Author Archives: Lynn Barlow

About Lynn Barlow

Lynn Barlow is the owner and expert behind Kathy Quilts, located in Brigham City, Utah. With a passion for quilting and years of experience, he helps quilters of all skill levels master machine quilting. Specializing in Q’nique Quilting Machines, Lynn provides personalized support and tutorials, ensuring quilters get the most out of their machines. Kathy and Lynn's mission is to make quilting accessible, efficient, and enjoyable, sharing expert tips and techniques to inspire creativity within the quilting community.

I’ve been schooled!!! Why Using a Bedsheet is a Bad Idea

Quilting with a bed sheet is a bad idea. Thread breakage and other issues

You can see the bad stitching on the back of this quilt. When you use a bed sheet you are looking for trouble.

This is from Kathy Barlow of Kathy Quilts.

I just completed quilt #4102.  And I have to share that it was the worst quilting experience that I can remember having.  Here’s how it all went down.

It was my birthday last week, and I wanted to just leave the troubles of the world behind me and do something that I wanted to do for myself.  Of course it was sewing something!  I’d had my eye on an instragram post I saw a couple of months ago, of a quilt with a teal or turquoise background and plain black and white trees.  I loved the look.  Last year, I made a scrappy tree quilt for our bed at our cabin, and it was so fun making all those scrappy pieced trees.  I decided to use one of the tree patterns and try to duplicate the quilt (after I’d spent hours trying to find the actual quilt pattern to no avail.)  I knew I had enough low volume white and black fabrics but I needed a background fabric.  I found some online on Etsy, but it couldn’t be delivered for over a week.  I went to my stash.  Yes, I was willing to cut into any of my precious fabrics if I could find enough of a similar color.  There in my cupboard of solid fabrics, at the very bottom, was a turquoise fabric!  And it looked like a good size, so I pulled it out.  Yay! It was a good amount.  Unfortunately it was a bed sheet!

I know the controversy, and I spread it around myself.  NEVER use a sheet in your quilting!  Sheets are so tightly woven (like 600-1000 thread count per inch as compared to quilting fabric of approximately 70 threads per square inch.  I tell all my clients – be daring if you want and give it a try, but if it fails, know that you were taught differently.  I have cheated this fact a couple of times by purchasing a micro fiber sheet for a quilt back, and that’s always worked fine.  Maybe because of the softness of the fabric or maybe because of the cheapness.  I was taught that if you really really needed to use a sheet, purchase the cheapest loosest count that you could find.  Let me explain why in terms we might be able to understand.  As the needle goes through the fabric, it has to pick up the bobbin thread at just the right time to create an entire stitch before it can move to the next stitch.  If there is something preventing the needle from getting through the fabric at the correct time, this full stitch can’t be completed.  What might make the needle slow down?  Here’s a couple of reasons.  Heat and bond!  If the fabric is too stiff and solid, the needle has to work harder to penetrate that fabric.  Sizing of fabric.  Same reason.  Stabilizer behind the fabric.  Same thing – needle has to work too hard.  High thread count!  Same thing, if the fabric is sooooo tightly woven, that needle can’t find a good place to pierce the fabric and it takes just a split second and it’s missed the window of completing the stitch.   Or the hook catches that top thread at the wrong time, and slightly cuts into the top thread, eventually shredding the thread.  So my problem was the high thread count.  I never imagined that it would be such a huge problem for myself.  Anyway, back to my project.

I felt the fabric.  Poly cotton blend.  Quite thick, sturdy fabric. I loved the color.  I was anxious to make ANYTHING and it was all in front of me.  So I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try.  My quilt blocks pieced up wonderfully.  I singed one piece of fabric, so I knew it was a poly blend and I turned the heat down on the iron.  It all worked out.  I even had enough left to do most of quilt back besides.  It was all ready, and I was caught up on client quilts, so I loaded it onto my Grace Continuum quilting frame and got started. Most of the time, when I use the Continuum frame, it’s because I want to run QCT6 Pro automation. I’ll usually get my Q’nique 21 Pro going with an automated design, then head over to custom quilt on my Gammill Classic—letting me work on two quilts at once.

The first row of the quilt, I kept breaking threads.  Like the thread shredded 10-11 times.  So I changed the needle.  I decided to use a size 18 needle instead of my normal size 16. It didn’t seem to make a difference.  As the quilting row returned from right to left, the breakage was even worse.  I changed the needle again.  I turned the needle slightly to the left.  I dropped the needle slightly (these are hacks to use when your machine needs to be retimed but you just want to get through the quilt before you deal with it.)  Nope, nothing worked.  I finished the first row of my panto design and gave up and went to bed.

