Meet the Newest Contributor to the Checker Newsletter
Nov 2nd, 2009 by Pat Barry
Hi ! My name is Pat Barry and I am really happy that I can be a new
Pat Barry - new contributor to the Checker Newsletter
contributor to the Checker Distributor newsletter. I am the designer of the Sweet Set™ Quilting Machine & Design Templates for Creative Grids – but more on that later. My areas of expertise are quilting machines and the products that quilters need to finish their quilts quickly and accurately.
There are so many quilting machines on the market today that it is hard to keep a tally of them all! They come in many sizes with innumerable features to choose from. There is a broad range of prices so almost everyone can find a machine to fit their needs.
Just for clarification, machine quilting and quilting machines are two different things. Machine quilting (verb) refers to any quilting stitches done by a sewing machine. The machine might be a domestic sewing machine (DSM) that is stationary and the fabric moves freely while it is being stitched. The machine might be a quilting machine (noun) that moves freely and the fabric is stationary while it is being stitched.
Some people refer to quilting machines as longarm machines, but they come in many sizes. The machines are different sizes and the tables are different sizes, but all of them have a sewing head that moves freely in all directions, and they have a table that functions like a giant quilting hoop or frame that holds the fabric. The differences between quilting with a DSM and a quilting machine are significant; each has its own advantages and challenges.
But what about the products needed to successfully finish a quilt? Most machine owners get their products at quilt shows or online. Although these are good sources, quilters can’t wait for a show to buy their products; they need them promptly. Buying online is a better option, but as quilters, we still want to see and touch the products. This is especially true of products that come in multiple colors (like threads) or multiple sizes (just how thick is 3 oz. Poly batting?) and for new products.
There are many new products that are designed specifically for quilting machines, but looking at them in a package doesn’t help explain how to use them. That is where I come in. I will be writing about products for people using quilting machines. Some products are new, some are existing, and some are household items put to new uses – like coffee filters!
I have been working with quilting machines since I opened my first quilting business, a retail quilting studio. I taught people how to use the machines and then they could rent time on the machines to finish their own quilts. We had a commercial location large enough for three longarm quilting machines plus a training area and some quilting supplies and notions.(Yes, that is when I learned about Checker Distributors and their amazing customer service!) I had plenty of first time business and very little repeat business. The studio was a great idea, but I didn’t have computerized machines and the quilters weren’t happy with the outcome because it takes lots of practice to get the results they wanted.
The benefit of having the studio was my experience with teaching hundreds of new quilters. This led to doing machine installations and on-site training. The benefit of that was seeing how quilters work, their favorite tools – and their biggest frustrations. This led to my book, “ABCs of Longarm Quilting” which is a primer for the new quilter. It also triggered the “there has to be a better way” spark in me, and I started to design some quilting machine templates that are accurate and easy to use – but more about that later. I continue to teach people to use their quilting systems, and I really enjoy trying new products. I have taught classes using longarm and shortarm free motion quilting systems, and other than the size, they are surprisingly similar.
The size of the quilting machine doesn’t usually matter – it could be a 36” computer-driven longarm on a 14’ table or it could be a domestic sewing machine on a platform of a tabletop frame. The products I write about will apply to all machines and where there are exceptions, they will be noted. I will not be evaluating individual products. Instead, the articles will discuss products based on their purpose and the solutions they provide.
I hope you enjoy these articles. Please share them with your staff, print them out and post them for your customers (just add a note “reprinted with permission of Pat Barry and Checker Distributors”). And, please seriously consider creating a section in your shop for quilting machine owners. After all, they are already your customers buying fabric and batting!
Always “checking” for a better way to quilt!
Pat Barry
Hi Pat, This is great news; the melding of quilting machines no matter their arm size! Good suggestion to have our local quilt shops have a section for quilting maching owners. I’ll be making suggestions to our local shop. I’m sitting here having a “V8 moment” . . . “Why didn’t I think of that?” I’m very glad you did!! Allison C. Bayer, Allison’s Machine Quilting, Established 1997 (APQS Millenium longarm on a 12′ table)