Longarm Practice

Longarm Practice

 

 

When we see Longarm Quilting we only see the beautiful clean work of the quilter.  Not the process of practice that exposes the immature skill. 

 

When I got my machine, which was a Gammill Statler Sticher, I was intimidating.  It consumed my room and the money invested into the machine brought a sense of overwhelming impact. It took me time to decide to start practicing on it. 

 

 Especially when I did get on the Machine my work look like kindergarden writing not that beautifull quilting that inspired me to get a machine.  Some how I though the machine had the magic...heheheee..

 

I saw on YouTube a longarm quilter who just inspired me to play on the machine, regardless of my fear, ugly stitches, sloppy curves, and not even being able to make a straight line.  I was inspired.   

 

So I decided to start a YouTube account and document my practice.  

 

 I didn't know anything  about tension, stitch size, what regulated stitch was, continuous stitch, or how to sit on the machine. 

 

 

 

 

 

I recorded once or twice a week and practiced only 30 minutes a couple of time in the week. With in four week with maybe 6 hours worth of practice for the month.  My pebbles improved and confidence started to come into this longarm experience.  Every time I got on the machine I learned something new.  What sitting position was most comfortable, thread that looked the best, stitch length, and much more.  I also learned to be accepting of  the process. It's okay to not do perfect stitches sometimes.  It is practice.

 

 

 

 

  Growing in a new skill is never easy, but each step you take, will reveal the skill maturing.