Quilting Shellie's Fairy Forest Quilt

The tension screw fell out of the bobbin case on my Avanté a couple of days ago, and I couldn’t find it anywhere.  Maybe it’s in the last customer quilt?  😦🤭😬  There are 5 screws coming from Handi Quilter in North Salt Lake, Utah; but they won’t get here until Saturday.  I called Country Traditions in Fremont, and was glad to learn that they do still service longarms despite the store having new ownership; but the tech wasn’t there, and the ladies didn’t know about such things as bobbin screws. The lady told me she’d have the tech call me the next morning.

Nobody called.  Larry called at 11:30 a.m.  He was working in Fremont and could pick up the tension screw.  I called Country Traditions.  The tech was not in.  The ladies did not know when he would be in, and they still had no idea what longarm parts were available.  And evidently the string between their cans had come disconnected, and they couldn’t ask him.  Bah, humbug.

The lady I was talking to assured me that the tech would call me today.

Two customer quilts arrived this afternoon.  At 4:30 p.m., not having heard from the tech yet, I called.  The lady was surprised I was calling again.  "Somebody already contacted you!"  I didn't say anything, wondering if I should look for recent unanswered calls.  The lady added, "Or so I thought."  Then she told me, "The tech doesn't have any bobbin tension screws, but he can order some for you."

"No, that's okay," I said.  "I've ordered some from Handi Quilter, but they won't be here until Saturday, and I have customer quilts waiting."

I headed to my quilting studio to load a quilt.

When I basted the top edges of the Fairy Forest quilt down, I found that if I pressed the tension spring tightly against the bobbin case, it held well enough to give me good tension on the bobbin thread, even without the little tension screw.  So... I adjusted the top tension to match the bobbin thread, and ... I quilted!

So far, so good.  The pantograph is called 'Adore'.  My customer is making the quilt for her almost-6-year-old granddaughter, and the little girl chose the panto herself.

By the way, Country Traditions, one of my favorite quilts shops, has new owners.  I haven't met them, but I get their 'Winding Thread' email, and I'm looking forward to meeting them.  The people who work at that quilt shop are always very nice, and the store has a huge selection of lovely things.  I was so glad the store was sold, rather than closed.