Earlier this month before I went away a very special delivery arrived. I am the proud new owner of a Handi Quilter Sweet 16! This beauty is a sit-down machine exclusively for free-motion quilting. It will no longer be any struggle to fit a quilt under the throat space and stitch away to my heart's desire.
We are still getting to know one another and I haven't had much time to even try her out. There are no U.F.O.s in my workshop so I must resort to practicing on a scrap quilt sandwich for now. It is so exciting and I cannot wait to work on my first project under her needle. I need to get piecing!
I have named my Sweet 16 'Rosebud', which is in direct reference to the movie Citizen Kane. It is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made but if you haven't watched it since it came out in 1941 - *** SPOILER ALERT *** - the lead character Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles) utters his last word 'Rosebud' on his deathbed. The film depicts the search for the meaning of the name and in the end it is revealed that Rosebud is not a woman but a treasured sled from the newspaper publishing tycoon's childhood. So...there's, you know, that, and my Sweet 16 has her name in pink lettering across her arm. The moniker just seemed right.
That is my exciting news and I look forward to sharing my experiences with my new machine. I have a lot of experimenting and learning to do, and I predict a long and happy relationship. Stay tuned...
Yay! Congratulations! I had considered buying a mid-arm quilting machine, and I definitely checked out your " Rosebud", but the price was a little steep for me. I will be looking forward to you sharing your experiences on your Sweet 16 with me... Err, with us!
Posted by: Jose | March 24, 2015 at 12:32 PM
HI Angie, I followed your link & subscribed to read all about your other hobbies, joys, etc! Finding you is like a ray of sunshine!!! We have much in common. I thoroughly enjoy sewing, baking - AND Craftsy! I almost bought a Sweet 16 (still considering...) - price is an issue. Cost is $6-7k here in Australia - yikes! I really enjoy your videos, blog, great ideas and useful tips. Hope we can exchange lots more ideas, recipes, etc. via email (?). cheers, Carol Wood [email protected]
Posted by: Carol Wood | March 24, 2015 at 09:06 PM
Congratulations! Wish I had the room and money for one of those. Maybe in the future. Until then, I'll live vicariously through you. lol
Posted by: Bec | March 24, 2015 at 10:34 PM
Nice! So you sit in front of the end of the arm and move the quilt, right? Or do you sit as with a normal machine. I thought that you moved the machine head but now I think it's stationary, right?
Posted by: Maureen | March 25, 2015 at 01:24 PM