Why Did I Buy an Innova?

I’ve been asked several times why I bought an Innova, and what I think about the machine, so thought I’d post my thoughts on that subject.

I love my Innova!

 Yes, it's the first system I've had, I only did a couple of other small projects on my DSM, then I rented a machine at my LQS.  I loved being able to quilt them myself and decided after having done 2 baby quilts that in order to get as good as I want to get, that would require a lot of practice, as with anything that you get good at.  Since it is $15/hour to rent a machine, and it takes me about 3 hours to do a baby quilt, I decided that if I could afford that kind of money each month to practice (way more than those 3 hours!), then I could afford my own system at home.  Not only that, I'd have the convenience of working on it when the quilt shop was closed instead of feeling pressured to get it done.  The only time I could rent their machine was on Saturday, since I work a regular 8-5 job. The shop is about 30 minutes from my house, too.  The big task was to convince my husband!

I started shopping around.  I had a bit of trouble with the stitch regulator on the major brand machine at the LQS, getting it to respond when I wanted to start up again after stopping and thinking about where I wanted to go next, so that machine wasn’t at the top of my list.  I had heard good things about another machine that was much less expensive, but not a short arm, that was in the right price range.  When I saw it, though, it didn't have a regular hopping foot, and I had to buy the poles at my local hardware store, etc.  So, the advertised price wasn't the actual price and that put me off a bit, although money doesn't grow on trees, either, and even getting a machine was a luxury.

That dealer lives about 2 hours away from me, the Innova dealer lives 8 hours away.  I was on my way back from visiting my family and decided to add an extra day to my trip to see the Innova, and after I test drove it, the other brand just wasn't an option for me anymore, even though the 18" version of the Innova was $1500 more at the time.  I decided that as bad as I wanted one right then and there, it would be worth waiting and saving that extra money to get the one I really wanted than to settle for one I was only sort of interested in.

Eventually, I decided to get the 26" machine, even though IT was an additional $1500 for the larger throat and subsequently wider frame.  I knew I wanted to be able to do large quilts, as we have a king sized bed, I already have a quilt in progress with 12" blocks on point, which needs 17" of quilting space, and I knew I wanted to be able to do customer quilts.  If I had only been able to get the 18" machine, though, I would not have been sorry.

It was so smooth, and it has a great sound to my ear and feel in my hand, the stitches are great, it handles all kinds of threads, it's heavy duty, and it has a servo motor; no others on the market have that, that I know of!  My engineer brother will tell you that a servo motor is the King of Beers in electronics.  Having the servo motor means there is so much power that hasn't even been tapped yet for what I'm doing, and also allows for expandability of the machine, which the company has added since I bought mine, and it's easily retro-fitted if I want those upgrades.  Also, as you are comparison shopping, you'll see the maximum number of stitches a machine will go to is 1200 - 1500, but the Innova will go to 3000.  That's also an indication of the kind of motor it has.  The way the tension works is independent from the hopping foot, which is different than other brands.  I have a post here, if you want to read more about it.

OK, so can you tell that I love my machine? ;-)

When I need help with something, I call their tech support line which is available 24/7.   They have been in business with the industrial side of quilting machines for 70 years, and many of those machines operate overseas, so they have to be available for them and they are available for us, too.  I like that it's made in the USA! I always talk to Michael, the "M" in ABM.  Yes, I have them on speed dial.  I always play with my machine to see what it will do and that takes adjusting the machine.  For example, I bought a kit that had an extra throat plate so I can use heavy decorative threads.   Those threads require a very large needle, a size 21. Michael calls them nails, they are so big!  Well, the timing on the machine is set for the "normal" sized needle, a 16 or an 18.  It does not work the same for a 21, and the tension will not be the same for that thread, either.  The next project requires different thread so we go through it again.  I KNOW this machine will work properly with dark thread on the bottom and light thread on the top, I've SEEN it, I've DONE it!  And when I can't get it working correctly it drives me crazy so I fiddle with it.  I have another 2 bobbin cases on order so I can set them with one type of thread and leave it, and that will minimize my having to play with the tension settings in the future.

I am very independent, and stubborn, too. S o, I want to do things myself and not ask for help.  I have made things worse by doing that, then I have to call and Michael asks me why I didn't call right away.  I understand what he means by that, and I have started calling more easily when I have a question or want to change something so I spend less time tinkering with the machine and more time on my project.

