On the Longarm...

Yes, we are alive and well...busy. In the middle of numerous projects that are taking us from the garage to the backyard to the longarm to the sewing room to Guild and to be honest...the golf course, motor rides and beyond. Not as dramatic as "A long time ago in a Galaxy far far away..."
I got a text the other day "What's on the machine?"
Well how about our Grandson's 3rd Birthday present...Elaine made a 'peek-a-boo' with the main theme being "Cars." Which turned out to be kind of funny. The main theme material Elaine picked out...just went up on his bedroom windows as curtains...apparently Grammy and Mom were on the same wave length... happened without any coordinating between them. She does that with her son also...drives me nuts..."Les get the phone it's Trent." Okay, got to go...Quilt till you wilt...

Honest...Still Here

We are still around...honest...currently busy as could be...I (Les) have probably 10 quilts hanging for longarming, Elaine is smack dab in the middle of a 'peek a boo' for the Grandson, third birthday just around the corner...not to mention her Quilts of Valor duties...I have a trip to New York coming up, one to New Jersey as well and to be honest...the weather has finally started to improve...which means more golf, less indoor stuff, more motor rides, less indoor stuff, more travelling, less indoor stuff...well what can we say...less indoor stuff...not to mention that green stuff around the house is growing again. We are working on our next blog spot.."Quilts...Just Hanging Out"  Once we get the photos taken we should be posting. Anyway we are here, we appreciate those that take the time to stop by and if you make a comment or two that too is appreciated. We hope you enjoy your visits and we put a smile on your face now and then if nothing else. Quilt till you wilt...

Just Kidding...

I Call it Jack...The Seam Ripper

I, contrary to Elaine, what's new...don't normally name inanimate objects...like cars, sewing machines, longarms or whatever...Like Carmen the Dogwood in the front yard, or Kermie the 54 Elna Supermatic...her 45 Featherweight Sheba, like the Queen...but the seam ripper...well it got a name...I would have hated Jack the Ripper had I lived in that era...and so therefore the seam ripper, not being one of my favorite devices, got a name. Say hello to Jack...the Seam Ripper:

But like a lot of my work longarming I have brought tools in from the garage and given them a new home. Good for all involved...they are more comfy inside, protected from the extreme cold of winter and heat of summer in the garage...they stay a lot cleaner and for the most part have their own little space and not jammed with a bunch of other tools in some drawer. I'm sorry, you don't have a Longarm Pouch...

 For me...they make the job at hand much simpler, more efficient and involves less time to complete the task. If you know anything about me you know I subscribe to Keep It Simple Stupid. Enter the Pick & Hook set.

This is my set...purchased at Home Depot...They can be found at Harbor Freight for like a $1.50 for a set. They won't say Husky...so...that's a good deal!!!

 

But when it comes to removing the stitching from those infrequent Oops I've found nothing easier or more seamlessly...so to speak. The points are not so sharp as to fear cutting or puncturing the fabric, the points slip under the seam smoothly and with very little effort it is pulled out quickly from one loop to the next...and almost as quickly as they went in...they come out.

 

Depending on the lay of the thread pattern determines which tool I use...most of the time the 45 degree hook is used and on occasion just the straight pick. Your choice. Give them a try...you won't be disappointed. And Jack...well he stays in the pouch most of the time unless there is need to make the first cut to get the removal going. They also are used to pull up the bobbin thread when needed. They slide right under the foot and hook the bobbin loop to pull it through. Works for me hope they work for you.

Quilt till you wilt.



 

 



What's in a name???

Here it is Saturday again already, I honestly want to make more than one entry a week...if you have to work...well I haven't forgotten, so I can sympathize... at the same time...so sad, too bad...suck it up. Okay; as many of you know, and many don't...but soon will...I have a 'nickname' more on that later. But it all started in the late 60's when Elaine left a note attached to the seat of my bike, at work, in plain view, saying that she had stopped by to see me...I was not there...more on that later...So I am in the process of joining a Veteran's Motorcycle Association which came to being having made Quilts of Valor presentations to several of its members. On the application form is this box marked "Road Name" or more commonly referred to as 'nickname.' Here is the dilemma...I have never had any other nickname, never, ever and since that fateful day that I walked into the shop of the construction company I worked for, saw almost every other worker standing around my bike, all of them for the most part resembling shaved gorillas, reading the in plain view note left by my lovely wife that began with..."Lessie Poo, I stopped by to see...." Well I have been Lessie Poo. We all had at this company a radio call sign... Units 1 through Unit 30...Unit 1 being the owner and the junior guy holding down the last spot. Well at the time I was like Unit 17 having worked my way up the ladder...I would never be referred to by either Unit or a number and for the remainder of my days my call sign was "Lessie Poo." Here's the problem...This particular group requires your 'Road Name' to be sewn on your motorcycle vest. To make matters worse most of the good nicknames are taken, Killer, Woodchucker, Tiger, Fifty Cal, Die Hard, Frag, Dead Eye, Racer, Stud, Cowboy...well you get the picture. Not to mention their logo includes a 'skull.' Please how tough am I going to appear wearing a black leather vest with this huge blood soaked skull covering the back, with Marine Corp patches and other manly logos and pin accoutrements with a name patch bearing "Lessie Poo" I mean really. At first I was thinking like "Cujo." But then that really didn't turn out too well for the dog. And the odds of me answering to Cujo are pretty slim.

