quilter1430

I highly recommend you join the Quiltropolis longarm list and get their daily email digest. It is loaded with helpful information you can ask questions to the members. Information on how to join is located in the middle of this website: http://www.houseofhanson.com/longarm.html

misoop

thanks, quilter1430...I just joined.

jigs1354

Hi, had both rr tracks & eyelashes mine was the top tension, the real thing about the tension we aren't use to playing with that on our regular machines but the long arms are way different. When mine did that it was the top doing it. My daughter used the machine and she was getting eyelashes too and rr t. we messed with top T.and it went away then came back seemed that someone else was playing around but no one here to do that. It took a few months before I was ok turning a few things but making notes on what, where, what number I put things on. that really was the best for me. Do you let others run your machine?? my dealer says that's the worst thing to do at first because they will turn, pull, twist, or what ever and it makes things much worse. Make it tighter then and see what happens. go both ways to see what your sample looks like. I wrote all over my samples with information, size of designs what was going on, EVERYTHING!! I only use King Tut top & bottom. You do need the best thread I tried pre-round bobbins too and they were awful on my machine. I bought some YLI and it was not as good as K.T.the quality just not the same to me and different thickness of YLI as K.T. and very strang to me that it wasn't as good. That could be your trouble. Just try everything, 1 day it will just sew like a trooper!! You have to work out the kinks, sweety!! Good luck, I hope you find what works for you...

misoop

jigs1354, you are soooo right. It seems like little gremlins come and play while I stop for the day or night :) No, no one else sews on mine. I've been doing this a year now, and it's the same story for every quilt. You'd think I would FINALLY get some peace. :) My tension dial has no numbers, etc....so I really can't write down a number to go by with each success or semi-success. Thanks so much for your encouragement!!

jigs1354

You know it was a whole yr. for me too. They are little stinkers sometimes. I haven't had anything happen now. I also think without experience and no classes doesn't help you at all. I didn't get lesson on mine, my dealer was all selling & no classes, I got sick the day of the (1) class and they were upset I didn't go to the class and they didn't get my class fee. They never did another class unless they never called me they had. Take some of that blue painters tape and place a tiny piece there where tension is so you can put it back if it doesn't help. Believe you me it ain't easy learning them on your own. But the thing that is good about that is what you do learn that way, YOU NEVER FORGET IT!! LOL. PM me anytime if you get stuck somewhere again, I'm here always on the board messing around. Good luck sweety. Shirley/tn. (jigs1354)

misoop

Thanks for the painters tape tip. I had thought about fingernail polish, but the tape is better. Can be removed and reset, etc. Yes, I had about an hour altogether of instruction....sounds like the same scenario. The rest has been by trial and error. If I go in and ask, it's always the same answer, "you don't have it threaded right or your tension needs adjusting".....well, DUH!! I KNOW THAT! And, I always check my threading. Thanks again.

jigs1354

Glad to give some things that worked out for me, never turn down help, you never know it may work, LOL Painters tape is great comes right off and no sticky stuff to mess with. What kind of long arm do you have? I have Tin Lizzie18LS (lS means lizzie stitch in case you don't know)My frame is Tin lizzie 12 ft. too. Wonderful machine and so love it now, but there were some pretty awful names going on in my basement for awhile. You get so frustrated at the darn thing and really it isn't the machine it's the operator and not knowing HOW, WHAT, WHERE and WHY DID I Want this thing. I'm amazed at what I know now and how I suffered that first yr. But it all was worth it now. All of a sudden it makes sense and you say to yourself "I KNOW THAT STUPID!!! Because that's how you feel. What thread are you using? I know we emailed about that but that is one thing I found out my machine made the decisions on that. Had to use KING TUT and a lot of my problems were solved with the thread. The thickness of the thread and all that stuff we don't usually have to consider on our regular machines, HUH? Always some little thing we don't think about making that much difference. One time my needle wasn't in all the way or something like that and that machine would have 1/4" jumps and sometimes even longer, you know I could not think why this now, I had broken a needle and when I replaced it I must have had it turned just a hair off and my thread kept breaking too plus the long stitches, I'm not a swearing lady but that day I'll say howdy with some words that came out of a machine shop somewhere, LOL, couldn't believe that was me...My DH is a machinist so I know those words I heard those guys say. AWFUL ones!!
Well, my dear keep in touch, like I say I'm only an email away.
Good Luck sweety Shirley/Tn. (jigs1354)

quilttiludrop

You got it! I refer to this page in my Gammill book often.

misoop

jigs1324, I have a Handiquilter 16. You asked about threads....I have used several different types...all from Superior threads or SewThankful. I always used Bottom Line in the bobbin. I have used Sew Fine on the top...right now I'm trying to use Essential Pro from SewThankful. It worked OK in my last quilt AFTER a lot of adjusting. I've never used King Tut. I've bought so much of different kinds, I have hated to buy any more....especially since King TUT is so expensive. But, of course, it will be well worth it if it solves my problems.....which I am still trying to get going TODAY!!! UGH!!! Thanks for your help. Today, I have reviewed my video that came with my machine....gonna check it out to MAKE SURE I'm threaded correctly, etc....see if I've missed any little tidbits of helpful info.