A Longarm Endeavor
- Astrid
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Well, I took the plunge. I acquired a longarm quilting machine! A relative of a friend had a friend who was selling hers. Hehehe! (Did you follow that?) I had just been thinking about whether I would one day have a Longarm machine when I received a text message asking if I would be interested in this one! Now, this machine is a monster. It is 11 feet long, and 4 1/2 feet deep. Where does one even put a machine that size? I managed to put it in the garage for now. Since it is heavy and awkward, I added castor wheels to the legs so it can move within the garage. Whew!

It took days to measure, set up, and test. Where would it fit exactly? But it's up and ready. After testing it out, I wanted to try the pantograph feature. On the back side of the machine is a table for pantographs and a laser to trace the design while sewing the quilt. I set up some practice fabric and batting to give it a go. After some practice, you kind of get the hang of it.

This swirl pattern came with the machine, and was exactly what I was hoping for. It reminded me of "The Starry Night" by Vincent VanGogh. Maybe the blue and yellow of the quilt influenced it, but that's how my mind sees it.
Using a Longarm feels a lot like using an oversized sewing machine, except you move the machine instead of moving the fabric. It is kind of fun, but it does take some getting used to. After some trial and error with the tension, I was able to make a reasonable design on an actual quilt!

Because of the nature of learning something new, I was tired, and my back was tight from standing over the quilting machine. So I recommend taking frequent breaks. I took one every 2 hours or so, but certainly would have taken them more frequently if I had been watching the time. This was not a quick undertaking as it was like learning on the job.

I went on to finish the quilt, and bind it. Now it is ready to give as a gift. My first Longarm experience was a bit of a learning curve, but well worth it! A lovely spring tulip quilt shows off the swirls like a breeze.


The last step was to choose the right binding for this quilt. I thought a nice yellow, but switched to blue, then back and forth. So before I chose, I sat down with all the scraps to clear my mind. I figured I would sew them together for my practice swatch binding. By the time I had sewn them all, I realized I had just made a perfect scrappy binding for this quilt!
A scrappy binding for a scrappy quilt was just the right touch! Maybe you have a Longarm story to tell...
Great to connect with you again! Until next time!
~Astrid
Quilt Artisan
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