Sunday Stash #175 – Juki Quilt Virtuoso Pro
Well, hot damn! Who knew I’d be using my own book review so soon? (Okay, maybe I did, wink-wink!) This week the biggest tool ever to land in my stash arrived: the Juki Quilt Virtuoso Pro, TL-2200QVP long arm machine. Saaaay-wha?! I know, my rather small quilt room is still aching! If you follow me on Instagram (molli_sparkles) you would have seen its first unveiling Thursday morning, and you could say I’ve been a bit preoccupied since then. Straight-up full disclosure, I received this long arm machine as part of my demands of being a Juki Brand Ambassador. Also, my M&Ms are now pre-sorted to blue and red only, my refrigerator is stocked with a rotating variety of French champagnes chilled to exactly 7.2 degrees Celsius, and there’s a beautifully-tanned 20-something young man that does all of my fabric ironing in his underwear. Ambassadorships are tough people, but some one must take up the charge!
So it goes without saying that despite all this champagne (or maybe because of!) that my critique of this machine will remain true and even. I’ve already found a few things that have delighted me, and others that have made me scream, “Are you effing kidding me?” To be honest, we’ve gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, but I’m going to hold my full review until I know more, because we could just be having a it’s not you, it’s me moment. I fully realise I am standing at the bottom of a giant learning curve! Since I’ll be providing demonstrations of the Juki Quilt Virtuoso Pro with Sewing Machine Warehouse at this year’s Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair, I need to shake my tail feathers! 
If any of you have some immediate tips that might keep me from losing any hair, fake eyelashes, or both, please drop me a comment below. If you want to come over and hang out with me and “Juki Daddy” — his working title of a name — it’s BYOB: bring your own bobbin. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some ironing to supervise! Ow!
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You perhaps are the most lucky person I know! Can’t wait to see more from this Juki…longarm…so jealous!
ohhhhhh how exciting!!! Yeah it’s probably you 😉
Small steps……… it will be a steep learning curve. Get your bobbin tension sorted first!!! Bit on the loose side, I know you are always told not to adjust the bobbin, but now is your chance, then adjust your top thread to achieve best tension.
Then play, practise, play, practise, play, practise Soon we will have you yearning for a big girls longarm!
I know I’m not a very patient person…but a long arm does take some patience… I remember my first few weeks…I was so frustrated…I think I would have given it away if someone would have offered me $1.00… Two years later…I can’t imagine quilting without it…I just LOVE IT…As Lyn Crump said…tension is the big first hurdle…but you’ll get it…and with your creativity…I can’t wait to see your new creations!
You do make me laugh 🙂 :p
Hope there’s a massive pot of gold at the end of that learning curve!
How did I miss this exciting news! So the all important question is; how big is it? Seriously it doesn’t look like it takes up too much space…
Big congrats on “Juki Daddy” and the iron boy! I want an iron boy! Well I wouldn’t mind a Juki Daddy either. I’m sure you’ll get all the bugs worked out quickly and you and your machine will be making sweet quilting music in no time. Although, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the transition from quilting on a domestic to a long arm. That transition (and money and space) have kept me from making the jump.