Two days later, I knew I needed to deal with the problem.  I had a dream that if I’d soften the fabric some, it might be easier for the needle to go through.  So I find a place to plug in my iron next to my quilt and spray the quilt with water and also use the steam from the iron to soften the fabric.  I still had thread breakage.  Next I decided to turn down the speed on the quilter, so I put it on the slowest stitching speed possible, I usually quilt with it on the highest speed setting.  Nope, no improvement.  I changed the needle AGAIN!  All I could hear was that horrible popping sound as the needle tried going through that sheet (if you remember, my quilt back is ALSO THE SAME SHEET!  So I’m dealing with a double whammy here.)  I finally get through the 2nd row of my quilt (I have 7 rows total – I’m making progress.)  I’m about ready to take the quilt off and put it with my UFO projects.  Then I wondered about my thread!  I’m using a good 40 weight quilting thread, (Perma core Polyester thread by A&E).  Have I ever used this thread before?  Is it my problem, maybe a faulty thread? It seems like a huge new cone.  I change the thread.  I find something that doesn’t quite match, but if I can finish the quilt, I’m willing to deal with it.  No change whatsoever!  Thread break after break.  Within 5″ of the quilt from the edge, I’ve had to repair the design over 5 times at this point.  I’ve started pulling my hair out by now.

One more fix that I can think of – change the needle again.  I think this is the 4th time.  I see some size 14 needles on my table that I never use unless I’m working on a Batik quilt.  Let me explain about Batik fabric.  It’s colored and dyed by using wax and dye so the fabrics take on that mottled coloring in spots, and leaving designs in other spots (for example, a light colored whale shape on the fabric, surrounded with blue mottled colors, making the whale stand out.)  Because of the waxy content (and I’m sure these fabrics have been treated to wash out all the bad stuff), the fabric is still stiff.  So if I’m quilting a Batik quilt, and I make a mistake and have to unpick, those holes never go away.  It’s very blatent where I’ve made the mistake.  I can try to use a toothbrush to smooth out the holes from the mistake, but they’re still always there.  So I always change to the smallest needle possible when I’m quilting on Batiks so the holes are smaller where I make mistakes.  Hey, my fabric (the sheet) does feel and sound like I’m quilting on a Batik (those popping sounds of the needle trying to go through fabric don’t always mean that a needle has a burr on it – it’s just hard for the needle to go through the fabric and you hear every stitch as it tries to pop through those stiff fabrics.)  Last resort – I try the size 14 needle (Groz-Beckert Machine Needles).  Well, I made it through 10 inches.  Then 20.  I make it through the entire 60 inch width of the quilt without thread breaking!!!!!  My MIRACLE!  I still had maybe 3 more thread breaks, but that was the entire 5 more rows of the quilt.  I cried with thankfulness.

The quilt looks great after all of that pain and trouble but I still love it!

Here’s the recap.  I was having a problem with one quilt.   The previous quilt was fine.  My initial sew-off piece showed no problems with tension or thread issues.   The Q’nique 21 Pro longarm machine wasn’t broken.  I knew it had to do with the quilt.  I tried ALL of these things in order to find my fix:
1. Rethread the machine
2. Change the needle (in case it has a burr)
3. Change the needle (I went up in size because of the stiffness of the quilt.)
4. Change the tension (I went WAY loose in the top tension, hoping it would help stop the thread shredding.)
5. Clean the bobbin area
6. Oil the bobbin area again
7. Steam the fabric
8. Slow the speed down (this was actually quite helpful, although I still had thread breaking.)
9. Lower the needle slightly
10. Turn the needle slightly so it wasn’t exactly straight.  (I never remember which side I’m supposed to turn it to, but I learned this trick so I try it both ways.  One day I’ll write the correct way down so I remember.)
11.  Wet and steam the quilt again.  I kept the iron right by me and steamed the heck out of the area about 5″ to the right of the needle as it was stitching.  Over and over.
12. Change the needle AGAIN – this time I went to the smallest needle size I had, size 14.

