Line Dancing

Fred & Ginger in Swing Time

"Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did, and she did it backwards and in high heels!"

What a brilliant line! It makes me smile. It also brings to mind the second reason why I love machine quilting on a frame:

A machine quilting frame lets you draw with your needle.

I think, perhaps the coolest feature of a machine quilting frame is the carriage that rides on a set of tracks. Sit your sewing machine on this carriage and you can glide your sewing machine effortlessly every-which-way across the top of your perfectly tensioned quilt.This is the feature that you need to see to believe. No matter how much research you do ahead of time, this easy gliding of the sewing machine will astonish you. It's like magic. The carriage transforms your needle into a pen and anything you can draw, you can quilt.

Most people hate wrestling a quilt under the arm of a sewing machine, and then trying to tension the layers while drawing backwards. Trying to FMQ while sitting at the sewing machine is counter-intuitive because the needle is stationary and the quilt is moving. That's like trying to write or draw by holding the pencil still and moving the paper. No wonder so many of us find this difficult! It requires a whole new set of skills - some people seem to manage this but I never could. My stitches were jerky and uneven while my neck and shoulders just got more and more tense. Machine quilting sitting at the sewing machine was a pain in the neck!

Using a machine quilting frame changes all this. There is no wrestling the quilt under the arm of the machine. The frame perfectly tensions the layers of the quilt creating a still and steady 'canvas' for you to draw on. The easy movement of the carriage enables you to draw with your needle just the way you have been writing and doodling and drawing all your life. And since you're moving the 'pen' the way you always have, you're good at it right from the start.

I love to hear people comment when they try our frame for the first time;

"Wow! I can do this!" 

"Look at this beautiful line of stitching!"

"I just wrote my name! "

"This is so easy!" 

"I Could do this all day!"  

But don't take my word for it. Come visit us and try it for yourself. We offer free Demonstrations at our Lincolnshire studio or come and visit us at the 2017 Festival of Quilts we're at stand A46 with the JUKI guys. Some people say that free-motion-quilting is like taking a line for a walk. But with our machine quilting frame it's more like taking a line for a glide. That's why we call it 'Line Dancing!'

Our NEQ frame is 'just right'!

Emily on the QVP and Ellie in the background on the New English Quilter frame

Long arms are WOW! But many people just don't have the space. That's where our New English Quilter frames come into their own. These smaller more affordable frames are an American idea that has been adapted to fit into our smaller English and European homes.

Ellie demonstrating on the 6 foot New English Quilter frame with the Juki TL98P

These versatile frames clamp to any table. The frame perfectly tensions each layer of the quilt so you'll never have to baste, pin, tack, or glue. Your sewing machine sits on a set of carriages that ride on tracks. This ingenious frame allows your sewing machine to glide effortlessly across the top of your quilt. Just like a long arm but for a fraction of the cost.

People are so surprised the first time they see it! And often a bit reluctant to have a try. But we really encourage people to  give it a go so that they can feel the easy movement of the sewing machine.

Here's a shot of Ellie showing how to guide the sewing machine with the ergonomic speed control Nifty Grip handles

And here's our visiting quilter giving the JUKI TL98P a 'test drive' on our New English Quilter frame. She's surprised at how easily the sewing machine glides and happy that she tried something new at the Festival. It really does move "like magic!" 

Getting what you pay for

Value for money! 

In today's uncertain economy, value for money is more important than ever. 

Essentially, a quilting frame is a tool designed to accomplish a purpose. A good tool is worth every penny! 

If you're thinking about getting a quilting frame, these are the features to look for:

• A good quilting frame will be simple to set up and easy to use.
• A good quilting frame will enable you to machine quilt your
  own tops for a fraction of the cost it would take to pay someone else.
• A good frame enables your sewing machine to glide effortlessly over the top of your quilt instead of wrestling your quilt under the arm of your sewing machine. This transforms machine quilting from a pain in the neck to something truly enjoyable.
• A good frame perfectly tensions the layers of your quilt so you'll never have to baste, pin, glue or tack a quilt again! I think it's worth every penny just for that.
• A good frame is made to measure. This means that it fits you! It's designed for your height, and the length of quilt that you want to make.
• A good frame comes with good, easy to understand, well illustrated instructions.
• A good frame comes with ongoing support, helping you to to get started and become a fluent machine quilter.

A good frame does some of these things, a great frame does them all. There are many frames on the market. While you are shopping around the show ask yourself, "Am I getting value for money?"

Our New English Quilter frames give you many of the features of a long-arm for a fraction of the cost. Made from the finest materials, our frames are designed to last a lifetime. And because they're so easy to set up and take down they fit beautifully in our homes. Best of all we give lots of after sales support and tuition. We want to make sure that you have all the help you need to become a fluent machine quilter!

The New English Quilter gives you value for your money. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Sometime you get a lot more!