Juki TL-98Q, Just Quilting, & the Portland Modern Quilt Guild

I am now a proud member of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild thanks to this machine, the gals at Just Quilting and my friends Miyong Noh and Violet Craft. It is true - a sewing machine can get one into this kind of mess!

I was out and about with Miyong, not shopping for sewing machines (although that is a bit of an oxymoron, because I always get in trouble when I shop with her!) and we saw the sign for Just Quilting. After a quick decision to go see what was there, we were deep into a conversation about longarm quilting with the two awesome gals who work there.

Let me back up a bit and admit that I have only ever made doll quilts with my students. I have never, ever made a quilt. I have always been intimidated by quilting, which is silly, because I've sewn everything else under the sun. Somehow the idea of committing to such a large and labor-intensive project that requires precision terrifies me. I am inspired by the modern quilt movement - and I love Denyse Schmidt's quilts and quilts of Gee's Bend - oh it is a vast world of quilting out there! But I digress...

Back to Pat's Just quilting. I asked her which was her favorite machine to sew on and she pointed me to her her Juki TL-98. She said it was perfect for sewing on quilt bindings and she was attached to it (See, I am not the only one who gets attached to my sewing machines!) The Juki TL-98Q is a lockstich machine, and I wasn't sure I knew what that meant. This warranted more research (okay, twist my arm!) and here is what I discovered: A lockstitch is a straight stitch. It is what was originally patented to commercialize the home sewing machines in the 1830s and is the fundamental mechanics for straight stitch sewing on machines to this day.

Good to know! Now off to plan my quilt design...