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Training on the long-arm is free, loading a quilt onto the long-arm is free, running the long-arm is not. The current pricing on the long-arm is $12 an hour, prorated per minute. The rental includes run time on the machine and usage of the provided omni thread. You must use the provided thread. Do not fob into the long-arm until your quilt is loaded and you are ready to begin sewing. Refunds will be issued entirely at area-champion discretion. Using the long-arm constitutes agreement to usage pricing, and pricing is subject to change without prior notification. Rental includes run time of the machine and Omni Thread.
Each quilter quilts at their own risk. We do our best to maintain the machine in good working order, but there may come a time when either you don't quilt perfectly or the machine doesn't work perfectly. It's a machine and problems do occur. Quilters are all human and mistakes happen. Quilters assume all risk when using the long-arm machine.
Please reserve time on the long-arm using the calendar reservation system. This is for a four hour reservation. If a quilt is left on the long-arm outside of reserved time it may be removed without warning by the next user. If a quilt is on the frame when you arrive for your reservation, document the removal on the message board and respectfully remove it. Quilts take hours, handle other’s work with care.
Currently, the calender will take reservations between 12AM and 7PM of any given day. If you wish to do any late night quilting past those times, please give a heads up via the Discord quilting channel or through the members email.
Regardless of what you use, best results will occur when your quilt top, backing, and bottom are ironed, because it will make them easier to load.The practice of ironing decreases “surprises” that may need to be ripped out.
Do not bring your quilt top, batting, and backing pre-basted, either with spray basting or pin basting. The quilt “sandwich” is assembled on the machine.
There is no minimum quilt size. Maximum quilt size is 12 feet wide, which is as long as the rollers will accommodate. For best results, the quilt backing and batting should be a minimum of 8 inches longer and wider (4 inches on all sides) than the quilt top to allow room for attaching the quilt to the frame and edge to edge quilting. Remember shift happens. This also gives a margin to practice design and check tensions.
Standard quilting materials can be run on the long-arm without prior approval. These materials include:
High quality, 100% cotton batting is available for sale in the craft lab at $4.25 for one foot of 120 inch wide batting (The batting is Quilter’s Dream 100% cotton in select loft, it’s lovely). The initial roll of batting has been purchased by Anderson, so all payments for batting usage will be on honor system to her.
The machine handles “franken” batting well (meaning, batting constructed from overlapping scraps), and so with a one foot section of 120 inch wide batting it would be possible for construct a 3 foot by 3 foot quilt by overlapping the material. Please place any scraps of batting in the batting scrap bin for use during training and for smaller projects.
You may also provide your own batting. Allowed battings include:
You may run up to three layers of garment fabric which is no heavier than canvas (meaning, you may quilt together three canvas layers)
To run any other material, or more than 3 layers of the above materials, please contact a trainer first. We will help you to adjust the machine tension, or select a more appropriate needle.
Quilters must use the thread available on the thread rack at Lenox. No thread should be brought in. Thread is Omni brand. If you would like to request an additional color, or if a color appears to be running low (when 1/4“ left on cone), please contact Anderson.
There are bobbins available at Lenox. You may wish to purchase some bobbins for your own use. Bobbins are Size M bobbins, and only metal bobbins should be used. A size M bobbin holds approximately 210 yards of thread: if using MMS bobbins, we ask that you load no more than 2 bobbins at a time to insure free bobbins are available for others at the end of your quilting time. These bobbins must be left at the space.
Users are not required to match the top and bobbin thread color, but beginners may achieve better results this way. If the tensions between the top and bobbin thread is not perfectly even, matching top and bobbin thread will disguise this, making a better finished product. Curves and sharp turns are more likely to reveal any tension mismatch issues, causing the top or bobbin thread to poke through to the other side.
Oil the bobbin case with every new bobbin. A picture of where to oil the bobbin case is near the bobbin winder. Please refer to it.
There is a gold key (a golden USB drive) filled with all of the training videos for the machine, including basic operation (like threading), and maintenance. It can be viewed by plugging it into a windows machine and running the videos from its executable. Backups of all of the videos are available in the maker vault under the long-arm folder. Please refer to this key for reinforcement of all provided training documents.
