Tag Archives: Longarm

Life, Longarm Quilting, Quilting, Sewing Machines

Back in the Saddle – Take care of your back

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Ergonomics Part 1: (This post ended up far longer than I’d intended (yeah, shocking, I know!), so I will split it into 2, and offer you part 2 tomorrow.)

Lately, I’ve noticed that I hunch a lot when I sew.  This is on the longarm or at the domestic machines.   The result of this is that I “hurt” and I can’t sew for long periods of time.  So I thought I’d talk today a little about ergonomics, both at the stand up and sit down types of machines and your cutting table. Continue reading Back in the Saddle – Take care of your back →

Bikes, Longarm Quilting, Quilting, Sewing Machines

Dance the Night away – Panto Fun

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Note: I’ve noticed lately that the photos in the posts look blurry and low quality.  This is not true if you click on them to look at them.  Until I figure out what it is that’s doing this, please click on the images to see them the way I intended for them to look for you.

I attended a pantograph class at Sparrow earlier this month and learned a few things.  The most important was speed.  The easiest (and most counter intuitive) way to get a better result – less boxy corners, smoother lines –  is mash the gas pedal.

In the past few weeks, I’ve also learned that – within reason, this is also true with a lot of quilting and sewing in general.  For instance, I sew a much straighter line by going faster and watching the guide tape I’ve put on the bed in front of my machine than I do to watch the needle and try to keep it straight against the 1/4″ guide.  My bindings may have a chance, one day in the distant future, of being presentable! Continue reading Dance the Night away – Panto Fun →

Sewing Machines

Rockstar – In my quilt studio!

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Note: I’ve noticed lately that the photos in the posts look blurry and low quality.  This is not true if you click on them to look at them.  Until I figure out what it is that’s doing this, please click on the images to see them the way I intended for them to look for you.

As some of you may know, my APQS Lucey was delivered on November 1.  She waited patiently until November 5 for setup because when I bought the machine, part of the deal was for Matt from Sparrow Studioz to come set it up.   You also may know him as manquilter.  He’s a local quilting rockstar.

I loved this idea because I knew that she’d be set up, level and running perfectly with her leadergrips sewn in (and straight) before he left.  Sure I can probably service Lucey, maybe even with one eye closed, but it doesn’t mean I want to tinker like that all the time and certainly not right out of the box.  This was great peace of mind, and permission to be in creative mode, not techie mode right off the bat.

The wait was slightly agonizing.  Yes, I know those of you who have known me for years are thinking “Wow, that’s the understatement of the century!”  After all, I’m not known for my patience.  😉

That said, it was mostly “easy” to wait.  She arrived Friday, then Saturday and Sunday I had classes at Sparrow Studioz.  Monday, I had a white featherweight to service, a sewing circle (sometimes referred to as a “Stitch n B*tch”) to attend and a very well deserved chiropractor appointment.  Realistically, I wasn’t going to be able to set her up before Tuesday myself anyway.

Tuesday, though…  Continue reading Rockstar – In my quilt studio! →

Home, Life, Sewing Machines

Been a Long time – a new quilting studio!

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For the last several weeks, I’ve been virtually absent from both any sewing projects and the Internet.  Other than answering urgent emails and the occasional post on the QB, I just haven’t been dedicating the time.

Why?  I decided to reorganize the basement.  Previously, it was a dumping ground for everything we didn’t want to look at anymore, but didn’t have time to get rid of.  There were 15 years of company and personal financials down there.  There were 16 parts sewing machines, 9 sewing cabinets, our old TV, actually, our last 2 tvs, and all manner of other things.  In addition to this, the webserver that serves archaicarcane.com to you lives down there, as does my very neglected wet darkroom.  All of it had to be put in order, and fast.

Why?  As some of you know, I created a space crisis in the house.

How?  I traded up.  No, not Ryan.  😉

I sold the Juki and frame and put that money toward a brand new …. Kangaroo! Continue reading Been a Long time – a new quilting studio! →