March Community Newsletter
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MK will be taking some time off from MK Quilts to travel to Hollywood to star in another sequel to Grease. Well, the real story is that the negotiations fell through so she will be hanging around to do her videos and many training events. Make sure you are signed up for them as many of them have sold out. Send us a request to be put on a waiting list should you find them sold out. We occasionally have people move to other classes and open up a slot. The Upcoming Events are available on the mkquilts.com website.
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A note from MK...
OMG . . . . . Paul, you crack me up. I'm not sure if I look like a Pink Lady above or just a goofy old lady with a pink shower cap on.
What's up with MK? Well, I'm in the middle of a long stretch at home. I've gotten some much needed time in studio to quilt, held one of my Sim Events here in FL at The Villages, taught my Double Wedding Ring quilt class to a group of local quilters and generally just enjoying time at home. All that is about to change.
I hit the road in early April and am actually looking forward to it.
And I've been absolutely loving the new PSP Beta software. Not being able to talk about that for months was hard for me. But it's out now and I think things are going quite well. I'm sure HQ will eventually put out a version number that's not considered Beta. They don't actually put out notices about that to the general public but you all know, I'll keep you in the know.
Much of the rest of this newsletter is about important things like the current HQ promotion, some tech tips from my loving husband and CTO, and reminders about this, that, and the other thing.
We appreciate all of you being followers and customers and owners. We love our jobs. It's a quilt life and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Get signed up for events now. Another one just sold out. I'm looking forward to meeting many of you on the road this year.
Happy quilting, all.
MK :)
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March Deals already underway!
March is going just as fast as February, so we need to let you know that the free shipping special is on for a limited time in March. There is also a price hike coming for Pro-Stitcher in April, so if you need a real reason to move forward on a new machine, this is it. Don't ask us why it ends before National Quilting Day on the 16th. We will gladly work with you if you require financing.
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MK Quilts Special
If you want a free new lighting system for your current system, simply refer-a-friend to MK Quilts and when they buy a system you can use your store credit to pay for it.
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MK Owner Profile
We hope to help promote our talented customers and share the incredible people that make up our growing MK community. Please volunteer to share your story to us.
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Time has run out for us to adequately profile one of our owners for this newsletter. We are in the middle of adding several new Infinity, Forte, and Amara owners. We had a special MK Owners webinar with 25+ people in attendance.
Please feel free to submit an interesting story or article.
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Diagnosing a noisy machine
This is a true story that we all can learn something from...
One of our recent owners had been working on their Forte daily due to all the quilts they had backed up. Everything was stitching well, but suddenly the machine was notably louder and would periodically get an annoying rattle from the upper body.
Due to the heavy workload, it did not make sense for the customer to take the machine offline to bring it into the shop. So MK Quilts to the rescue. Our technician went onsite to troubleshoot. After cracking the case, two metallic 'beads' around some wires were insulated to make sure they were not rattling inside the case. The challenge was that the sound only occurred when the machine was in motion and stitching. But never when the machine was simply run in manual mode at the side.
We finally took the needle out and let the machine ghost stitch over the quilt. This helped us determine that the only time the particular noise occurred was actually when the thread was through the tension plates. After completing the quilt on the table, the thread was changed from the Signature spool to an Omni spool and it was confirmed that the problem was actually the thread, not the tensioner.
Jaw dropping!
If we ever get the time, MK Quilts will release a video with actual sound comparisons. But this is a good example of why we are establishing our own MK Quilts Certified Technicians across the country. There are times where you just need to be there to solve the problem. Please remember that MK Quilts has a monthly thread club featuring Omni thread. But if you have a larger special order of another brand of thread, we will see if we can save you some money.
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Why a used machine is a good value
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As mentioned last month, the Amara with Pro-Stitcher is an incredible system, but it retails at $21,995 with a Studio2 table and may be out of many people's budget. (We are not allowed to publish our discounted prices. Please ask for a quote.) A used HQ 16 or Avante with Pro-Stitcher can be bought for around $10,000 with a new Studio2 frame setup at 8ft, 10ft, or 12ft. The 5-foot Littlefoot frame is also available to get started in a limited space. MK Quilts can help you connect up with an owner of a used machine and help facilitate the deal and shipping issues.
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This is exactly how Pam got her HQ Avante with Pro-Stitcher Premium. A new table was ordered and she was able to set it up at 8-feet in her sewing room. Yes, there was some special MK training involved and all for under $10K.
Watch the Used Machine postings for deals or let us know you are looking.
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MK Quilts does not sell used machines. In many cases, it is best to ship the used machine and send a new table separately. In most cases the seller is looking to purchase a new machine, so we are offering this as a free service.
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Tech Tips
Advice for the use and maintenance of the tablet and simulation laptop.
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Change power settings to allow for updates to install
Most of the installations of the PSP Beta on peoples laptops that MK Quilts helped with were inhibited by the performance of the laptop. This was due to the laptop working in the background trying to install updates and sometimes additional anti-virus and malware programs running.
So the #1 tip from last month will still remain here. Please make sure to check tip #2.
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- Use a single anti-virus program/product. Do not mix Norton, McAfee, and other malware products. It will slow everything down and may cause issues with good programs from running. It is many experts opinions that the Windows Defender program built into Windows 10 is sufficient protection for most users.
- Set your power settings to allow the computer to stay on long into the night so it can download and install needed updates. You may need to reboot and repeat this for a night or two until you catch up.
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Keep a spare bobbin case around
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MK Quilts is hiring Independent Contractors
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The first round of technicians is scheduled for the April training and Handi Quilter. We will continue to take partner applications for future expansion...
MK Quilts has delivered new machines to people around the country. People have recognized the importance of service when buying a high-end longarm like the ones from Handi Quilter. The referrals are coming in and MK Quilts is growing quickly. MK Quilts has a business plan to make sure we can continue to install, service and educate our MK Owner Community.
We will be interviewing people for positions in different regions of the country to provide installation and ongoing services. Our initial thoughts on what would make a good candidate would be a retired spouse of a quilter that would like to build a small side income. This may only be a few hundred to a thousand dollars a year for installs, but service and sales commissions are available for those wanting to work it.
MK Quilts will continue to be responsible to the customer for the quality of service and support. If you are interested, please check out our Partner Opportunities on the MKQuilts.com website.
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Thread Club Members Submit Your Selection
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Omni Thread Club members have until the 15th to select their three thread colors for the month, or a random selection will be shipped. Remember that you can get a shipping rebate when you order other items that ship with the thread. Simply note on the order: Hold to ship with my thread club order.
If you are interested in joining the MK Omni Thread Club, check it out here.
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