My new Brother PQ-1500S Sewing Machine

Well here it is!  My brand, spanking, new Brother PQ-1500S sewing machine.  Sweet!  

The new toy.

It arrived about two weeks ago and I've already put it to plenty of use.  You may remember, I bought this as a bit of a splurge, then the a/c in my car died not two hours later.  Believe me, that repair is not going to be cheap.  But the machine was bought and paid for so there was no going back on the deal just because "life happened" if you know what I mean.

It's not bathed in light from the window, that's the holy glow emanating from within it.

This machine is not designed for everyday sewing.  It only has one stitch:  the straight stitch.  It is perfect for quilting.  It pieces with speed and is ideal for free motion quilting.  That is why I wanted it for my quilting frame.

My first project is a small charity quilt quilted with a pantograph design.

The speed on this machine is phenomenal--1500 stitches per minute.  It flies!  Another feature I love is that it has a button that cuts your thread for you when you are done sewing.  With the quilt on the frame, that is really convenient.

Another view.

Below you'll see my first attempt at using a pantograph.  If you're not a quilter, I'll explain that a pantograph is a design drawn out on a long roll of paper that sits on the shelf above the quilt on the frame.  You follow the design with a laser pointer and the machine sews it.  It takes a bit of practice to get the movement nice and smooth, but for my first time, I think I did okay.

Close up of the finished quilting.

The next project on the frame is this quilt.  I think this will be another charity quilt.  I've had this quilt top in the closet for so long I don't even remember when I made it!  This time, I'm going to practice all over stippling.  I do love my new machine!

The next project on the frame.