Yay! I'm so happy to hear this!

Yes! You can do it!

Wonderful! My husbands family were military so with all the moving unfortunately we don’t know where our Days came from. I’m planning to play with ancestry.com soon to see what I can learn! Nice to meet another Day!

My methods have changed over the years and I now load a little differently. You can find my updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading

Thank you Sheryl!

Aw! Thank you so much!

Wonderful! So happy to have you along for frame quilting now too!

You are so welcome!

Great suggestion Rosemary! I'll try that!

Thank you Linda! I'm so happy you found this helpful!

Aw! That's great Barbara! Hi Elliot - I hope you have fun sewing or quilting!

Thank you so much Emma! You seriously made my day!

Thank you Janet! I'm so happy you found this helpful!

That sounds like you're using a frame with an Idler Rail. Here's the loading video you will need - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading

Thank you Sylvia!

Awesome! I'm delighted to hear this!

Thank you Cynthia! I'm so glad you enjoyed this video!

Wonderful! I'm so happy to hear this!

You are very welcome! My methods for loading have changed a bit as I've gained more experience. You can find an updated tutorial here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/continuum-loading

Thank you Cindy! I hope that helps!

You're so welcome!

Wonderful Kati! We just recently cashed in our change jar and it was shocking how much $$$ was inside. So yep, that can definitely work so long as you're saving lots of quarters along with the pennies!

Kati- You don’t need to save to buy new. People upgrade or move all the time and sell perfectly fine used machines. I got my Grace frame and machine for $1,200 (great Bargain!) from someone moving across the country who did not want to move it with her. Just be patient and know that soon you will find a seller at a great price and jump on it. Guilds are the best places to hear about a sale. Good luck!

Awesome Pat! I'm so happy to hear that!

I have found that if I don't explain WHY in the video, I'll end up explaining it multiple times in the comments! LOL!

Lol. I am now getting ready to watch some more of your videos

I think that's a good move Laurelle. I've been looking at the hoop style frames and while I'm curious, and they certainly are smaller and cheaper than other frames, I think the best method is on a traditional frame like this with 2-3 bars to roll the quilt up this way so there's no basting required.

LOL! Scrapbooking drawers from Michaels - yes, indeed!

Thank you Karen! Please use your machine! I share new videos every Friday so you can follow along and learn with me!

I'm so happy this was helpful for you Michele!

I'm glad you were able to send it back! They do take up a lot of room and sometimes that's hard to visualize until you get it in your space. We do have a new 4 1/2 foot hoop frame which takes up a lot less space, but it works differently for loading your quilt. The key is just trying out things until you find what works best for you!

You can find all of my longarm quilting videos linked here - leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/frame-quilting-friday-machine-quilting-fun-on-a-longarm

@@LeahDay Thanks

Thank you Theresa!

That's great Theresa! You can find a few holiday deals here: leahday.com/products/grace-q-zone-hoop-frame

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you for watching!

That's Island Batik Fabric - it's gorgeous!

That's great Julie! Remember, this is just fabric and thread and nothing to be afraid of!

I'm working on that Debra! I hope to have Q-zone soon to play with!

I also have been looking for help on loading my quilt onto the Q-zone hoop frame. The straps get in the way of moving my 15R across the frame. I must not be losing the fabric correctly. Any suggestions?

Yes, most definitely! I'm working on a pantograph collection and will be doing videos on them just as soon as it's done!

That's wonderful Carolyn! That's the Mega Star Quilt and I'm so happy you're using it for your local charity!

I have a video on using channel locks specifically right here: leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/straight-line-quilting-on-a-longarm

I shared a little video on that here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nZ-lidij29nJkYE.html I have more videos coming every Friday!

I'm so glad you found this helpful!

Nope, I don't tend to baste the sides, though I do use side clamps more often now. I like for the fabric to be able to escape just in case my fluffy batting starts to form pleats.

