Daisy Takes a Cruise

Daisy is the name of my long arm sewing machine.

She is an HQ (Handi Quilter) Avante, which means she has an 18" throat space. She came with a 10 foot long frame.

Daisy was adopted in March she and became part of our family when she arrived in mid April.

How did I know she was a girl, you ask? Well, just look! She came wrapped in pink!


And the very next question I am sure you are dying to ask is "WHY did you buy her when you were about to leave the country for 18 months?"

That answer is complicated.

Daisy arrives!

For many years, I sort of had this pie-in-the-sky idea of owning my own long arm machine someday. But it would have to be used because there was no way I wanted to invest that much money into something in case it turned out I wasn't good at it. Or didn't like it.

So I cruised Craig's List regularly, watching for someone who might be upgrading their set up and wanting to sell their old, used one.




Sometimes just the frames came up for sale. Sometimes it would be a frame and machine that didn't really go together. Or the price was too high. But each time, I would look them over carefully and yearn to call and ask about it. And try it out. I would think about the ad for days. And check CL daily to see if it was still there.
But I refrained.
Because then I would start thinking about maintenance. And problems. And how much I do not like to learn about technology. And how, if I actually bought one, I would have to figure all the stuff out (whenever Mike wasn't around, that is).

This went on for years.

setting up Daisy in her new room

learning to use the long arm at DVS

Then, quite suddenly 3 years ago, I learned about a class that teaches people how to use the long arm. So, I gathered reinforcements (my friend Nancy) and we went to visit Discount Vac and Sew in downtown Kennewick. Ginny spent an hour and a half telling us about the class.  We were so excited by the end of that that we could hardly sit still. Or wait.

Bonnie's quilt. First friend to trust me.

The class cost a significant amount, so it was not to be taken lightly. BUT it was surely cheaper than buying my own machine! AND I would get the benefit of finding out if I liked it and if I was going to be any good at it.

And there were more bonuses. After I took the class, I would be allowed to rent the machine for a mere $30 a day. That price is unheard of. It usually costs $20-30 an HOUR to rent one! Also, Ginny offered on-going classes once a month so that I would be able to keep learning new skills. We could not sign up fast enough!

Becky's quilt. She entered it into the fair.

Nancy and I took the Buddy Class. We each signed up for the class, but a week apart. So, the week she was taking the class, I got to go with her and watch and listen and practice drawing - everything except use the machine. And the week that I took the class, Nancy watched and listened and practiced drawing. Basically, we each got to take the class twice. What a deal! And then we supported and encouraged each other by renting the two machines at the same time. And between us, we were able to get through those first few months of learning and remembering what we had learned.

Becky's quilt won "Best of Show"

For the next year, I rented the long arm at DVS every 3-4 weeks. Mostly I practiced on small quilts I got from Project Linus. And as I took a class each month, I practiced what I learned from it. Then I quilted some of my own twin sized quilts for graduation gifts. I found I was doing pretty well and that I really loved it!  It made me nervous, yes, and I didn't think I would ever be able to load the quilt without checking the written directions every time, but eventually it happened.

Patty and Karen's quilt for the Bray's Cabin at Ingall's Creek

One of the very best things about renting was that if the machine made a funny noise, or the stitch wasn't quite right, or the tension was off, or .....anything - I could just ask the technician to help me. And he would figure it all out and get me working again. The more I rented the machine, the more convinced I was that I did not need  to own my own after all. I had all the pleasure without any of the maintenance. A win-win in my eyes.

Bonnie's fly fishing quilt for Ron

After a year, I made an offer to all my quilting friends. If you will trust me with your quilt and you pay all the costs (rental and thread), I will quilt your quilts for free (no charge for the actual quilting). It was a win-win there, too. I got the practice and they got custom quilting for a low cost.  It took a while for friends to start taking me up on that, but Bonnie got it going and that year I quilted 7 large quilts for friends. That was about the time I started to think again about owning my own machine.

Every year in Puyallup, WA, there is a great big trade show called Sew Expo. And this year I wanted to go. Every long arm company would be there and I wanted to 'test drive' them all to start figuring out what I wanted to buy.

(It was a very good thing that Mike went with me!)

Faye's 14? year quilt      Yay!

NOTE: I was not going there to buy one. Really.
I was only going there to do research.  You know, like you do when you want to buy a car. You don't wait until your car dies and buy the first thing that you see. You start thinking, "I think I'm going to need/want to replace this car soon." And then you start doing the research - looking at  Consumer's Reports online to find out what the reliable makes and models are. Then you look at Blue Book prices and then you find yourself scrolling through Craig's List several times a week. Finally, when you are ready, you know what you want and what you want to pay for it, so it becomes a matter of waiting till you see it.
At least, that's the way Mike does it.

Judy's quilt

That's how it was going to be for the long arm. I knew I was ready to own my own. I had become convinced that I had already been through the big learning curve of HOW to use it. And over the previous 2 years, I had probably encountered most of the issues I would have. And if I bought a new machine, I would get some training and support. So, I went to Sew Expo to do research so that I would be ready to buy when the time was right and when the right one became available.

backside of bed runners I made for my mom

To make a longer story shorter, I found it.  It was the last machine I test drove. And I just knew it was the right one. Turned out, it was the same manufacturer, but different brand, of the one I had been renting, so it was basically the same machine. That was comforting. The price was the best price I was going to find all year and was a price I was willing to pay for a new machine. And it came with lots of extras.
It looked like the time was right.

that's Daisy wrapped in foam against the wall

Except there was a small hiccup. Mike had just been asked to go to Scotland for a year. But at this point, it didn't look like it was going to be a move so much as a come-and-go every couple of months - IF he ended up going at all. It was all very  uncertain at that time. So, we decided that if he was going to come and go, it would be OK to go ahead and buy. I would be able to use it whenever we were home.

A week later, Mike was told he would be going and staying in Scotland for 12-18 months.

But Daisy was already on her way.

She arrived in 10 boxes while Mike was in upstate New York and we had to wait 10 days to get her set up. But once she was, even though I only had 6 weeks left at home, I put her to good use, quilting for myself and for multiple friends.

Somewhere along the way, Mike said something that caught my attention. We were in discussion with a landlord about renting an apartment that an Ex-Patriot just moved out of.
IF we were to get that apartment, there would be 3 bedrooms. One for us, one for guests.....and one for sewing. AND  if the room was large enough, maybe we could take Daisy with us! (insert squeal of delight)







The apartment was confirmed. The room sizes were confirmed, and I started preparing to take Daisy - and all her accessories - to Scotland. Yes, the power was the big concern. GET THIS, though - I called Handi Quilter and told them that I wanted to take her to Scotland. NO BIG DEAL, he said. You need this cord. THIS CORD cost $15 plus $12 shipping. So $27 later, she was ready to go. Turns out, long arm quilting is getting up and going in Europe and so Handi Quilter is building machines to be used here - and the power differences are already built into the unit!   Coincidence? I think not.

So, Daisy was taken apart and wrapped carefully and placed in a giant storage crate - along with her close friends - the rest of my fabric stash, rolls of batting, and long arm rulers.

And after waiting patiently at a storage facility in Yakima for 3 months, she finally received the approval to be shipped.

We have been told that she is on a ship right now headed for London, due to arrive there about October 6, and on to Scotland soon after.

Bon voyage, Daisy!