Saturday, December 27, 2008

Ready to go - finally

This is my Christmas present to myself. We finally got the machine on the rails on Christmas Day with our son's help to lift it, level the table, etc. Last night I threaded it and loaded this small quilt.

It felt weird as as I turned it on. I actually was worried that it might not work. But the needle went down as I pushed the button, then up again with another push. Then I pulled the bobbin thread to the top, used a thick ruler as a guide, and quilted in the ditch around one of the blocks. Since a longarm owner told me that quilting in the ditch is one of the more difficult things to do on a longarm, I am pleased that this turned out okay.

I'm slow, but it has a stitch regulator so all the stitches are even and not piled up on themselves. It looks okay. Practice will help... but I am of Scottish descent and hate to "waste" fabric on practice. I'll likely do all my least liked quilts as practice. Sigh.

This is set-up full length. That is, I've used all the rails. My tables are from IKEA and very sturdy. I can raise or lower them, but right now it is just right for standing. There is room behind the table to use the laser stylus to copy patterns, or do free motion on the front.

My eventual goal is a king-size for our son (the one who helped set it up, and who also thought using it could be lots of fun) and one for ourselves. A shorter goal is to finish all my UFOs.

However, my husband is worried that he might never, ever get supper on time again, so I'd better set another goal to not get too carried away!

6 comments:

jovaliquilts said...

Wow, a long-arm machine! What a blast. I hope you love it. When we were visiting family in NY, my husband and BIL took me to a quilt shop and while I looked at fabric, they watched a long-arm demo. It is machinery, after all. :)

Silverthimble said...

Best of luck with your new toy!

sewkalico said...

What a wonderful Christmas present! I am sure you will enjoy it very much! Seasons Greetings to you and your family!

Jeanne said...

What a great gift! I'm glad you were able to get it set up and look forward to seeing many wonderful quilts come off the frame. Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

I've had my HQ 16 for 18 months and love it... Congrats....

Liz

Quiltdivajulie said...

What a wonderful gift to yourself! My quilty friend Chris hates to practice, too ~ she just jumps in and goes with it (although she's been known to doodle on a white board to get the "feel" before she starts with fabric and thread)... Best wishes to you on this new adventure!!