Quilting the Baskets of Lilies Quilt (with Cats)

First, let me assure all repeat and potential customers that the cats are not allowed to get on anybody else's batting but my own.  If they head toward any batting I don't want them near, I say, "Stay off!" and put up a hand like traffic cop.  They stop, regard me with a stare for a moment or two (to see if I mean business, you know), and when they determine that, yes, I do mean what I say, they reluctantly relocate.  And yes, you can train cats to do what you say, if you're persistent, consistent, and reward them lavishly when they obey.

They can't stay in the quilting studio when I'm not working in there, either; I bring them out and shut the door when I leave the room.  Don't want some cat to think I've left him a personal hammock (the quilt area on the frame between the bars).

But... if you're violently allergic to cats, then I'm not the quilter for you, because Tiger and Teensy do come into my quilting studio.

So... here's Tiger in the batting.  I have to move him when I'm ready to roll the quilt forward.  Otherwise... the quilt won't roll! 

He retired to one of the Thermabeds, after I made him move.  This was dinky little Tabby's bed, and, as you can see, it's a tight fit for tubby ol' Tiger.

The first row of the Basket of Lilies quilt is quilted! -- and it's also the first row of quilting with my new-to-me HQ18 Avanté.  It moves so smoothly and easily on the carriage, and the carriage moves so smoothly and easily on the frame tracks, I waaay 'over-steered' it for the first foot and a half or so.

Before I was halfway through this row, I asked Larry to raise the quilting table two notches (each notch is about an inch).  My back was hurting!  

Now the table is right back where the tech put it in the first place -- and where I thought it was too high.  Should've left it where the tech thought best!

My back feels much better, with the table higher.

Look what a bright, pretty screen the Avanté has.

There's a screen at the back, too.  See the laser light on the left?  That's what I use to follow the pantograph, which you can see on the quilting table below the machine.

Now Teensy is in the batting.

Second row of quilting is done!  Rolling the quilt forward on this studio frame is sooo much easier than it ever was on my old portable professional frame (which was neither portable nor professional, although Larry made it considerably better for the lady who purchased it).

Okay, the verdict is in:

I really, really, REALLY like this machine.

The stitch regulator works wonderfully; it slows down and speeds up as quickly as I do.  

It slides like silk on the tracks.

I'm delighted with the way I can stop moving the machine, and the needle stops -- and then when I want to quilt again, I just start moving the machine, and it immediately launches back into action!  I don't have to constantly be pushing the start/stop button on the handle with my thumb.  Sometimes my thumb would be so sore after a long day of quilting, I could hardly hold a pen in my hand.

It's fast and much easier to advance the quilt.

I'm using an 11"-wide pantograph, and the machine is not crowded for space between the bars.

And, last but not least, it quilts faster!  I like fast.  The HQ16 was always beeping at me, because I was overrunning the stitch limit.

The lighting in my new quilting studio is better, too.  It's better when I'm quilting... and it's better when I turn some lights off in order to get pictures that properly show the quilting.

Verdict #2:

I really, really, REALLY like my new quilting studio.

Thank you, Larry!

And the cats sleep on...

... and on ...