Avante Story

I will post the second half of the Metals Workshop later.   I have a funeral to attend this morning.  But do look at the last post to see the first day of Mary H.

But I wanted to tell you about the visit from Bill the HandiQuilter Tech.  He came in the midst of everything this weekend on Sunday morning.  Frank was home to greet him and make sure they dogs didnt bothr him.  He always has treats for them in his bag.

He reset the timing, tweaked the tension to get a good solid stitch and found that the base on the track was loose.

So he and Frank took the machine off the bed and tightened up all the screws.  When they replaced it he made sure he made sure it was parallel to the track.

When they turned it on it ran like a charm!  So many things affect the way the machine works. 

I hope to have some time this weekend to work on the quilt that has been on the frame for a while!

Avante Is Working Again

Big thing I learned today was that you should always unplug your machines from the wall when you are not using them.  Even using a surge protector will not always protect them.  Best to unplug!

I brought my Avante to the dealer's shop on Friday a week ago because:

1.  it needed its yearly clean and retool
2.  the hopping foot was acting strange on the last 8 inches of the Skele-biker quilt.....remember that?

Well, it was a set screw that held the flywheel on track that fell out  and was lazing around the housing.

So Frank and I go pick it up on Saturday morning.  We go home and plug in the three plugs and ......

nothing.

So I call Margaret and she sets up the Tech guy to come to my house today and see what is going on.

He looked at it, gave the dog a treat, opened up the motor deck, gave the dog a treat, plugged in the dangling plug, gave the dog a treat, plugged in the machine and turned it on. 

It worked!!!!  Whew!  Better than having to buy a new and expensive computer for that machine!


And Chloe LOVED the treats!

Long Arm

I have an Avante, which I love. 

I bought it at the Houston Quilt Show in 2013 and in November 2014 I should  have taken it in for a rehab and spa day to be tweaked and tuned.  I didn't. 

I am doing a freehand scallop design that is fun an easy.  

So I was 93.% done with my Skele-Biker quilt when the Avante decide it would not be available for quilting until it had the Spa Day I kept promising. 

I am so close.  

Not exactly sure what was happening but it seems the foot is lowered and dragging along the quilt top making  it impossible to move the head around to stitch.

So now it is demanding a Spa Day, 


I need a Spa Day........anyone want to come with me?

I Totally Suck at Pantographs!

Yep!  I have to admit that I am not doing a great job on the first quilt

Sometimes I do OK

And sometimes I am way off

on this thing.  The machine has a totally different feel from the other one.  The camera is sort of a fish eye view and distorts what you are seeing.  If you hit the wrong button you get a backwards or upside down view and that REALLY throws you off. When I got all the ups and downs sorted out, I realized it will just

take a bit or practice to get used to the view.  If you are prone to motion sickness, this may not work for you.

I just grabbed one of the quilts from the top of the enormous pile of tops because this one had the backing already made.

Loaded it with no problem, threaded the machine with the new trick the Margaret lady showed me and set up a pantograph on the shelf. I easily saw the line I was to follow on the monitor from the camera. But......no laser pointer.

The night before, Frank had attempted to set up the laser light for me.  He told me there was no place for the light to plug in now that we had the camera in there.  I showed him the schematic and he looked and looked and looked.  No dice! I trusted him and went out today and bought a $45 laser pointer.  After I jury-rigged it, it worked for a little while then went out.  I could not get it to stay on, and ended up taking it back.  When I got home, I was still thinking I really didn't understand why I couldn't use the laser pointer system that came with the machine.

So I got back there behind the machine and WOW, I clearly saw a hole to plug it into.  So I plugged the laser light in and just set it in the hole in the little camera system platform and VOILA! it worked.

Now why do you suppose Frank could not have done that last night? It would have saved me not one, but TWO trips to Office Depot today........just sayin'

Rocking and Rolling

Frank and I had finished up the frame this morning.  When Margaret arrived she approved of our work.  After loading the head on the carrier we leveled the frame to the machine.  Frank crawled around on the floor like a 16 year old.  I was

proud of him.   Later he told me he smashed his finger on something and was in considerable pain. I had no idea.  He said it was a matter of manly pride, he sucked it up and persevered like a real man!

When everything was to her satisfaction, Margaret showed me how to thread the machine.  And the bobbin.  Then we loaded a practice piece and played with tension adjustments.

It ran like a purring kitten and was quieter than a snoring basset.   I was so incredibly pleased.  I will quilt all my quilts on it.  The quilts will now be perfect.  And all my friends (and even my enemies) will love them and I will win all of the contests now.  Of course for the price I paid for it, I could have bought exceptional quilting services for many years to come. But I digress........


Then we put the camera in place.  I forgot to take pictures of the back where the camera is set up to view the pantograph on the shelf.  The monitor you see on the front of the head is where you see the video of the pantograph from the front of the machine.

The camera is not from HandiQuilter.  I bought it from R&S and is called QuiltCam.  You can see it by clicking here.  This will take you to the website.  I paid the show price and got a great deal!

When Margaret left, she was right, I felt like I understood the first steps of what I needed.  I immediately made drawings of the way the quilt was loaded.  And immediately after that, taped the drawings to the frame.

I am never going to remember how to do this any other way!

This, however, was how the bassets celebrated.

My Motorcycle Delivery Accompished!

It took 4 UPS guys and 3 UPS trucks and one loader lady from the inside of the main truck.  I heard them heading down the cold, quiet street.  They were looking for the addresses, I sort of knew that.  So I stepped out to the cold porch.

Two of the trucks zoomed by and one turned at the street.  They all went away and my heart deflated.

then, all of a sudden they turned the corner at the end of the street and stopped in front of my house!  Yes!

they hustled and bustled and milled about, pulling packages out and toting them in to my foyer.  When they had five huge boxes in they were looking for more.  I said, there should be seven. 

the beautiful sonorous voice from the inside the truck tells me, Dalin', you got EIGHT packages today.  You must be special!

They all wanted to know what it was, one guy guessed a motorcycle, although when the others laughed at him, he had to admit that he had never seen a motorcycle a lady was going to put  together!

I loved it!

Here are my beauties. The frame packages. 



There is the bobbin winder......oh so big!

Even the handlebars!

 and the extra package number eight!.

Where Is the Avante Today?

Trinidad, CO, United States	11/09/2013	4:49 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Commerce City, CO, United States	11/09/2013	12:27 A.M.	Departure Scan
Commerce City, CO, United States	11/08/2013	11:23 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Salt Lake City, UT, United States	11/07/2013	11:32 P.M.	Departure Scan
	11/07/2013	5:56 P.M.	Origin Scan
United States	11/07/2013	6:42 P.M.	Order Processed: Ready for UPS

There Will Be a New Baby in the Family!

And I am so happy I could spit!  LOL

Some of you already know, since you were nearby when I got the news.  It was so very totally exciting.

I am hoping to hear about the delivery date this week.  Here is an ultrasound of the new little one. 

So now, there is a MegaQuilter and frame for sale!  Let's talk!