I’m positive I tried more tricks of the trade I’ve learned over the years (including crying a lot), and I’m glad I could remember several of them.  Keep a quilting journal and keep track of ideas that have helped you as you’ve progressed in your quilting.  You are welcome to share those tricks with us and we can all learn from others mistakes and fixes.  What works on one quilt probable won’t work on the next as all quilts are different.  But just having some options to quitting are so helpful.  I didn’t give up here.  I was so THANKFUL that this was my very own quilt and not a client’s quilt. And I knew why I was having those issues, and will I ever use a sheet again?  NEVER!  I’ve learned the lesson personally that I’ve taught others for years.  Yes, quilt #4102 is completed and in the wash?  Why am I washing it now?  I’m going to show pictures of the horrible stitching on the quilt back, and I’m hoping they will sink into the quilt slightly so they won’t be so noticeable.

Happy quilting!  I hope you all have a much better experience today than I have had.  The next one will be so much better!

Love to you all!
Kathy

Kathy Wonders How She Ever Got Along Without QCT Automation.

Kathy has been quilting for customers for years on her Gammill Classic—no stitch regulation, just pure skill. That machine was always her “go-to.”

We used to demo QCT (QuiltMotion) at quilt shows, but Kathy never used it for customer quilts—until COVID hit. When the shows shut down and we were stuck at home, she asked me to set up a Continuum frame with a Block RockiT 21R—and everything changed.

Once she started using QCT5, she was blown away by how fun and efficient it was. Since then, Kathy’s upgraded to the Q’nique 21 Pro (just one step behind the new 21X Elite), and when she jumped from 1,800 to 2,600 stitches per minute and QCT6 Pro —her productivity skyrocketed. Her quilting output quadrupled.

Now she does almost all her customer quilts on the Grace frame with QCT. When she wants to do detailed custom work, she hops back on the Gammill—and keeps the Grace system running automated designs in the background. Two machines, twice the output.

If you’ve been thinking about QCT6, now’s the time to check it out and save big—you might just fall in love with it like Kathy did.

20% all Tiers of QCT6 in July!

Kathy Quilts University is now live!

🎉 Big News from Kathy Quilts University!

We’ve made a huge step forward with Kathy Quilts University (KQU)—and we’re doing it to help you become a more confident and skilled quilter, no matter where you’re starting from.

🧵 Why KQU?

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to pin a quilt, load your frame properly, or move past meandering designs—you’re in the right place.

Fabric is too expensive and your time is too valuable to end up with puckers or tension issues.

We’re here to show you how to get it right with easy-to-follow videos and real-world guidance.

📚 What You’ll Learn

  • ✅ How to properly pin and load a quilt on any 3-rail frame
  • ✅ Free motion quilting you can actually master
  • ✅ How to troubleshoot tension, thread, and technique
  • ✅ And yes, feathers, swirls, borders, and more!

We’ve organized videos into clear categories inside KQU so you can find what you need fast. All content is free to access for a short time, then most videos will only be available to subscribers.

💡 Why We Use YouTube

We host videos on YouTube so we can keep costs down for you. You might see an ad or two (we don’t earn anything from them), but it saves you from needing another streaming platform. No fluff, no clickbait—just solid quilting training.

By subscribing, you’re supporting this project so we can keep improving video quality and helping quilters like you go beyond basic meandering.

Check out Kathy Quilts University!

Got Questions?

Shoot us a message or leave a comment—Kathy and I are here to help every step of the way.

April Live Event With The Grace Company!

Thinking about getting a Grace Company Hoop Frame? This event is the perfect chance to learn what they can do and see if one’s a good fit for your quilting setup.

Other exciting news is that you can register to win free stuff! Only people that are registered will be selected for the drawing.

We also get event pricing so not only will hoop frames be on sale but other frames and machines for one week. Check out our event pricing page

Hope to see you check in with us on the 30th 1:00 PM Mountain Time

Edge-to-Edge Quilting Using Pantograph Patterns

When and How to Quilt an Edge-to-Edge Pantograph Pattern

Edge-to-edge (E2E) pantograph quilting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to finish a quilt with a professional look. Whether you’re quilting for yourself or customers, a pantograph design can add beautiful texture without the complexity of custom quilting. Let’s go over when to use a pantograph and how to quilt one successfully.

