Wednesday, June 9, 2010

I want it!

Oh, I wish I hadn't dropped by Lavender Lime Quilt Shop yesterday. If I hadn't I would not have seen this: The Handiquilter 16 Sit-Down machine. And I would not have tried it out. And I would not be trying to figure out how to spend $4200 on a quilting machine.

Oh, the agony.

First, let me say that I'm a piecer more than a quilter. My free motion quilting is somewhere between pathetic and sad. I know, I know, if I practiced more I could improve. But using my Juki sitting on the kitchen table gives me such a pain in the neck and shoulders from the position you have to assume to maneuver the fabric - arms raised and elbows akimbo. Since I don't enjoy neck aches, I don't do enough quilting to keep up with my prolific piecing. And my longarmer is assured that she can vacation in Florida every year. I probably pay her enough on my quilting to gas up her motor home.

This is different from a longarm machine, more like a very nice setup using a DSM to free motion, except the machine throat is 16" and there is a lovely large table surface where the machine is flush mounted. And you can sit comfortably and whiz along. Admittedly, it doesn't have a stitch regulator, but if I could get pretty even stitches after a few minutes practice, anybody can.

I want this SO BADLY.

But there's that pesky $4200, and finding a place to put it in the house. I don't know. I just don't know.

If I had the guest room to myself (and was significantly richer than I am) I would buy this, the Olivia sewing machine cabinet by Arrow, and the dropleaf cutting table that Lavender Lime has on display. In a heartbeat. And I would be SET FOR LIFE.

6 comments:

SandyQuilts said...

Why don't you put your Juki on a frame .....

joe tulips said...

I want you to have it too. But the money...ahhhhhh. I guess I would be thinking, what is the next best thing without the expense. And it is probably best to do that thinking while sewing!

the ark said...

Great-now you are making ME want one of these,too!!!! Here I was, perfectly content with my lot in life on a rainy Saturday morning, reading through my favorite blogs, and then...whammo-an instant case of the "gimmies"! The way you describe your longing for this machine should be in their catalog! Now-go get one and let me see what you whip-up with it!
Tricia

The Calico Quilter said...

NO NO NO Tricia, you are supposed to talk me out of it! LOL

Linda said...

Sigh, in Canada the HQ16 was over $7,000 the last time I looked. So I went off to the discount furniture store, purchased a dining room table for $100. and had a friend saw off the legs to the exactly right height for me--no neck ache. He also curved the back left corner so that nothing would get hung up there! I love quilting much more than I used to--I have a Babylock Quilter Professional and it works like a charm. I used to have a Juki and had horrendous tension problems. Anyway, I'm doing better with my "stuff"--but I still lust after that HQ 16!!
Lurking Linda

Tanya said...

Temptation... Temptation... But finances all take first consideration in this house.