But...well...really, Lessie Poo I'm kind of used to and considering the source from whence it came... it's not all really that bad. But back to that dilemma thing...what to do, oh what to do. I'm going to have to think about this...oh wait "Trigger" no that's a stuffed horse, Bullet, another dog just like the horse...I'd even thought about "Quilter" but might as well stick with Lessie Poo...What do you think?

Lighting & It's Been a Week...Already!

I just looked at the last entries date...how time flies when you're having fun. It has been a busy week. Weather was so-so, not Spring like yet but tolerable and I was able to get in two rounds of golf. They were also so-so. Must be a trend. Quilts of Valor took precedence this week we have like over 40 presentations on the books here locally so a lot going on. I will be posting about our concept as to why we keep our work with Quilts of Valor on the local level instead of sending to locations overseas. Anyway, busy week.

Lighting:

I have been asked what we have done to light our work space...14' X 16', in the case of the Longarm Room. Because we set a budget when we made the cash purchase of our longarm, and knowing we could go hog wild with accessories, worse than golf equipment, we kept the accessories to a minimum. So we didn't purchase the light bar

nor did we get the upgraded stitch regulator for our longarm, dubbed Lightning Stitch. Not to mention no need to raise and lower it (electric lift), move it around (caster set) or need something to advance the quilt (power feed) besides 'arm/hand power.' So we left a lot of money on the table so to speak. We were aware of having to light up the work (quilt) as well as the work space of course. But at $875 the light bar was a bit extravagant and limiting; having seen it in application we knew it was well designed and manufactured but just too prohibitive in cost. As with many other DIY Treks...hello Lowe's and Home Depot. 

We purchased two 'clamp type' lights, two pieces of galvanized angle iron:

two 3 light bar assemblies with cord and plug in adapters:

so that no new hard wiring had to be done and we weren't paying an electrician to put in new receptacles at who knows how much an hour. And me and electricity...well...

We are, let's say lucky, both in the size of the space we have for the power tool (longarm) and the actual room arrangement. It made it simple as to where to mount the lighting so as not to cast shadows onto the quilt during the longarming process, something I noticed the overhead lighting did do, and enable the work (quilt), as well as the work area to be well lit. 

So with the light that comes with the machine that provides direct lighting on the immediate work area we have, for less than $200, provided our work (quilt) area and our work space lighting that enhances the natural light we have coming through the living...oops...Longarm Room's Bay Window. I also carry an LED flashlight in my Longarm Pouch...

and although small it does a huge job...along with the little mirror...well together they form the Thread Tension Inspection Quality Control Unit...and they work pretty cheap...didn't cost a lot to assemble, readily available, no mounting brackets or camera's, monitors or other electronic hardware required and very effective. 

Not to mention...it can light up a room when you walk in if all other light sources are off. 

Yup...just the flashlight...I call it my CSI Light...I mean really you've seen the stuff they find with those lights.

Well I hope this shines some light on the subject...of course it was intended. Hope you find it informative and as we did...cost effective...

Quilt till you wilt...

Shop Till You Drop...well sort of...

If there is one thing in this modern world that has saved us more money than I can add up...well it is the internet. With very little effort, in the warmth and comfort of my own home, with a cup of coffee and the dogs at my feet I can shop, compare, bid, ask questions and buy...Amazon loves me. Although this is somewhat brand specific as it relates to our Innova Longarm it could easily apply to those that use another manufacturer's machine. There is a combination that has quite a bit to do with my purchasing decisions...one is the competitive market, and two is standardization. One...standardization guides the other. One reason I do not own an Apple product. Proprietary is not only hard to spell but hard to swallow. It is standardization within the sewing machine industry that solved our little problem and saved us a bundle...I'm hoping our experience will help others do the same. Caution...even standardization has it's limits...in this case size, not design or the method used by manufacturers to engineer the mounting requirements of the bobbin case in their machine...There are different M Size Bobbin Cases...for us our research lead us to the Haya Brand Case. 

Once again I have to lay out the disclaimer...This has been our experience and in no way relates to the quality of the product, the experiences of others or our satisfaction or dissatisfaction with what was delivered. If we didn't have trust and confidence in ABM the Innova product we would be longarming with a Gammill.