Nellie Flanders HandiQuilter sells a Simply Sixteen midarm (16” throat) with several frame options. I have a Little Foot Frame, which is like a six foot wide embroidery hoop. I’ve quilted a king size quilt on it using large tool holder magnets to keep the quilt in place while quilting. This is the video I was thinking of: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rM6ThMWort7FnHk.html

Cindy Griffis I have a Husqvarna free motion sit down quilting set up and do not like it, the machine is ok though. Was wondering if this machine would work with the frame Leah is using, think she said 8 ft

Nellie Flanders I’m not sure about that. The HandiQuilter sit down machine (Sweet Sixteen) has the capability of being turned into a longarm. The reason I originally bought it was because I wanted to switch to a longarm someday (I thought they were prohibitably expensive and large. (The one I’d seen at the dealer where I bought my domestic machine was $35,000. My Sewingmachinesplus salesperson said HandiQuilter was the only maker that had the option to change. Since I bought my machine I have seen setups where even domestic machines are put on a carriage with handlebars so they can be moved around on a table. I’d check KZfaq and google to see if that would work for you. The difference between a sit down and longarm is the way the machine moves over the fabric/table. My machine communicates electronically with the carriage to “track” the movements. This is a link to a video about a carrier for a regular machine on a large frame: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rM6ThMWort7FnHk.html

Yep, this is set up as an 8 foot frame, and you can add a 2 foot addition if you get more space later. We also have a new 4 1/2 foot wide Q-Zone frame which works differently, but it takes up a lot less space.

I would check the screws around the ratchets and make sure everything is screwed in tight. If it keeps skipping out, try Amazing Tape. This is special tape that isn't sticky. It just sticks to itself and you could use it to wrap the ratchet once or twice to hold it firmly in place, then remove it very easily when you need to advance the quilt. On the Quilt Clips, I believe four are included in the pack. I'm using the blue 1 1/2 inch diameter clips. You can use these in place of pinning your quilt top to the bottom leader. Thank you so much for your kind compliment! I really enjoyed making this video!

It depends on the design Shelley - sometimes I will baste that lower edge of the quilt onto the batting and backing. Sometimes I'll pin it, and sometimes I will just stitch the design and let the fabric do whatever. It just depends! I'll try to shoot a video on this soon...

Great questions Susan! Three pros and things I love about the machine - it's not nearly as expensive as other machine / frame combos, it's very sturdy, and the machine has two sets of feet now that really expand what you can do with it. And three cons - it is only 15 inches which can seem pretty small on a big quilt. The light is a big bright and I've covered it a bit so it isn't quite so glaring (kind of the opposite problem you usually have). One tiny little issue I have is the thread popping out of one guide, but that might be a weird nuance of my machine and now that I'm aware of it, I'm in the habit of checking it. These are little things and this is why I quilt on this machine and share videos on it - I'm SUPER happy with it! I had another longarm and sold it because I wasn't comfortable shooting videos on it that would sell that machine. I know tension is a concern for most quilters looking to switch to a longarm and it's certainly an adjustment, but I've never struggled with it. Here's a video on how I do a tension test: leahday.com/blogs/machinequilting/troubleshoot-tension-on-a-longarm

@@LeahDay Thank you Leah for your input on the Grace Q'nique. I may go ahead and purchase mine this week-end. I am certain as I too cannot really afford the more expensive Quilting machine. this will be my first Longarm. Have a great week-end. I enjoy watching your videos and all your projects and inspiration.

@@susanhardy8309 Good luck with your decision, and I wish you many, many hours of quilting happiness!! Getting a new longarm is SO exciting!! :)

Tension on a longarm is very different from tension on a home machine. Little things can throw the machine off and the most important tip is to check your stitch quality OFTEN. So when you change bobbins, check, when you haven't been quilting in awhile, check, when you change thread, check it. I find the thread is bad about popping out of a guide as well and I instantly get terrible tension when the thread is not guided properly. So always check the threading too. To check your tension, break thread and roll the machine to the edge of the quilt. Make sure to leave yourself 2-3 inches of space on the sides of the quilt with just batting exposed. Place a scrap of fabric there and do some quilting before getting started. Adjust in small increments, but also know that if you crank down on the tension too hard, the thread can get squished out of the discs. One last thing - always match your top and bobbin thread. That saves you a million years worth of headaches because the only tension issues that are really important are the big loops. Dots happen, no matter what machine, no matter what style of quilting, but if you match your thread colors, you can't see them!

Yes, you can add a computerized quilting system to a frame like this and that will move the machine (kind of like an embroidery machine). It is a bit expensive, but it's a great system if you're wanting the machine to do more of the work for you and then you can design your own motifs and designs roo!

The channel locks come standard with the Grace Continuum Frame. If you don't have them, check with your dealer to see if you can order a set.

The channel locks come with the Continuum Frame. They're a small part and easy to miss when you're setting up the frame, but I love the one on the machine which locks it into a horizontal line. I don't use the one on the carriage which locks it into vertical lines nearly as much. The thing around the cord is my own cobbled together setup to mount my video camera to the machine. It also keeps the cord in place too. My best advice is to use a thick strap or belt to overlap the cord to hold it better in place. Also keep the space behind your machine clear so it can't hook on anything (I struggle with that one too!)

