Creative hand guided machine quilting
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Quilty Thoughts

Musings on Quilting, Thread and Life!

Bernina Q24 Love

Hey Quilters,

It has been awhile since I’ve chatted about Why I love my Bernina Q24 Longarm (and why I’m thinking about buying a second one - don’t tell my hubby!), so I figured now was a great time to give you a few more reasons why I feel like the Bernina Q24 is one of the top of line longarm machines to buy! I think maybe we’ll chat about a few things to consider when looking for a longarm, plus some ideas on how to get your hands on a few to try before you commit to purchasing one!

So, let me start with a few more reasons why I LOVE my Bernina Q24:

  • Set & save top tension settings for multiple threads, and the ability to alter them on the fly - this means I can save settings for my most commonly used threads - or alter them slightly for those once in a while weird combo of factor times!

  • All the AMAZING add-on accessories - yes, of course I’ll share my favorites

    • Ruler work base - super easy on and off

    • Laser Light - umm hello precise placement at the needle!

    • Twin Needle - OMG what a cool effect!

  • Basting Mode! (Need I say more?!) Maybe, so; the machine has 3 (yes 3) basting settings: 1, 2 or 4 SPI (stitches per inch) so you’re basically set for every situation!

OK, so that is definitely not a conclusive list, because I haven’t even begun to tell you about the Qmatic - Bernina’s automated component! (That will come - I promise!)

My honest to goodness hope and goal for 2019 is to get you guys some more videos on what the machine can do, plus some fun tutorials on techniques, etc. But for now hopefully this will help a little bit if you’re considering the Bernina Q-series longarm!

AND if you’ve just started your process, here are a few other tidbits to think about:

  • How to shop:

    • Price - how much can you/do you want to pay? Remember quality costs money!

    • Size/Space - how much space do you have and how much machine can you fit into it?

  • How to try before you buy:

    • Shows - if you live in the states (the 48 of you that are connected), traveling to a Quilt Show might be a good option - usually multiple longarm manufacturers are there.

    • Local Dealers - check out the local brands in your area, if they have a machine on their sales floor you should be able to go in and get your hands on it!

    • Other Users/Friends/Guild Members, etc. - this is one I’d love to see open up more; sometimes it is less intimidating to go over to a friends house or a friend of a friend and see what they have, hear why they like it and how they use it. (AND what kind of support they get from their dealer!) OR look for a Longarm Group, typically there are a couple of brands represented in groups like that! And if you’re a lucky one that has a longarm already - be open to sharing with others why you love your machine!

PHEW - anyone overwhelmed with decisions? :P Hopefully this will give you a starting point - but in all honesty, if I had to do it again … I would still buy a Bernina Q24, mostly because the machine (and automation) are very user friendly and FUN to use!

Happy Quilting & Happy Holidays!

Enjoli :)

Enjoli StraitComment