit into her car and her sewing room. 

All the after sales support from the Machine Quilter team means that Lesley will have the help she needs to become a fluent machine quilter in the weeks and months to come.

Lesley's husband Ian, just emailed me this photo of Lesley's very first 'play' on her 6 foot NEQ frame. It's such a good idea to begin with some scrap fabric and launch into some playful line designs. Well done Lesley. A brilliant beginning!

Lesley's very first play on her new frame

Brenda for Project Linus

Brenda Pack Project Linus Lincolnshire with Fantastico thread cones

Meet Brenda Pack. As the Project Linus coordinator for Lincolnshire, Brenda keeps busy quilting the many tops that come to Project Linus. Project Linus is a charity providing quilts for all sorts of children from babies to teenagers. Many people send in tops and quilting groups across the country meet up to sandwich the tops with fleece or backing and wadding and then sew on the binding. The completed quilts are passed on to all sorts of children who need the bit of the comfort that home-made quilts can give.

Brenda uses a SuperQuilter frame and a JUKI TL98P sewing machine

To keep up with the project Brenda uses a machine quilting frame and a JUKI TL98P semi-industrial straight stitch sewing machine. You can see the Nifty Grip speed control handles that Brenda uses instead of the foot pedal. The 1500 stitches-per-minute and the extra height and width under the arm help Brenda to finish many quilts quickly. The stack of tops at the front of the photo are waiting to be quilted and the stack at the back are already completed!

a recent project under the arm of the Juki TL98P 

Brenda finds that the right threads make a big difference too. The variegated Fantastico cones from Superior Threads are ideal for Project Linus Quilts. Brenda likes to use the Fantastico on top and Bottom Line in the bobbin. Together these threads give a lovely and strong finish to the quilts. Brenda said:

" I bought my JUKI TL98P lockstitch sewing machine in January and went on your January retreat, since then I have quilted 52 tops using one cone of Bottom Line in silver which I used on all the quilts." 

Impressive! Brenda lives close enough to pop round and choose threads whenever she needs some new colours. If you live further away, the new Fantastico thread booklet just out at Machine Quilter   will make it easy to order all the new variegated colour-ways from the Fantastico range. So NEW it's not yet on the site. You can email or ring Martha with your order.

Project Linus UK has a Facebook page. Follow the link to see how you can join the project.

Another Happy Customer

Carol bought a machine quilting frame a few years ago, NOT one of ours.  But the frame didn't perform as she expected it would and the seller did not offer any after sales service. Understandably, Carol was really frustrated!

Carol heard about our 'La Mer' DVD. We designed the DVD to be helpful to ANY quilter using ANY sewing machine on ANY frame. Carol did find it helpful, but she was still struggling to get a nice line of stitching on her frame.  Just before Christmas she decided to get a set of Nifty Grips to help guide her sewing machine but realized that the installation was going to be difficult. As we were trying to figure out what to do, Carol's husband stepped in and said, "Just order the 6 foot New English Quilter frame." So she did! 

Carolis smiling now with her NEQ frame 

Carol's New English Quilter frame, purpose built table and Nifty Grip speed control handles arrived yesterday. Carol set it up today and here's what happened:

"Hi Martha, And we are off!!  I have just completed my first line of quilting and followed your manual instructions to the letter.  As you say in the manual practise is the key but I am so pleased with efforts so far and the simplicity of setting up.  The goody bag is just lush – I love the thread colours am sure I shall be ordering some in the future.  The manual is brilliant and is almost as if you are speaking directly to me very easy to follow and reassuring with the little summaries of steps along the way.  I just had to take a break and let you know my progress so far.  I am delighted. 

Very best wishes and thanks,Carol."

Carol is up and running with her New English Quilter frame

We love our customers, even AFTER they pay us.    We offer lots of customer support before, during and especially after our sales. We are delighted that after years of frustration,  Carol is up and running with her New English Quilter frame. And if she does run into any problems we are always happy to help.

Juliet's First Go

machine quilting detail of Juliet Flockhart's Chelsea Blues quilt

I love it when customers send me photos of their work! Juliet had a chance to try out our New English Quilter frame at the Alexander Palace Knitting and Stitching Show last fall. Then she came to visit for a free demo and decided it was just what she needed to move forward with her quilting.

Juliet setting up her 8 foot NEQ2frame

Here's a photo of her 8 foot NEQ2 with the JUKI TL98P lockstitch sewing machine and the Nifty Grip speed control handles. She's just got it out of the box and set up in a spare bedroom. Juliet is happy to be able to leave the frame set up most of the time.

practising the ripple stipple pattern on some scrap fabric

Now Juliet is practising the Ripple Stipple from the La Mer DVD. It's a good idea to spend time on a practice piece before launching out on the proper quilt.

Juliet's Chelsea Blues quilt , finished and just off the NEQ2 frame

I think that Juliet's Chelsea Blues quilt is just gorgeous. The Ripple Stipple quilting pattern worked beautifully with the log cabin pieced blocks. The stitching pattern shows up well on the back in the photo below.

the machine quilting stitches show up well on the back

"I have completed my 'Chelsea Blues' quilt and am very pleased with the outcome. Apart from perhaps having the quilting too close for my taste, the actual presentation is very pleasing.  The tension was nigh on perfect and the back was excellent, which was what I was having so much trouble with latterly on my hand and machine quilting.  It has a very nice 'hand quilted' effect all over which was exactly what I had been aiming for."

Juliet's next project!

Isn't it nice when a plan comes together. I'm excited to see what happens with this one!! After working for a couple of months on her own, Juliet is coming down from Edinburgh for our March Retreat at the Petwood. What fun!