Continuous Prairie Points

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25fnkU7L2qc

I found this tutorial on Prairie Points. While I realize they are not as popular as they were when I painstakingly created them some 30 years ago, this is a neat tutorial. I wish I had known about this technique oh so long ago.Perhaps you might rethink about tackling these after this clip

Oh and don't forget you can skip the ad at the beginning of the video .

I thought you might like a little project to do

http://www.greenbirdquilting.com/Quilt-block-carrier.html

You have a quilt block or maybe a few and you want to transport it to your Quilting Bee without being crushed? Here is a nifty carrier above, that you can easily make from scrap and then detail with your Bailey!

One can never say enough about binding

Oh yea of little faith ... You thought I forgot you when I have been doodling to see what I may find in cyberspace to entertain you. The Bailey site is chalked full of information pertaining to the Bailey and some added information .


http://quiltersdiary.com/binding-a-quilt-five-ways


http://thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/2012/09/tutorial-super-duper-easy-way-to-face.html

There are many ways to bind a quilt from pillowcase to traditional mitered corners. Everyone has their favorites. I have included links above to show you alternatives.

Bailey Handles.............looking for something different?

One of the Bailey owners Mark Wilson has provided several you tube video's. He has also constructed new handles for the Bailey and shows how they attach on the video below





Mark can be found also on the Facebook Bailey Home Quilter Group where you can see pictures he has posted of the new handles that would replace your PVC handles.

* Please note that this is for your information and I have no relationship to these handles I am simply providing you with a source for handles should you be inquisitive



Mark's contact information is:

Mark Wilson

Email: mwilson502@gmail.com

Ph: 231-250-2071

Give it the white glove test!

Your carriage is an important piece of equipment in your quilting experience.
Whether you have a stitch regulator or decoders you need to follow the same process.
Before you begin your quilting experience wipe down the tracks with soft cloth to pick up any residue or fluff. Depending on the material your tracks are made of examine them for cracks, separated seams, warp and burrs. Followed by taking close look at your wheels. Are they functioning and all touching the track? Is there any rust on them that require you clean them and do they need a shot of oil if they appear not to be moving smoothly. Most importantly do they have thread wrapped around them causing for poor contact. Now that your wheels are good to go, turn your attention to your machine.Is it time for a good oil and cleaning? Not sure? Here are few hints to suggest you need to oil your machine.. skipped stitches, noisy operation - more than usual, is your handwheel stiff? All of these are indicators that you need to roll up your sleeves and follow the oiling procedure as outlined in your manual or the earlier post on where to oil your Bailey.

So you think you want to start up a Longarm Business

Do you know what that entails?
Do you have the stock, inventory of thread, machine and standby machine, patience and a supportive partner?
Are you an on line junkie who can create your own website?
How will you advertise?
Are there grants available to you to start your own business?
Do you know how to write up a business plan and how to follow it?
Are you curious enough to do your research, contact gov't bodies for funding, try out free diy website creation
What type of business will you conduct? Will you sell your wares of top stitch other's creations
DO you know how to charge and what to charge?

These are a few questions that you should be asking yourself and hopefully you will find the answers
There is a lot of information on line for small businesses and how to set up

http://www.longarmuniversity.com/Bookstore%20pages/longarm_pricing.htm


http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/06/starting-a-longarm-quilting-business

Not to forget the Tax information on how to charge it to your business.......

http://forum.apqs.com/index.php?/topic/11922-tax-tips-for-longarm-businesses


And of course another yahoo group to join
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Machine_Quilting_Professional/join


Check out this blog at the bottom of the page is a link " business of machine quilting"

http://www.quiltingismytherapy.com/quilting-portfolio

Robotic Helpers

From time to time there is some question of what type of an automated system can I use with my Bailey. There are several out in the " Marketplace" but only one maker that will work with the Bailey.

PC Quilter

http://www.pcquilter.com

Now there are two versions of the PC quilter. The older of the two is the Carriage Robotic system which is controlled by your home computer The computer software controls the pressure gauge on the foot pedal which starts the machine to stitch. The carriage itself is also controlled by the PC quilter program which swings your carriage to and fro to complete the pattern. Through the computer program you can resize, flip , rotate, repeat and digitalize patterns. But I won't bore you the website above will offer their insight into the product they make

The pc quilter side mount
http://www.pcquilter.com/longarm.htm



This is really the optimum unit that allows you to use the robotic quilter and has the ability to push a larger machine using a motorized side mount. Because of it's size it allows you more travel in the larger quilting area compared to the unit above. The side mount is just that a system that attaches to your current carriage and when not needed it can easily be removed. Where as the PC quilter has it's own carriage ( pictured above) and you would want to swap it out it for your original carriage and handles if you want to free motion

Competitors may tell you that the Bailey will probably work with their system. Be very careful, I have not to date found any other system that has proven to be compatible. I do own the PC quilter that I quite like and works with my Bailey< I was lucky enough to purchase an older model for a cheap price and it does accommodate my Bailey. I do not get the larger quilting surface because of the model I have but it is a trade off for the benefits. I have had no problems with tension or broken threads since acquiring this equipment. I am not trying to tell you to purchase such an add- on but I did think it important that I reveal the info to you so that you are aware what is compatible with your machine.

And the next question is.... Where do you get patterns to use with the PC quilter
The pc quilter website has a user password secure website that you can download patterns. Digital patterns are easily purchased through auto downloads via their webpages and he prices vary. Last but not least the PC quilter yahoo group has a large number of archived files free for download.

If this is what you are interested in , keep your eyes opened I found mine for $100 on a community " for sale" website. One never knows!