“Easy” is a matter of experience. When I start quilting a pantograph, my first few rows don’t look as polished as the later ones because, like anything, it takes practice. Kathy, on the other hand, makes it look effortless because she has incredible control over her machine. If you want to skip the long learning curve, automation is the way to go. That’s why we sell QCT6 (QuiltMotion), which is now Kathy’s go-to setup. Since she quilts for customers, she needs efficiency—she loads the quilt, picks the perfect design, stitches down the edges so the hopping foot doesn’t catch, and lets her Q’nique 21X Elite handle the rest. With QCT6 Pro’s Power Panto mode, the entire process is automated! This frees Kathy up to do custom free-motion quilting on her Gammill Classic, allowing her to finish twice as many quilts. When you’re busy, every minute counts!

When to Use a Pantograph Design

A pantograph is a continuous line design that spans the entire quilt, from edge to edge, repeating across the entire surface. Here’s when it’s a great choice:

• Busy Fabric or Scrappy Quilts – A pantograph blends well and adds texture without overpowering the piecing.

• Fast and Efficient Quilting – If you need to finish a quilt quickly, an edge-to-edge design is much faster than custom quilting.

• For Beginners – Learning to quilt a pantograph is a great way to build confidence with your longarm. If you’re a beginner or trying a new design, I highly recommend practicing on a practice quilt first. Muscle memory is key—the more you practice, the smoother and more accurate your quilting will be. Taking the time to warm up will help your finished quilt match the pantograph design much more closely.

• All-Over Texture – When you want an even, consistent quilted look, pantographs provide a great balance.

What You Will Need

1. Rear handles for your long-arm machine – When using a pantograph pattern, it typically rests on the tabletop surface of your quilting frame. To keep it flat and prevent it from rolling up, try placing a sheet of clear vinyl plastic (available at craft stores) over the pattern. If your design has an offset pattern—where every other row shifts—you’ll need to use the registration marks to align each row correctly. Having rear handles on your machine is a game-changer, allowing you to stand at the back of the frame and smoothly guide the laser dot along the design. Rear handles are also handy when loading your quilt, making it easier to stitch down the batting and quilt top to the backing before you start quilting.

2. Laser for following the pantograph pattern (edge to edge design) – A laser guide is a must-have for quilting pantograph patterns. The Q’nique Laser easily plugs into the rear handles of all Q’nique and Block RockiT longarm machines, giving you precise control as you follow the design. It also comes with multiple lenses to adjust the size of the red dot on your pantograph, making it easier to see and trace. Following a pattern can feel tricky at first, which is why practice is so important— the more you use it, the smoother your quilting will become!

3. Pantograph Design – You can find pantograph designs at some quilt shops, but shopping online usually offers more variety. When buying a design, check if a digital version is included. Many quilters who start by following the red laser dot eventually upgrade to QCT6 automation, and having a digital copy means you won’t have to repurchase the same design for your computerized system later. It’s a smart way to future-proof your quilting!

How to Quilt a Pantograph Step-by-Step

1. Choose the Right Pantograph Design

Pick a design that matches the quilt’s style. Simple loops, swirls, and meanders work great for modern and playful quilts, while feathers or florals add elegance to traditional quilts.

2. Set Up Your Quilt on the Frame

Load your quilt backing, batting, and quilt top onto the longarm frame. Make sure it is taut but not overstretched.

3. Align Your Pantograph

Place the pantograph design on the back table of your longarm quilting machine. Use a laser pointer or stylus to follow the design.

4. Start Quilting

Begin at the edge of the quilt and follow the pantograph pattern with smooth, steady movements. Keep an even pace to maintain consistent stitch length.

5. Advance the Quilt

After finishing a row, roll the quilt forward and reposition your machine to continue the next pass of the pantograph. Make sure each row aligns properly to avoid gaps or overlaps.

6. Finish and Trim

Once the entire quilt is quilted, remove it from the frame, trim the edges, and bind it as usual.

Pro Tips for Success

• Practice First – If you’re new to pantographs, practice on scrap fabric before quilting your actual quilt.

• Use the Right Needle and Thread – A strong polyester (long-arm machine quilting thread is our recommendation) or cotton thread works well for pantographs, and a size 18 needle is a good choice for most longarms.

• Keep Your Hand Movements Steady – Smooth, even motion is key to preventing jagged lines or inconsistent stitching.

Pantographs are an excellent way to finish quilts efficiently while creating a beautiful, uniform design. With a little practice, you’ll be quilting stunning edge-to-edge patterns in no time!

Would you like help choosing a pantograph design or learning more about using your longarm? Let’s talk in the comments below!

