Lexi

Things seldom go as we plan. Last fall we ripped out the carpet in one end of the house and had something similar to laminate installed. During this time frame I mentioned to Bobby it would be neat if I could rearrange things to make room for a longarm. He's never been to keen on the idea in the past, but he surprised me this time by telling me to research them a little more and measure the space while the furniture was out of the room. So I taped out the measurements to see if I had space for a longarm. I was four inches short. 

A few months later one of the dealers I had acquired measurements from gave me a call. I told him as much as I dreamed of having one, I didn't have quite enough space. He told me they had a mat you could spread out on the floor, and it showed both the size of the machine on the frame (all three possible sizes) as well as the amount of floor space you would need around it. I thought it was a waste of time since I had already taped the space out, but we went and picked it up and spread it out. One of the specialists in the shop told me to keep it at least a month and walk around it as if it was the actual machine to see how I felt about something that big being there. I was shocked that it actually would fit, but was also very hesitant because it literally takes up the entire room. I have a footpath around the everything. Bobby noticed it had the option of casters, and with casters, I can move it quite easily and give myself extra room if I need it. We ordered it the end of February. It was supposed to come between the middle to the end of March. And then came the shut downs, which included the distribution warehouse the machines were sent to. I had finally convinced myself that I wouldn't have the machine before May....and it came last Friday.

I've named her Lexi. (Bobby thinks it strange that I've named a machine, but I felt she needed a name.)

Some of the features that sold me on the Bernina Q24:
- the frame choices. I knew I wanted something large enough to do a queen size quilt. But also, I wanted a frame that came with solid bars. I've quilted on a model where the frame is connected in pieces. There was a bit of a tug as the machine went over those connectors, which did not make for smooth quilting. Bernina frames are adjustable height-wise, and their frames went low enough for my "short" stature. (I never considered myself short until I started using a long-arm frame.)
- the tension controls. The machine tension can be adjusted by the control pad. One thing they do not tell you in any of the advertising or in meeting with reps is that the machine comes with a tension bobbin tester...and it is AMAZING!!! Once you wind the bobbin, you can actually test its tension and know for sure what it needs before you even put the bobbin in the machine.
- the clamps. There's nothing wrong with the clamps (like huge clothespins) that many models have. They work great, but these remove with just a click of a button underneath. That is so much easier on the wrists. And this might be silly, but I like the sleek look of them. They look modern and neat and not like it was cobbled together from Dad's toolbox. I also love the size of them. Even though they are small they are wide in height. It would be quite hard to sew over them, which can be done with magnetic bars or smaller clamps (and for non-quilters, that would break the needle..not good!)

 - the handlebars. One of the two other models in a brand I've used quite a bit (and loved the way it quilted) had handle bars that would sometimes jerk to a different height while I was quilting. I mentioned it to the dealer and the response was "No, that doesn't happen."  Well, it did, and that gave me quite a bit of pause. Bernina's handlebars are adjustable and positionable in several ways, but the latches are very secure and they do not come loose or jerk while you are quilting.

 -and the thread placement. This might seem silly, but I like the fact that the thread is located at the front of the machine. No running to the back of the machine to change a color or rethread. It also has bobbin winder on the machine; it's not a separate attachment.


I didn't order the zipper system for loading my quilts. The store specialist brought out a container of very "cool" looking pins to use for loading the quilt parts. I already had some, but it was neat receiving something so stylish and cute. They make me feel a little artsy. My others are pretty and sensible, but these just make me laugh...

I'm still learning how to use the machine, and hope after this week is over I'll have a little more time on it. But I'm thrilled with what little I've learned in the short amount of time I've been able to use it this week.