So here’s a short story: This all started two years ago when I test drove a Bernina FancyPants Machine during one of my Road to California classes. That thing could do everything but cook dinner, and I pined about it for a year. I love my current Husqvarna Quilt Designer machine, but it is coming up on it’s 14 year-old birthday and one morning, I woke up with an unhappy touch screen. Horrors! and so the intensity of my search increased, or at least the anxiety of wondering when my machine would conk out on me. Then I took a domestic free motion quilting class with David Taylor this year at Road to California and at first, I was unhappy that we were working on Handi Quilter’s Sweet Sixteen machine–what? No teensy weensy harp space of my regular domestic? But the techniques are the same, so I took to this machine like a duck to water.
Now I needed TWO machines: one to replace my aging Husqvarna and this new Sweet Sixteen quilting machine. But I only had resources for one. After some time to think about it, I decided I could prolong the life of my Quilt Designer if I took the quilting tasks off its back. One afternoon last week, Richard of Quilter’s Cocoon toted this up to my guest bedroom, set it up for me, gave me my first lesson (so happy I’d had the day with David Taylor to augment what Richard was teaching me), and I was up and running.
Except I wasn’t.
I didn’t touch if for two days. Scared? Excited? Thinking I was out of my mind? All of the above? But I finally put together a mini quilt sandwich and went to town, trying out new stitches, using the two rulers I’d purchased, taking it out for a test drive. Notice how all four corner blocks are different; I was having fun. No, I don’t name my machines (but know a lot of people do, and invariably it’s always my childhood nickname of Betsy — which explains why I don’t do it) but we do refer to it as the “quilting machine,” to keep it distinguished from my “regular machine.” (By the way, the pattern for this quilt — Ribbon Star Beauty — will be up on Craftsy later on this week. It’s a fun little mini that sews up quickly.)
My daughter has a new shop in her small town of Kingman Arizona, The Farmhouse Kingman. I plan to send this to her so she can use/sell it in her shop. If you drive through Kingman on your way to somewhere else, stop by and see her. She’s in the old section of town, with a cute shop of fun farmhouse decor items.
And that’s the whole story. Now back to quilting.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
I will have to invent a road trip with Kingman in the itinerary. Have fun with your new toy!
How exciting for you! I predict great things from this collaboration.
Great story! Congratulations on the new machine. I think your rationalization to keep the Husquvarna for sewing and the Sweet Sixteen for quilting is perfect.
Congrats on the new arrival. I’m sure you’ll be quilting up a storm!!
It looks like you are really going to enjoy that new machine. I can’t think of anyone who would appreciate it more than you will. Congratulations.
Love your new mini and the quilting is very pretty. Glad you got your new machine and are happy with it.
Oh, how lucky you are. I learned on a longarm at the store I worked at. Then no more rental. I found an art studio in Grand Rapids where I can go for 6 hours–only $15 total and use her Sweet Sixteen. I used it last week to quilt a double bed quilt. I can’t, of course, quilt in my p.j.s or any time of the day like you can. Have fun and can’t wait to see what you quilt.
Hey Betsy . . . I’m sooooo jealous. Can I come live in your spare room so I can play too?
Cute quilt. Congrats on your new machine.
I totally get the not touching it for two days part. I would do that.
Well how fun is that! Enjoy that new toy
I do okay with my husqvarna domestic, but I did have to replace one of the motors last year, and I wish it had a big flat surface like this! Enjoy!
I am so jumping on this band wagon if I can locate a pattern. I adore it!!! I am going to have to get down to Waxahatchie and go shopping. That must be a great shop. 🙂
This Sweet Sixteen looks so great! Thinking it over too…
Isn’t it interesting that there seems to be an inverse Law of Creativity that constraints = generativity and maximum liberty of choice = (insert emoticon for shoulder shrug “meh”) I had to word that to sound Important, because it’s a law :>)