Pulling your brand new longarm quilting machine out of the box for the first time is a thrilling experience. It's the start of a new stage in your quilting journey. But it's also a little terrifying. I remember when I set up my first longarm machine. I thought to myself "I've made a terrible mistake". Of course, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made for myself! However, just getting started with a longarm machine can be a little intimidating. The APQS Beginning Longarm Quilting Class was designed to ease those growing pains. This is a comprehensive all day class covering all the basics of longarm quilting. We'll discuss how to choose the right thread and batting for your quilts. And I'll let you know which ones are my favorites. We'll learn about loading a quilt onto the frame and quilting with paper pantographs. I'll talk about basic machine maintenance so you can keep your machine running beautifully. And of course we'll talk about setting tension, which doesn't need to be a scary thing. I teach this class about every other month. The next session of the APQS Beginning Longarm Quilting Class is on Friday October 12 at 10:00am-4:00pm here in my Louisville, KY studio. This class comes free with the purchase of a new APQS longarm quilting machine. If you recently purchased an APQS machine and haven't taken this course yet, give me a call at (502) 718-7148 so we can register you for the course! The class is also great for owners of any brand longarm machine because only about 45 mins of this 6 hour course will be APQS specific. You can click here to register for the class. The APQS Beginning Longarm Quilting Class covers a lot of information, but there's always more I want to share with my students! So I like to follow up the class with my Advanced Beginner Longarm Quilting Class. In this lecture/demo class, we'll get a broad overview of custom quilting with your longarm machine. You will walk away with over 100 ways to custom quilt a block. Plus, you'll learn easy custom treatments for sashing, borders, and corners. I'll show you how to safely use a ruler with your stand up longarm quilting machine and some beginner friendly ruler work techniques. Most importantly, we'll talk about how to "read" a quilt top and find the best quilting designs. I'll be teaching the Advanced Beginner Longarm Quilting Class on Saturday October 12 at 10:00am-2:30pm also in my Louisville, KY studio. The class is $125 and you can click here to register for the class. If you're the proud new owner of a longarm quilting machine, you don't need to be afraid to start quilting! With these classes you'll gain the confidence you need to begin your quilting journey. I hope you'll join me!