Good luck with it whatever you do!!
Theresa

I'll be watching this thread for the tips.

Take something to practice on. You can't get the smooth motion till you do it a bit. And, yes, a meandering all over is the easiest to start with. You'll have to choose a thread color that won't hide your T shirts. Too close together will make it a bit stiff so spread it out a bit and go slowly till you get the hang of it. That's my two cents.

Very exciting! Details.....what kind of longarm.....where......do you plan on using a pantograph or free motion??

Are you going to have someone give you instructions and guide you? It isn't the same as sitting down at a 'different' sewing machine and instinctively knowing how it works :)
One of the (kinda) local quilt instructors and pattern designers rents time on one of her machines. She requires a certain # of hours of Instructions & all practice is done on charity quilts she provides & donates. Same with the warm up practice.

I would not plan on quilting anything you want to keep for the first quilt. I would take muslin and a muslin backing and use some contrasting thread and play. I find meandering very hard -- that's just me. I can wrap my brain around a motif and concentrate on quilting that - but just meandering willy-nilly does not come easy for me at all! That muscle memory thing is real -- draw-draw-draw whatever you plan to do ahead of time.

I would save the Tshirt quilt for when you have acquired some skill. It is special, even if it is a stay at home quilt. I say this, because it has knits w/ different designs of mixed media - stabilizer and cotton -- I would get familiar with the technique and longarm, before adding all the extra issues of a Tshirt quilt as my first quilt - just my opinion.

I am sure you will be great at it, and you will love the experience. Check the back often, for perfect tension and smooth back. I feel you cannot look at the back too many times.

Have fun!

This must be very exciting for you! Looking forward to seeing pics of your progress.

I rent a longarm for the day from a friend and find that using a pantograph is the easiest for me. I find meandering difficult. Maybe load a back and batting larger than you need and first load a muslin practice piece. Once you have played for a while, roll the practice piece forward and add the T-shirt quilt. That way you dont take up time loading, unloading and reloading.
Have fun!

Maryv

All good advice! Thank you!

I have played with the machine a bit, but can't say I'm experienced. We've practiced with muslin and some truly ugly fabric that my friend must have purchased in the dark. :~))

I found the pantos to be difficult to use although it got better when I started looking ahead of the red dot instead of right at it. I should have realized that quicker but didn't.

I do want this to be soft, so I won't be doing any tight patterns. I can do a meander on my own machines but want to do something a little more adventurous on this. Not much, but a little. Still planning...

I brought children's panel quilts (train panels and the like which were about a yard of fabric) and simple pieced quilts to practice on and then gave them as gifts or charity. I didn't feel I was just practicing with muslin and the babies/kids didn't care about the quilting and the quilts are smaller and you finish quickly and practice loading/unloading which was complicated for me at first. I liked meandering on the front of the machine, but learning the pantographs was fun as well. I second not to use a quilt you care about right now, you'll be looking at the quilting every time. Best to give those first quilts away and they will never notice you oops fell off the pantograph line for a bit!

How exciting...can't wait to see the pics! have fun - I Know you will.
V.

You will love it. Pick a simple pantograph to begin with and begin by practicing moving the machine around without actually sewing. I have found it easier to do curvy lines than it is to do straight ones and curves are easier than sharp angles. Remember to just have fun.

beverly

I've rented long arm machines too and have found that for me pantographs are easier than free motion meandering. Whatever you do choose a thread that blends really well and then any crooked lines and jagged edges won't be that apparent. You will also get more comfortable over time and with practice.

Thanks for this thread!! I have a cheaper frame to use with my 9" machine. I've been so nervous to try anything! I need to bite the bullet and just dive in.

Question: Do I need batting and everything to get the hang of the motion or can I just stretch out some fabric and play?? Mine will all be meandering, so I definitely need to get the feel of it.

Have fun!!

Robbi

I have no advice.....just standing/sitting by and cheering you on.

SharonG/FL

Robbi,
Even as a total novice I think I would offer the advice that you need batting and backing. Without that I think it would be hard to get a feel for how the needle moves. I could be wrong though so I'll be watching for other responses!

Kate

Kate,
No specific advice except to stitch at a steady, but not fast, pace. I suck at free motion for the most part, so I usually use pantographs.

Robbi,
You must have a quilt sandwich in order to get the feel of how to move the machine, and to get your needle to bobbin thread tensions correct. The tension balance will be totally different if you're just stitching on fabric.

My first one turned out great because I used a pantograph. They dimmed the lights and turned on music. I chose a meandering design that wasn't too close together. It was super fun! I dream of having my own longarm someday:)
After that, I took a free motion class using my home sewing machine and I did horrible! I'm determined to learn it tho.
Good luck with yours.