Innova Long Arm

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT

We are the only place in Illinois where you can come and try the machines. We have an 26 inch set up in the store. The 26 inch is on the 12 foot frame and also has the Autopilot installed. There is also an 18 inch with Lightening Stitch and Pantovision available.

We use the Autopilot to quilt for customers and it is fabulous.  We are in Westmont, a southwest suburb of Chicago. We're on the NW corner of Route 83 and Ogden Avenue, two miles south of I-88.  818 Ogden in Westmont, IL 60559.  630 321-9051.  Ask for Chris, and if I am not available, Deb also owns one, and in the unlikely case that neither of us is there, please leave a complete message, or ask them to get in touch with me and call you back.

We just moved into a bigger space.  This huge room, is going to be our training center:

• THE COMPANY BACKGROUND ABM International, has been making commercial quilting machines since 1947. That means the huge machines that run 24 hours a day quilting comforters, and bedspreads, and fabric, and Kevlar vests, etc, etc. They even made one for NASA that sews together 27 layers of something with ceramic thread that makes a part of the heat shield or something.
  

• HOW THE INNOVA CAME ABOUT A couple years ago, they found out about the home quilters, went to a Houston Festival, and thought "Gee, we could make those", and since trade laws changed in 2003, a almost all of the fabric manufacturing went overseas, this gave them something to make for the USA. They still make the big machines, they just have to go sell them in countries around the world, instead of North Carolina!
  

• BETTER TECHNOLOGY The technology inside the machine is newer than many other long arms (and they sure didn't take a regular machine, cut it in half and stretch it ). What this means to you is that there are no moving pieces that are getting a lot of friction and need oiling all the time. In fact , you never need to oil it except down in the bobbin area. They use ball bearings instead of bushings if you understand what that means. I now know, but I won't bore you here, besides, it requires hand gestures for me to explain.
  

• UNIQUE, BRILLIANT FEATURE The "head" or front of the sewing machine will swivel 90 degrees. Makes it much easier to get at the needle area when you need to, take bars out, or take your machine off the frame.
  

• BETTER FRAME A 200 pound person can stand on the rails without damaging it. It is a very, very sturdy frame. It is not made of bicycle tubing like some of them are.
  

• LIGHTNING STITCH REGULATOR The stitch regulator is awesome. It has to do with the type of motor in the sewing machine. I know now about Servo motors vs. regular motors, and why that can make the stitch regulation more infinite and smooth. Plus it stops when you stop, not idling and making more stitches as you pause in a corner.
  

• VERSATILE I have stitch outs to show you of many different threads. It uses King Tut thread and Rainbows, both by Superior, very well. The same cannot be said of all brands.
  

• It is very reasonably priced. OK, it is all relative. Yes, $8999, for the 18 inch or $12999 for the 26 inch is a lot of money, but not compared to $15,000 for the same thing by other manufacturers. And a Statler Stitcher-like attachment is here, for about $14,000. Compare that, plus the first price, to $35,000 for a Gammill with a Statler Stitcher. Hmmmm. $26,000 vs. $35,000. note- I have heard that Gammill has come down from that price.....hmmmm.....isn't competition wonderful? Shipping to Chicago area is about $550.
  

• The company has admitted that it is not going to stay this reasonably priced, so jump on it. They enjoy some price advantages due to the bulk in which they buy parts, but they also have just priced this reasonably to get into the market. The above prices include everything you need. It's not "oh, you wanted a frame with that?" You get the frame, the machine, the stitch regulator, a bobbin winder, and an extension table to rest rulers on.
  

• We have someone to set up in your home ($750 or you can do it yourself), we have someone to do training classes here at the store, and we have repairs covered (although I am not expecting many).
  

• A big revelation to me was that it is actually easier to do little tiny stippling on this long arm than on a regular sewing machine. That explains some of the quilting I saw in Paducah and Kansas City. Come try it.
  

• There are only a few dealers in the country so far, and quiltfabric.com is one of them. Please spread the word to any friends, anywhere who are thinking about a long arm.
  

• Financing is available!!