I recently saw the HQ Sixteen Sit down machine with table and am considering buying it in the near future. It is in the price range which I can afford at this point. Does anyone have one already? Do you like it? I am going to the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines in October and hoping that Handi Quilter will be running a "Show Special" on their machines there. Has anyone bought an HQ machine at a Quilt Show? Do they run "Show Specials"?

I bought the HQ Sitdown at the Houston Show almost 2 years ago. It was one of the best buys I have ever made. Yes, I did get a good deal on it. I alsow as able to get some rulers thrown in the deal too.

For me this machine is the best of both worlds. It has the large throat area for large quilts, but it is still the traditional sit down feel. I have tried the LA machines with the huge frames. For me, it was more work to quilt that way than a pleasure. I think the frame quilting set up is great for most, but for me it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The sit down has the ability to turn into a framed machine. You just purchase the frame. The table it comes in is a very nice size. Large enough to work on, but small enough to have a small footprint in your work area. I have mine in the corner of my bedroom.

If I had to do it all over again, I would run to the HQ booth! :-)

I don't have the sit down model, but I have the Fusion. I love it. I am sure they will run a "show special". I think most of the companies do.

Thanks for the replies. I am so excited to go to Des Moines ANd learn more about this machine. I am hoping they run a good show special so I get a better deal than at the local quilt shops. I am from MN and it is 5 hrs for me to go to Des Moines but I figured it would be a good trip for my sister and I and I am hoping the trip will be well worth it with getting a better price on this machine. Only two of the 8 local shops ( I consider a local shop within in 2 hours of driving) that are HQ Dealers even carry the sit down version and some of the shops kind of shunned me when I called and inquired about it. They obviously only want to sell the higher priced machines--which are not in my price range at this time. I have only been quilting about two years (but have been an avid sewer for 30 years) and can't afford the higher end machine yet. I haven't learned much about this Sit Down version yet (only saw it once and could not afford it at that time so didn't check it out too much then). I was happy to hear that I could upgrade it to a quilt frame eventually. That more or less means I am buying this in steps--where I can upgrade to a frame someday when I can afford that and feel I need that.

Is there a stitch regulator on the sit down machines?

Not sure on the regulator. I never was interested so did not inquire.

I do know the price for building a full quilting system is higher if you piecemeal it. I know when I bought mne they told me if I had any interest in the frame it would be much cheaper to buy it as a set. Since my plan was always to just use it as a stationary machine it didn't matter to me. But it might be something to consider.

Yes I feel like people are knd of like oh you don't quilt on a frame. I thnk it is much funner to move fabric than It is to move a Machine