What's your suggestion for quilting a top that's wider than your frame?

Yes, use a larger basting stitch for the edges in your case. Have fun!

That's exactly how I do it so thank you for asking this question. I like to keep the process as simple as possible.

@@LeahDay so are you saying to use the above method we would baste the sides once we have it loaded on the long arm?

Thank you Thomas!

Hi Denise! I haven't invested in the upper rail because with the 15 inch longarm, this will actually limit the amount of space you have to quilt in. The uppermost rail will hit the back boxy thing (right behind the monitor) and reduce the amount of space you have to quilt in. Thank you so much for sharing about your frame! I look forward to helping you and Sue with your new machines!

Hi Leah,Thanks for the reply. I guess I explained it wrong. I was meaning the 3rd rail below the backing rail in the front of the frame. The directions explain to attach your quilt top to it and roll it up. then after you add your batting to pick up the quilt top edge & bring it up to the stitched line on the batting and back. I tried this and it all bunched up, so I am floating the top for now. Also I am not sure if I put the leaders on correctly. Should they hang behind the rails or hang in front of the rails? Possible if I applied the leaders wrong that could have caused the top and batting to get bunched up? I love the regulated stitch programs. I only had constant speed on the LA I was borrowing. The rulers are a fun addition to my collection. The bobbin winder is super cool. I'm really a happy camper! Sue's already set up and practicing today! Thanks Leah

Safety pins would be very difficult to close while on the frame. Straight pins are more common to use in this situation and the best choice.

Unfortunately I don't have a Q-Zone frame right now, but I'm thinking about getting one to share tutorials on. That's something that would interest you?

@@LeahDay, I love your videos! Is the a video out that shows how to load the fabric onto the Q-zone hoop frame? Maybe you could ask Grace Co to make one of you can't do it. I got my frame after Christmas and still haven't used it. The straps on the back rails get in the way of the 15R machine as it moves across. I haven't found a video to explain how to use the back tail and straps. Thanks for your help. Linda

Thank you Dawn! It's on my list, but that list has been very very long lately!

Hmm... Yes, I think for a super important show quilt I might do this, but for most quilts I make for myself, I don't do that. I load the machine as you see here and begin quilting from the top (or side as this quilt was loaded sideways to maximize space). If I did do that extra basting, I'd change to water soluble thread so I wouldn't have to worry about picking it out. But even still, I've noticed a few times where quilting along the sides can cause pleats even on the longarm as the center of the quilt is secured and quilted outward.

Great question Jeannie! I need to check with Grace Company on exactly how financing would work for us. Send us an email at www.LeahDay.com/contact and we'll discuss it further.

Here's a video that helps explain that step - freemotionproject.com/2018/11/quilting-to-the-edge-of-your-longarm.html My methods have changed over the years so now I baste a quilt fully as I load it on the frame and the bottom edge is already secured to the batting and back before I reach that section.

Do you have a Continuum frame or a Q-Zone Hoop Frame? If it's the Continuum there are tear drop shaped slots punched in the black plastic on both sides of the frame. Slip the cord through and press down to lock the cord in place. For the Q-Zone, it's a bit more complicated. Check your manual for the Q-Zone as there is a very clear diagram using the side clamps to install them.

I don't really like the baste function on this machine. I prefer to just use my regular stitch length setting at 16 stitches per inch. If I'm really focused, I might dial it down to 10 stitches per inch because it really doesn't need to be that tiny, but it's hard to remember everything and talk at the same time. LOL!

Yes, if you don't have the additional top rail (it's something you can add to the Continuum Frame later, and we have a new moving rail too!), you will need to stop and adjust the back rail as the quilt rolls up. Otherwise it will become too thick and the machine will get hung up on it as you try to move it.

We actually have a new Q-zone longarm that is only 4 1/2 feet wide so it takes up a lot less space. You will still need space around it to walk around to the back so I'd say 6 square feet minimum for this new frame. My 8 foot frame is in a room with around 10 feet of space lengthwise and 6 feet of space widthwise. The thing I look at is how much space my tables and sewing machines normally take up. For a proper setup for a big quilt, I usually have several tables arranged together and it can take up more than 6 feet of space. Either way, no matter what style of quilting you're doing, it does take some space... unless you're doing everything by hand!

Denny, I have this same frame which is 10' long. My room is 14' long, so I can get around to the back to do pantographs.