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All of our staff was excited when
the HQ Sixteen arrived at our office for review. Since I was the first to
volunteer, it came to live with me for a while.
First things first, I watched the
DVD and read the manual to learn the basics about the HQ Sixteen:
threading the machine, testing bobbin tension, adjusting upper tension,
setting the machine speed and regular maintenance - a drop of oil at every
other bobbin change. The HQ Sixteen comes with an Ott-Light and a separate
bobbin winder. The table height can be adjusted from 27" to 39" if you
prefer to quilt standing up.
Once I sat down in front of the HQ
Sixteen, it felt similar to a domestic sewing machine. Then I touched the
foot pedal and boy, does this machine go fast! I used the electronic menu
to reduce the speed, starting at about 50%. I was surprised at how steady
the table surface is while quilting--the heavy duty sit-down table absorbs
all of the vibrations from this industrial machine.
I pulled out a crib quilt that was
sandwiched and waiting to be quilted before it could be sent off to
charity--perfect for a practice run. Before the evening was over, I had
completed the quilting using the HQ Sixteen.
Next up was a quilt I planned to
give as a gift. Here I learned how to make a few simple adjustments to
upper and lower tension--adjustments that allowed me to quilt a tight
meander and small loops and circles with no problems. It's a good idea to
test the bobbin tension with every new bobbin.
Using the HQ Sixteen is fun and addictive--with unlimited time, I could make a
serious dent in my UFO pile. If you decide to upgrade from the sit-down
table, the HQ Sixteen can be converted with longarm handles and a
frame. It's a speedy machine for straight
stitching on long seams. The extra-wide extension table that's included is
very handy when sewing rows together, attaching borders to a quilt top or
quilting. There are well-planned 1/4" markings for when the needle is set
at either the center position or the left position.
The LCD screen provides easy access to every
stitch, allows you to customize settings and combine stitches, and find
help if you have questions or forget how to do something. You can lock the
screen once everything is set so you don't accidentally change a setting
in the middle of your project.
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