My hubby and I set up the frame ourselves.  It wasn't hard, it was just involved.  Setting it up with one person would have been difficult but only for those times when you want to put the long beam in the middle to connect the two ends.  None of the individual pieces are heavy, except the machine itself. I have pictures of the setup process here: http://picasaweb.google.com/cjloves2quilt/InnovaSetup#

Don't worry if you don’t have a dealer in your area.   ABM is literally a phone call away.  If you are shopping for a long arm, I would suggest that you do a lot of hands on comparisons between the models you are interested in.  It's a very personal choice, not only how much it impacts your wallet, but as a tool, and your mental state of mind while you are creating.  My husband is a drywaller, and I want him to have good tools that won't wear his body out, or cause him difficulty by making a job harder, just because he was trying to save money on a tool.  Quilting is the same way, as you know.  It's very tactile, and the interaction with the tools, thinking of who you are creating this gift for, steeping yourself in the colors and the patterns, and the challenge of learning something new is so rewarding.  Having a tool that doesn't interfere with that process is really important, and if it enhances it, all the better.   And I think the Innova enhances the experience!

Where’d the time go?

Wow, 2 weeks sure fly by fast!

Let’s see, here’s a run down, in no particular order:

I volunteered to quilt for the American Hero Quilts organization, and received two lovely quilts. One thing I like about these quilts is that they are a useable size, not just a lap quilt. Then again, I always want to make a bigger quilt! I already know the design that I’m going to put on the Rail Fence quilt, I just need to get the gold thread. My husband helped me decide on the color of thread. He’s pretty good at that, and I appreciate his input.

The second quilt is pretty awesome, and I am going to be challenged on this one. It’s has Ohio stars all over it, so I need to do some research on how to best make it look good. Don’t have a photo of that one yet, though.

I have been busy quilting. I mean really quilting, not just piecing. I finished my customer’s third quilt and handed them off to her sister, who will hand them to another relative to get them to her. In fact, they should be there already, and I am dying to know if she likes my work. I will have to wait to post photos, though. It would be very impolite to publicize her quilts before she’s seen them.

I am also working on a quilt for a toddler; it’s a surprise for someone, so I can’t say much more than that. But it’s just darling, and I can’t wait to see my friend’s face!

A co-worker is leaving us and moving out of the area, so having a pizza party tonight, so will get back to sewing on Wednesday. I can’t wait!

Golf, anyone?

Last weekend my DH and I played our first round of golf.  We have each taken lessons before, hubby most recently as I had hurt my back when the lessons were scheduled, but we had never played an actual round.

We went with another couple who knows the ropes, and we had a blast.  I even told DH that I could see upgrading my thrift store clubs to a bare bones set from the sports store.  Given that I don’t know what I really want in a set of clubs, I eventually settled on upgrading the driver, as the rest of the clubs really aren’t so bad.

The downside is that I hurt my right arm so much so that the inside of my forearm was swollen for almost a week.  Being right handed, this was a bit of a problem, but I was still able to move the quilting machine around.

Tonight, I went to hit a bucket of balls, and on the first swing, I re-injured my arm.  So much for taking it easy!  But I’ll tell you, I eventually got that new driver to work for me:  I was able to hit over 100 yards!

Tomorrow…finishing my customer quilt.  Once she picks them up, I can post pictures of all three.  I can’t wait for her to see them!

Who’da thunk?

+ = Good
++ = Very Good
+++ = Excellent

I got my comment sheet back from the judges for the Boise Basin Quilters 2009 Quilt Show.

For the Design components, which include Use of Color & Fabric, Top Design, and Quilting Design, I got a “+”.

I got a “++” for Workmanship, which includes technique (precision, stitches, grain line, shadow-through).

My “+++” rating came from…drum roll, please…..Finishing! The judges comment was “wonderful binding”.

So, I guess it does pay off to hand stitch binding down, eh? Or was it the milliner’s needle I liked so well?

How to Pin a Quilt onto the Leaders

Jennie Kerwood, a new ABM Innova dealer in NY, posted her method of how to pin a quilt onto the leaders.

Her explanation is quite detailed, easy to read, and easy to follow; you can't go wrong if you follow her directions.

I do a couple of steps differently, mainly pinning from the back. I could never seem to get the pins on top where I could see them, once I was ready to attach the backing, and this was causing the pin heads to drag on the arm of the machine or on the ruler plate.

