Podcast #12: Affordable Quilting Frames and Longarms by Grace Co
I’m planning to add a rail mounted longarm to my sewing room sometime this year. This will require collapsing one home sewing machine table to have room for the frame and machine. But don’t worry – I still have 2 other home machines set up!
I’ll still be shooting videos on my home machine as that remains my main focus in quilting and teaching. I want to explore longarm quilting because I’m curious – this is a whole different side of quilting and it works in a very different way.
Right now I’m focusing on quilting on the Grace Qnique machine that’s set up as a sit down machine in my Quilty table. Because this is set up in a table I’m still moving the quilt to make the designs, not the machine.
To learn how to use the machine, I’m starting a new series of videos on the Qnique called Sit Down Quilting Sunday that will share how to get started, the major differences between quilting on a longarm verses a home machine, and answering any questions you have about quilting on a sit down longarm. Be looking for the first video in this series tomorrow!
The sponsor for this show is our new Dresden Plate Template Set! You can use it to cut dozens of Dresden Plate quilt blocks, tumbler shapes, circles, and even use them for ruler foot quilting on your home machine. We’re running a sale on the set until January 30th so if you want to get the absolute best deal of the year on them, click here to check the Dresden Plate Template Set out now.
Now for some links to things we discussed in the interview:
Grace Company makes many types of quilting frames and they first got into this
by manufacturing hand quilting frames, and they are still one of the few companies that still create these frames, and they also make hand quilting hoops as well.
They got into creating machine frames in 2001. These frames are designed to take your home machine – like the Babylock Jane or the Juki 2010Q – and set it up like a longarm on a frame so the machine moves over the quilt.
During the podcast Nathan explained that these frames can grow with you. So you can get a GQ Frame (Grace Quilter Frame) and put your home machine on it right now.
Then in a few years, you could purchase a longarm machine like the Grace Qnique and place it on the same frame. You don’t need to buy a new frame because it will grow with you.
I love that feature because these frames and machines are big and heavy and once you get it set up, you really don’t want to have to tear it down to put in a new one in a few years.
Grace Company currently makes two longarm machines – the Qnique 14+ which is a 15 inch longarm and the Qnique 21 which is a 21 inch longarm.
Just in case you’re confused about this terminology, here’s a video I created a few years ago to help explain the difference between a home machine, sit down, table mounted, rail mounted, and longarm machine:
When I started quilting in 2005, I remember longarms being very rare and very expensive. The high price and size is what put me off for years. A lot has changed though and now we can find longarms at affordable prices.
Speaking of price…
You can find prices of the machines, frames, and bundles of machines and frames easily on the Grace Company website!
The Grace SR2 (Start Right 2) Frame is a queen sized frame that retails for $1000. Here’s a list of the machines that are compatible with the Grace stitch regulator which makes using this frame much easier.
You can bundle the Grace Qnique 14+ machine with the SR2 frame for $4999.00. This is cheaper than many home sewing machines and will give you a big space for quilting big quilts, M sized bobbins, stitch regulation, and a lot more speed.
If space is an issue for you, as it is for me, all of the Grace frames can be set up at half size. Instead of 87 quiltable inches, you will have 37 inches to work with.
You can also bundle the Grace Qnique 14+ machine with the new Qnique 14 Frame for $6199.00 which has a quiltable area of 110 inches for king sized quilts or be built at half size to quilt up to 50 inches.
Grace Company wants to create a QVE – Quality Value Experience – products that have features and functions of the professional machines, but at a reasonable price.
Click Here to find the Grace Company website. Click Here to learn more about the Qnique longarm machines. You can also call to request a catalog Monday Friday through 1-800-264-0644.
I’m super excited to be working with Grace Company and quilting on my Qnique 14+. I’ll be sharing a video tomorrow with details about my quilting setup in our first Sit Down Quilting Sunday video! If you have any questions be sure to post them in the comments below and I’ll answer your questions in this new video series.
Let’s go quilt
Leah Day