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Why Free Motion Quilting Is A Good Place To Start

Free Motion Quilting

Free motion quilting can feel overwhelming if you dive in with a brand-new longarm system, load up a king-size quilt, and expect flawless results right away. The truth is, mastering longarm quilting is a journey—it takes practice, patience, and progression. Just like learning to play the piano, quilting on a longarm machine is a step-by-step process, where each skill builds on the next. Take it one stitch at a time, and you’ll get there!

Why Free Motion Quilting Rather Than Following A Pantograph Pattern?

Following an edge-to-edge pantograph pattern is trickier than it looks. Keeping that little laser dot perfectly on the line takes a lot more control and focus than most people expect. The great thing about free motion quilting is that it helps you develop muscle memory much faster than simply following pantographs.

Every quilt has its own personality, and sometimes an overall design just doesn’t do it justice. Free motion or custom quilting gives you the freedom to be creative and let the quilt “speak” to you. Take a pinwheel quilt, for example—pinwheels spin, they have movement! Your quilting should reflect that motion instead of covering it up with a random edge-to-edge pattern that doesn’t fit the design. The right quilting enhances the quilt, bringing it to life rather than overpowering it.

Don’t get me wrong—there are so many incredible edge-to-edge pantograph patterns out there that can truly enhance a quilt when used in the right situations. They can add texture, movement, and a beautiful finish. But having the skills to do both edge-to-edge and free motion quilting gives you the flexibility to choose what best suits each quilt. When you’re proficient in both methods, you can listen to what the quilt needs and create a masterpiece that truly brings it to life.

How To Get Started Free Motion Quilting

The best way to get started with free motion quilting is to load a practice quilt onto your frame and just start quilting! Don’t be afraid to quilt the heck out of it—this is all about building skill and confidence. Avoid using an old bed sheet as backing since it doesn’t give the best quilting experience. Instead, grab some affordable cotton fabric from Walmart and use a quality batting like Hobbs 80/20 Heirloom. It’s not the cheapest option, but it will help you get a feel for how your more expensive quilts will handle when you’re ready for them. A great exercise to begin with is writing in cursive. If you remember practicing lowercase and uppercase letters over and over in school, this will feel familiar. This technique teaches continuous line quilting, where you move smoothly without stopping, cutting your thread, and restarting. Learning to quilt efficiently within a block and then transitioning to the next without unnecessary stops will save time and make your quilting process much more fluid. With practice, you’ll develop the control and muscle memory needed to create beautiful, flowing designs!

Practice Makes Perfect… Well Pretty Close Anyway!

When we first started quilting on a longarm machine we heard over and over, “Just practice, practice, practice!” It is so true. When Kathy first started quilting she told her friends that she would supply the batting if they gave her quilts to practice on. The only stipulation was that they were donation quilts so her friends had to donate them. That way it didn’t matter how horrible Kathy thought they were because they were out of site out of mind and someone had a nice quilt give to them.

Meandering or Stippling Isn’t The Only Game In Town

Too many quilts rely on simple stippling or loose meandering, and while that may have been the go-to technique for old-school quilt teachers in the ‘70s, quilting has evolved so much since then! There are endless possibilities with feathers, fill patterns, and creative designs that can truly enhance the personality of your quilt. These techniques add depth, texture, and artistry, turning an ordinary quilt into something extraordinary. We’re working on some exciting YouTube videos to showcase a variety of fill patterns you can master and incorporate into your quilting. With a little practice, you’ll be able to transform your quilts into stunning, show-worthy pieces—quilting them yourself! Stay tuned and get ready to take your quilting to the next level!

In Conclusion

Don’t over think the whole machine quilting thing! There are far too many people that have invested a lot of money into their longarm quilting system only to be so intimidated by it that they never start. That is why loading a simple practice quilt on it and just scribble. Just do something. After you start to get a feel for how your machine moves around, then start practicing on feathers or other more advance fill designs. You are on the road to creating your own style. Don’t be satisfied with mediocre quilting quality. Remember that there are no natural born professional longarm quilters. Everyone that ever go to where they can do show quilts started just like you by pinning on a quilt and practice, practice, practice!

Let me know what you thought about this post.

Visit our YouTube Channel

Great Place To Find Digital Designs!

Kathy really likes this website for finding digital designs. They seem to have sales going on all the time and their digital designs are very reasonably priced.