Gold key reference video on cleaning the bobbin: “Silver > All Maintenance” > “Machine Basic” > “Maintenance ~ Bobbin Case”
Gold key reference video on oiling machine hook assembly: “Silver > All Maintenance” > “Machine Basic” > “Maintenance ~ Bobbin Case”
Upon arriving for a reservation, take the time to dust the machine and remove any lint from the bobbin case area. Lightly oil the bobbin case area. You will oil this area every time you change the bobbin. Check for any damage to the machine before beginning.
Gold key reference video on threading the machine: “Silver > Load a quilt” > “Threading: Machine Head” > “Threading Innova Machine Head”
The easiest way to thread the machine is like a serger: just tie the new thread on and pull through.
This is not a fool-proof method. Before adjusting any tension on the machine, always try rethreading first. Particularly with multiple users, you are trusting the threading job of the previous user if you just pull their thread through.
The way people screw up the threading is around the tensioning disks. You need to go around the disk 2.5 times: .5 is the exit through the check spring. Refer to the golden key for reference.
Gold key reference video on threading bobbin case: “Silver > Load a quilt” > “Threading: Machine Head” > “Threading Bobbin Winder … Standard”
Use the provided bobbin winder next to the thread. The threading diagram is laminated above the bobbin winder. When you put the bobbin in the bobbin case, you should check the bobbin tension by holding it up like a yo yo by the thread. If you shake the thread, the bobbin should easily release more thread. But if you hold it by the string, you should be able to fully pick up the bobbin case by the thread. Please do this over a table! Ask a trainer to demonstrate this idea. Tip: Anderson will be very sad if you drop our bobbin case on the floor.
When you insert the bobbin into the machine, it needs to click. If you don’t get it in all the way, you’ll break your needle.
Gold key reference video on loading your quilt: “Silver > Load a quilt” > “Threading: Machine Head” > “Loading-a-quilt ~ Country Loft ~ With Leader Grips or Red Snappers”
All of the techniques provided here are only suggestions, feel free to experiment with what works for you. These instructions are for floating your quilt top, where you do not secure your quilt top onto the top bar, instead allowing your top and batting to hang while quilting.
Best results will occur when your quilt top, backing, and batting are all ironed or steamed, because it will make them easier to load.
During these steps: the machine should be off, so that you are not being charged.
Before loading your batting, your backing should be loaded. Please refer to the final checks of the above step.
Before loading the top, your backing and batting should be loaded. Please refer to the final checks of the above step.
Gold key reference video on machine basting: “Silver > Hand Guided ~ Ruler Work” > “Machine Basting”
Gold key reference video on starting and stopping: “Silver > Hand Guided ~ Ruler Work” > “Starting and stopping”
Before quilting, your quilt should be loaded onto the machine. The bobbin should be in place, clicked into the machine. The bobbin case should have been oiled. Your top thread should be threaded.
Before you start sewing, you may wish to consider the direction you intend to primarily quilt in. Always quilting in one direction (EX. from left to right, or from the center out) may improve the overall tensioning of your quilt and avoid puckers. If you prefer complete freedom of motion, you will likely need to use your hand to smooth the top as you move across the top.
Quilts cannot be left on the machine after your sewing time.
This section is provided primarily as reference for the trainers. Do not attempt any of the steps described in troubleshooting without approval from a trainer
Gold key reference video on adjusting tension: “Silver > Load a quilt” > “Threading: Machine Head” > “Tension Adjustments”
Generally, you should not have to adjust the machine tension when doing standard quilting. Never touch the tension without pre-approval by a trainer, never touch the tension without rethreading the machine first.
If your top looks bad (loopy), your bobbin tension is at fault. If your back looks bad (loopy), your top tension is at fault.
The bobbin case should be adjusted by the tension screw. Adjust this screw in 5 minute (as if the screw were a clock-face) increments: tiny adjustments only.
The top tension dial should only be adjusted in half turns at a time.
To reiterate: person by person we are all using the same thread. It is more likely to be a threading issue than a tension issue so check there first.
Gold key reference video on replacing the needle: “Silver > All maintenance” > “Machine Basic” > “Install new needle”
When a needle needs replacement due to breakage or wear, a MMS trainer must install the new needle. Users are not allowed to replace needles themselves. Trainers will log the replacement and reason the old needle failed to track consumables in the area.
If you’re hearing a “popping” sound when quilting, that could mean a dull needle: contact a trainer.