We experienced a very loud and annoying 'bobbin noise' from the beginning. ABM responded to our concern with the recommendation of using more oil. We were first instructed to place a 'drop' in the mechanism where the case and bobbin are loaded. ABM found this was not an efficient amount and changed its recommendations. Using more oil helped, changing to a synthetic oil helped even more. But the noise and frustration continued. At the same time we were dealing with thread tension issues and were watching numerous videos relating to these issues. One of the Innova dealers was doing a video demonstration and it was observed they were using the steel bobbin case, the one with all the holes drilled in it, you know the one Gammill uses...there I said it. Well I went to their web site...found the Haya Bobbin Case for $15 and the black steel bobbins or the chrome steel bobbins for $.50. Have I mentioned I am always looking for a deal. If it's good enough for a dealer it's good enough for me. (You can find M size bobbin cases online via any search engine...I have found them for $12.50 to $50...we settled on the $15 price tag because of the vendor we put the most faith in.) To purchase from our distributor or the manufacturer our cost was $49.

     Haya/Steel Left                              ABM Supplied Brand/Aluminum Right

We now use the Haya Bobbin Case and the black steel bobbins...the noise is gone...the only sound now is that of the machine doing its thing...what I refer to as the Sound of Silence...I even wrote a song about it...only kidding...the lawsuit would be devastating. The little red aluminum bobbins have been retired in our Studio, we still use the bobbin cases that came with the machine...the differences between the cases is insignificant based on our experience.

The only difference we noticed was the 'throat' opening The Haya on the right has a slightly different opening where the one edge is beveled. 

The cost was not. Elaine has a saying...shop till you drop...we're talking about someone retired from Nordstrom...well when it comes to accessories, whether clothing, sewing, tools, golf, motorcycles or longarm machines...it's good advice. Side note to other Panto Vision users, this would apply to tablet/computer mounting brackets also. We use the one that came with the machine. I had to modify it so as to fit our tablet, it has a 12" base...had we shopped we could have saved at least half. But I must admit the quality of the one supplied is very good. If ABM/Innova did only one thing right it would be their homework...but they do much more than that; and that is why we longarm on an Innova.

Quilt till you wilt...

Volunteer Quilting...

I'm going to have to admit to being somewhat committed to our military, and particularly the Marine Corps. Our son is third generation and the only career Marine on my family's side. He has an Uncle on his Mom's side who served proudly for 30 years. So yes, I have a bias and some prejudicial beliefs as to which branch of military is in fact the standard that all others try to achieve...overall the others are doing pretty well...I would have to say they are all tied for second place...but that's just me. But please, never, ever degrade or bad mouth any branch or member of our Armed Forces in my presence. I said please. And that brings me to why I got so committed to longarming. You thought I was going to rant huh?

Elaine is the coordinator for Quilts of Valor for our local Guild. It was watching her and others cutting, piecing, sewing and quilting these 'Tokens of Appreciation' for our servicemen and women that first caught my interest. This small tribute to those suffering the wounds of battle, the invisible traumas of war and the sacrifices for freedom that they made were being recognized...and if you think for one minute that this small recognition goes unnoticed and is not appreciated by the recipient...oh how wrong you are. The wounds of not being recognized are deep and permanent...honest. 

With my interest peeked and the annual quilt festival on the horizon I had no hesitation when asked if I would like to go when she invited me along last year. And there I met Innova and Panto Vision, well you all know how I feel about computers and power tools, and please...in the same package...the rest is history as they say. I have probably quilted since November in the neighborhood of 40 quilts for Quilts of Valor, and a half dozen or so for Project Linus. QOV info can be found at www.qovf.org and Linus at www.projectlinus.org. There are chapters just about everywhere.  If I could explain how much it means to work on a quilt for either of these organizations I would...I can't.

I titled this Volunteer Quilting...I have heard many call it 'charity quilting.' By definition I guess it fits. I'm just afraid in both of these cases QOV and Linus...I'm working on a gift of hope and appreciation for some of the strongest people that occupy this planet and my charity they don't need, what strength I can share they do. But that's just me. 

So with that said it is Show and Tell...here are just a few of the quilts we have had the pleasure of working on over the last two weeks. And if you get the opportunity to volunteer your talent, sew a stitch or two, cut a strip, make a star or longarm a sandwich...jump all over it...it will not only make a difference to the recipient, but oh how it will make a difference in you. 

QOV Front

QOV Back

Front

Back

Front

Back

Linus Front

 

Linus Back

I don't think I can tell you how much fun this one was (above and right)...Just enjoyed the patterns and color to the point of stupid. Oh just for the record...it was designed and pieced by a Lt. Commander, active, United States Navy. 

This is another Linus...it has Elmo on it and well, like my granddaughter says..."You can't have too many Elmo's." And she is never wrong. 

Well it is Thankful Thursday and normally golf day...but not with flurries in the forecast and below 40 degree temps. I guess I'll just have to stay home and enjoy the company of other guild members...We QOV Sew In every Thursday at our house...well Elaine does, I normally golf on Thursdays...don't you just hate it when all you can do when you can't golf or ride the motorcycle is longarm...It's tough, but someone has to do it. 

Quilt till you wilt...