This is a design that Kathy used in one of our YouTube videos

Click on the image to visit One Long Needle Arts website or click here

To check out how Kathy used this design on her quilt click on this link: https://youtu.be/N6VHkzRfeJI?si=q0_tnCv6djllNEmL

This is a great video that will teach you so much about how a real long-arm professional uses QuiltMotion QCT6 Pro to work on customer quilts.

Free Digital Download from Intelligent Quilting, Inc

Here is a really cute design that you can download for free. We just found this website and really like their digital patterns.

Download Simply Sunflowers

Let us know what you think about Intelligent Quilting, Inc’s website.

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Kathy Barlow owner of Kathy Quilts University

New Machine Quilting How-To Videos on YouTube from Kathy Quilts University

Our latest machine quilting videos are packed with tips, tricks, and step-by-step tutorials designed to make your quilting journey smoother and more enjoyable. Here’s a peek at what’s new:

🌟 Pattern Eclipse with QCT-6 Pro Gold Card Access

This video highlights the powerful Pattern Eclipse feature of the QCT-6 Pro Gold Card Access. This is a really cool feature when you have areas on your quilt that you want to mask off and not have the edge to edge pattern quilt over it. Kathy’s pumpkin quilt shows how she did it.

https://youtu.be/Uh_fhG1l1LY?si=MoWoXcGbMpbcYz52

🧵 Grace Company Precision Leader Cloth Hack

The cloth leaders used to attach a quilt to the quilting frame rails are pretty good, but they can be even better with a few simple adjustments. This video shows you exactly how to prepare your leaders before you install them. Check them out!

https://youtu.be/rK0H15QOtbk

✨ Essential QCT6 Safe Zone Tips Everyone Needs to Know

Check out the video!

Why Subscribe to Kathy Quilts University?

We’re constantly adding new videos to help you improve your skills and make the most of your quilting machine. We will be doing more videos on free motion quilting and how to develop you muscle memory so you can quilt like Kathy!

Here are some of the subjects we plan on covering.

• Product walkthroughs

• Maintenance tips

• Tutorials for both beginner and advanced quilters

• Inspiration for your next project

Huge Black Friday Sale Now Live!

This is the biggest sale of the year at KathyQuilts.com! Check out the sale

Join the Conversation!

We love hearing from our community! If you have a question or want to see a specific topic covered, leave a comment on one of our videos.

Ready to learn something new? Head over to the Kathy Quilts University YouTube channel, hit subscribe, and start exploring our latest tutorials today!

Visit Kathy Quilts University on YouTube

Happy quilting,

The Kathy Quilts Team

Basics of Machine Frames and Hoop Frames – Lesson One

Machine Quilting Frames and Hoop Frames

Longarm machine frames have been around for many years. They tend to be pricey and take up a lot of space. Typically, folks who own longarm frames quilt professionally or have more disposable income than most of us. But recently, the “Home Machine Quilting” market has taken off, with many major frame manufacturers now making frames for home sewing machines.

If you’ve got a domestic machine and are thinking about adding a frame, this info is for you. We’re focusing on shortarm machine frame quilting since there are plenty of other resources out there for traditional longarm quilting.

Most home sewing machines are considered “Short-arm Machines.” The space to the right of the needle, known as the harp, needs to be at least six inches for you to quilt effectively on a frame. Many shortarm frames are paired with machines that have a nine-inch throat. You can use your own machine in most cases, but those with at least a nine-inch throat provide distinct advantages over standard machines when quilting. If you want to dive into shortarm machine quilting, this is the way to go!

These nine-inch throat machines are real workhorses that can run at 1500 or even 1600 stitches per minute. That might sound fast, but once you’ve been quilting for a while, it doesn’t feel that way. Machines like the Juki 2010Q, Brother 1500, Janome 1600, Viking Mega Quilter, and Pfaff Grand Quilter are some of the most popular for quilting on shortarm frames. They work with speed controls and stitch regulators, making them super versatile.

Some machine frames let you place the foot pedal directly on the carriage, but others will need a speed control or stitch regulator, which takes the place of the foot pedal altogether. If you go this route, it does limit your machine options, but these straight stitch-only machines are perfect for quilting—it’s all you need! They’re also great for piecing quilts or regular sewing projects, just without any fancy stitches.