In order to accomplish this, I let the leader out and keep it wrapped around the bottom bar and up over the top bar towards me so I don't have to lean over the table.

Once it’s pinned, I can roll it onto the take up bar to get to the end of the back and start pinning to the belly bar at the front of the machine.

Hope this makes sense!

Binding, hand sewing and needles

I usually sew my bindings on by machine, as I'm not much for hand sewing. It's not that I can't sew a slip stitch, it's that I don't want to take the time it requires to do it, I want to move on to the next project.

Well, it just didn't seem right for this quilt, the one I'm finishing for the quilt show. Maybe it is the batik border, maybe it's peer pressure. No, actually, it's that I cut my binding at 2 1/2" instead of 2 1/4" and when I wrap it around to the back, the binding isn't filled out with the quilt sandwich if I only bring it to the seam line. So, I have to bring the binding beyond the stitching line, making it wider in the back than the front. That would leave me with a lip on the back if I used SID from the front, or it would leave me with an "inside line" of stitching next to the binding around the entire quilt. Depending on the project, that's not an entirely unacceptable solution, so maybe it is the batik!

I started out with a quilting needle. Two different brands, even. Those needles were so hard to pull through the fabric that my thumb joint was literally sore the next day.... and I hadn't even finished an entire side yet!

The next needle I tried was a John James Gold'nGlide size 10 milliner's needle, and I can't believe the difference! The difference isn't so much the length as it is the "girth" of the needle, and the eye isn't larger at the end, like the quilting needle. I haven't had to squeeze the needle to try to pull it through, it just slides right through my fabric....my BATIK fabric!

These needles are not the same as some other milliner's needles. I picked up a variety package of Piecemakers milliner's needles before I realized I had the other ones. The eyes of those needles seem a bit larger than the John James needles. I haven't used them, and since I found something I really love, I'm going to see if I can return them. No use messing with success.

I might just consider hand sewing ALL my bindings!......

June 13th deadline - the rush is on!

So, with all of the changes we made to the studio on Memorial Day weekend, I just had to put my theory into practice....and get my quilt done in time for the quilt show that I already entered it into!

This is a Turning Twenty Again pattern, measuring 89" x 75"

I used a batik border and a batik back, and there is at least one batik in the piecing.  This is the first time I've quilted a project with batik...and it was a learning experience!

I loaded this quilt last Sunday and proceeded to mess around with trying to get my tension right.  You see, I can't use the same stitching scenario all the time!  The Innova handles all kinds of threads, and I want to experiment!  That's what gets me in trouble, I guess... ;-)

I used a new-to-me thread called PolyQuilter, from Superior Threads, which is a 19 wt spun polyester thread that feels like cotton.  It's really soft, and it is just gorgeous!  I didn't pay attention to the weight of the thread on the package, and it never occurred to me I would have to make adjustments, as you would with a decorative thread.  Well, maybe that's just me....

I only realized it was such a fat thread when I went to thread the needle.  It was much easier to use the size 18 needle just to get it through the eye, which worked out really well because of the batik back.  I like to test my tension on loops and swirls in order to test everything I might encounter during the actual quilting.  I've used an 18 before with no problems, but, for some reason, I ended up needing to re-time the machine this time because I was getting skipped stitches on my practice loops.  

This, of course, necessitated a call to ABM technical support, which is always great.  Michael was very patient with me as he walked me through several steps, making sure I was liking how the tension was set and how the thread laid on the back.  In order to not have the threads "lying on the top of the fabric" we ended up moving the needle bar height so that the hopping foot was about a dime's height above the quilt top, where I usually have it set to a nickel's height.   However, by the time that was all set, it was time to go to bed!

I used Willow Leaf Studio's Koko pantograph.  Although I've used a pantograph before, this is the first panto I've used on my machine.  Overall it was a pretty easy pattern to follow, although I found that I jerked on the edges of the little musical instrument too much and I have several points, rather than rounded edges.  That was probably me going too fast, as I have a tendency to be impatient.   Also, since I have the 26" machine, I wish I had more than one row on the pattern so I didn't have to roll so much.  Once I figured out the placement and rolling technique, I started to feel much more comfortable with the entire process.  I used about
1- 1/2 rows per bobbin, and I used about 8 bobbins.

I LOVE how the thread looks on the back!  It's actually more interesting than how it looks on the front.  This is part of that learning experience I was talking about...

So, this quilt has taken me a whole week to complete, except for the binding, which I am going to finish this weekend.