The Princess has arrived!!
 

My new Tiara is here!! Now to learn to free motion quilt. I have practice packets made and I am practicing. So far I'm awful!! But I am confident I will get better!! Any tips for a new learner??

Google Leah Day and watch her first tutorial. It shows first movements. I've been watching her a lot. I have a longarm, but only used boards with the design carved into them. I've not tried freehand.

Keep practicing and do more practicing! It will come, don't be too hard on yourself. We all started at the beginning!!

Ooooh ... I test drove the Tiara and her cousin the Sweet 16 last week at the quilt show. LOVED them!!! WANT one!! I love the idea of quilting like it's a domestic machine but having all that SPACE.

I see that you got the stitch regulator with it. I tried it, but didn't like it. Just me. I had more confidence by adjusting the speed control on the machine ... I even brought it down to 25% and started micro-stippling :) SO much fun!!

I can only suggest to keep practicing. Free motion doesn't come over night. Start with patterns where you *know* where you are going ... for example writing your name (because you already have that muscle memory - and a lot of FMQ is about muscle memory). Practice that in several sizes, and other words as well. Then use the empty space between all the words to fill in other patterns - stippling, shells, zig-zag, loop-de-loops - etc. Suggest getting used to free-form patterns first (stippling, loop-de-loops) where the direction doesn't make a difference, then move on to the patterns that are more directional (shells, wavy lines etc).

I've been FMQ'ing for about 5 years - I still consider myself *new* and I STILL practice. I practice before every single quilt using the same thread to get the muscle memory for the pattern and to make sure the tension is correct (and the thread color choice looks good).

Don't touch the quilt until you feel comfortable.

Lastly ... two very simple suggestions ... relax and BREATH. I still catch myself forgetting to breath every now and then (seriously! and from what I understand it's common!)

Wow!! Thanks so much!! Just what I'm looking for!! I practice all the time using skitch on my iPad. Stippling is getting easier --now to transfer to practice piece .. Haven't quite figured out the stitch regulator. But then I've only had it about an hour!! Lol. I'll try my name tomorrow!! There's so much I want to try! Overwhelmed for sure!!

Keep us posted as you progress. Love the set up you have. That is on my wish list:)

How exciting for you!!
I was just looking at the Sweet 16 online yesterday and see this is very similar.
DogHouseMom referred to them as being cousins, yet, I can't find it on the Sweet16 site.
So is it a HQ? or something else?

Suggestions? I really don't have much for you, other than .... practice, practice, practice.
Since I got my Janome 6600 I have come to enjoy FMQ, and am seeing my progress with that praftice!!! Something I never thought I would want to do, and now I want more throat space to make it enjoyable and not feel like I am fighting to shove the fabric thru.

I wish you well for taking the step that I would hope to do, sometime!

Tiara is made by Baby Lock. It looks like a fabulous machine. I am going to have to search that one and see what the pricing is like!

Thanks Quilterella ... It sure looks like a clone for the HQ Sweet 16 ... wonder if they are exactly the same and just relabelled? And whom really makes it?

My LQS is doing demos on this machine now, i am trying not to even look as i just bought a Baby Lock Ellisimo Gold machine last month but it is nice to dream

Looks great. I FMQ on my Juki TL98QE with a sew steady plexiglass table and I have quilted so many quilts crib size to almost king. I don't struggle with the quilt and don't really need any bigger machine. Just what you decide to do.

A Bobbin winder also came with the Tiara!! I LOVE that!!! It winds any bobbin, so I've been filling bobbins all morning, for all three of my machines! (Pfaff, Brother and Tiara)

WooHoo! So happy for you............good luck, the Tiara is on my wishlist!

Neenee

I have to look into this one. Haven't been out much in the last two months so will go to my Baby Lock dealer to see it. I missed two local quilt shows and that hurt. I have two Baby Locks but not this one.

Love it! Have fun with your new baby!!

The tiara is actually a HQ Sweet 16 just like the crown jewel is the avante, babylock buys machines from other companies and repackages them, a lot of their high end sewing machines are actually brother machines

Is it exactly the same machine?
Or the same basic machine with some additions .... or without some things?

Often times when machines (not just sewing machines) are re-labelled some of the quality and standards are changed.

The Tiara or Sweet 16 is going to be my next machine purchase. Have fun.

I am excited for you and very, very jealous!! LOL

Patsy Thompson in her Youtube videos ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfIle...ture=endscreen ) suggests having a glass of wine and playing some mellow music to get loosened up before you start. Haven't tried that, but the theory seems good. Enjoy your beautiful new machine!

well congrats and have fun

Just keep practicing. It will come alone.

it is EXACTLY the same machine. The Tiara (re-badged as Baby-Lock) is made by HQ. This is what the HQ sales rep told me when I commented that it looked like the Tiara.

Price wise ... the HQ Sweet 16 was priced slightly lower (at least at the show) which makes sense because there is one less middle-man so to speak.

Thanks DHMom ... I did some phoning the other day and found out the Tiara won't be in Canada til February.
Sweet 16 is here, though the three dealers I called, NONE had one to show me ... and won't for awhile as they wait til they have atleast 3 models to bring in, as then HQ pays the freight.

OK, do you want to sell one or not?

Oh ... if I want one they will get it in ASAP .... nope, sorry folks, I don't buy without some touchy-feely!

And with all that, I really wonder how much they know the machine?
Or will they be there to service and support as I need it?

Though, I really am intrigued and would so like to take a test drive!

Congratulations on your new Tiara. I have been looking at it since it came out. I played with one at the AQS quilt show in DesMoines a couple of weeks ago and at the Kansas City Quilt Expo this weekend. I tried not to drool on it. lol I think I have my hubby convinced that I really need it. lol I would really like to have the Crown Jewel, but don't have room for it. At the quilt show this weekend I priced it and the Tiara. Then I told DH that He could save several thousand dollars if he bought the Tara instead of the Crown Jewel. lol He has called our dealer to see what kind of a deal he can work out. The owner wouldn't be available until tomorrow because he was at the quilt show. So DH is supposed to talk to him tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me.