At KathyQuilts.com, we sell the Little Rebel. It has a big enough throat to handle pretty much any quilt you’d do on a quilting frame or hoop. It’s fast, the stitch quality is top-notch, and it runs so smoothly that it cuts down on vibration. Less vibration means less hand fatigue, so you can quilt longer without needing a break. The Little Rebel is perfect for people who are serious about quilting, but don’t want to break the bank! We’ve sold thousands of quilting frames over the years, and we’re here to support our customers for as long as they need help. With the right training and equipment, the possibilities are endless!

Short-arm, Long-arm, and Hoop Quilting Frames

The main difference between short-arm, long-arm, and hoop quilting frames is pretty simple—the throat space on the machine and the size of the machine’s footprint. Short-arm frames were designed for folks who got tired of rolling their quilt and cramming it under the arm of their domestic machine. They’re a huge upgrade from the old “throw it over your shoulder” style of quilting. With a short-arm frame, you’re moving the machine around the quilt instead of wrestling with it under a stationary needle.

The Q-Zone Queen frame is a solid budget-friendly option, setting up at 8 feet long and adjustable between 34.5” and 42.5” front to back, depending on the machine you’re using. It works with domestic machines (anywhere from 6 inches to 19 inches of throat space), and it’s also compatible with Q’nique 16X, Block RockiT 15R, or Q’nique 19X Elite machines, making it a super versatile machine frame.

With a short-arm frame, just be mindful of your quilt size and motifs. Rolling the quilt every couple of minutes can get old quick, so it’s key to maximize your machine’s capacity. Kathy’s tip is to start at one end and quilt as much as possible as you work your way across. Don’t get hung up on what the frame can’t do. You might need to change thread colors often, but knock out the borders and main sections while you’re in that zone.

One great time-saving trick is to load your quilt sideways if you’ve got only 6-8 inches of throat space. If your quilt is longer than it is wide, throw that long edge on the rail (if it fits). That way, you’ll have longer rows to quilt and less rolling. A 10 or 12-foot frame, like the Q-Zone Queen with a 2-foot extension or the Quilter’s Evolution Elite, really steps things up here.

For queen-size quilts, a 10-foot frame is best. If you’re thinking of tackling king-size quilts, go for a 12-foot frame. An 8-foot frame limits you to quilts that are 84 inches or smaller. When your machine is on the frame, remember that the carriage hits the side of the frame, and the needle is usually 7-8 inches in from the edge, which shrinks your quilting zone more than you might think. Hoop frames, like the Cutie Breeze or Q-Zone hoop frame, have the same issue—the machine won’t reach all the way to the edges. You’ll need cloth leaders to start your quilt about 8-9 inches in from the end.

Hoop frames are a great option when you need a small footprint but still want to quilt like you’re using a rolling rail frame. The quilt drapes over the sides of the frame instead of being pinned directly to the rail, so you quilt in zones. After quilting one zone, you slide the quilt over to the next until you’ve worked your way across to the opposite side. Kathy always recommends starting on the left side and working your way over to the right. This is where having cloth leaders that pin across the top of the quilt really comes in handy. With a hoop frame, you can quilt almost any size project since the quilt hangs off the sides.

The downside to hoop frames is that you usually need to baste all three layers—your quilt top, batting, and backing—together before loading it onto the frame. That’s an extra step you don’t have to deal with on a rolling rail frame. But if you don’t have space for an 8, 10, or 12-foot frame, a hoop frame is the next best thing.

Cloth Leaders

Just like those old cassette tapes that had that clear section you couldn’t record on, which hooked the brown tape to the spindle, you need something to attach your quilt to the frame or hoop when quilting. Those strips of fabric are called leaders, and they’re what you pin your quilt to—attached to the frame itself. The Grace Company Evolution Hoop frame and the Evolution Elite (rolling rail) frames are the only Grace frames that come with cloth leaders included.

You can make your own leaders, but you’ve got to be sure you’re using the right fabric so they’re not too stretchy. It’s something worth discussing when you buy your frame, or if you’re picking up a used frame, make sure the cloth leaders are included.

Breaking Down the Frame for Storage

Currently, the only frames you can truly store away are the Cutie and Cutie Breeze frames. In the past, some quilters tried disassembling their larger frames, but that never really worked well. If you need a quilting system that can be put away when not in use, the Cutie Frame (which is now discontinued) or the Cutie Breeze Frame with its upgraded upper carriage system are your best bets.

There are other quilting systems out there, but they don’t work as smoothly as the Cutie Frame. You might be able to find a used Cutie Frame somewhere, or you can go with the Cutie Breeze for the best storage-friendly option.

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