90s Quilt Panel: Longarm Rental Practice and Realistic Beginner Results

I found seven matching 90s cheater panels at Art Parts and have decided to quilt each one differently. I've used the first 2 for longarm practice at Treelotta on their Bernina Q24! I wanted to share my takeaways from my first session on the machine, as well as showing closeups of my sometimes messy stitching to give an example of what you might expect your first time around. Although my stitching didn't quite match my vision, I'm excited to go back and practice again! Key takeaways: 1) Square your backing before you go, especially the top! 2) They're not kidding about the extra 4"-5" on each side of your backing--you need it! 3) Even going slowly, longarming saves so much time! It's so much faster to assemble the sandwich and baste on the frame. That alone would be worth the trip for me. And once you get going, the stitching can be incredibly fast. 4) Go with material you didn't spend much time or money on. Lower the stakes for the end result. 5) Have fun, or else why are you doing it? Music from YouTube Studio