Free motion quilting - GIF

[astroscuba]

I interpreted Free Motion to be totally free of any programmed inputs. A friend has a machine similar to this and you do have the option to freely move in any direction you want, but you can also pick patterns and as you move the head it will follow those patterns (which is what I see in the video). I suppose we are both correct or we are both incorrect? Wanna agree to disagree?

[metric_taper]

I interpreted Free Motion to be totally free of any programmed inputs. A friend has a machine similar to this and you do have the option to freely move in any direction you want, but you can also pick patterns and as you move the head it will follow those patterns (which is what I see in the video). I suppose we are both correct or we are both incorrect? Wanna agree to disagree?

If she were following a pattern, she would be on the opposite side of the machine, where there's a flat location for a large long pattern, and a laser pointer that she would follow the pattern with. She's doing this by just watching the current sewn paisley pattern she created, and using it's line as reference for her new one. The thing you see hanging down is a fine long tweezer for picking loose threads up.
My wife has one of these machines, a brand that uses garage door rails for both directions of travel (Nolting). Other brands have V groove bearings running on the outside corner of angle iron (actually aluminum extrusions).
The depth of the throat is what drives the cost, to keep them rigid enough for needle and rotary hook alignment. And they are low volume sales. I was always hoping China would introduce an affordable one. She got her's used from a friend. Without CNC these start out at $16K for 24" throat. Add CNC and prices can easily get to $32K. And doing this for money is too hard of work. Typical fees are $80 to $160 here in the Midwest. And they expect the batting to be included for that, sometimes the back as well.