We finished putting together the machine and table yesterday morning. By the time I got everything vacuumed and got the boxes of yarn and “stuff” back under the machine, it was late afternoon before I got a quilt loaded. I procrastinate when I’m apprehensive about doing something and I was definitely apprehensive about using this machine for the first time.
New Machine Set Up & Ready
My previous machine was a 2004 Millennium and I bought it new so I was real comfortable with it. It was the smoothest machine and since the day Shirley bought it, I have second guessed myself and wondered if I made the right decision by selling it and getting a different machine. What if for some reason I don’t love the new machine like I loved the old machine?
The very first thing I noticed was that on my previous Millennium, there’s a glued on tape measure across the back rail that runs the entire 12′ of the table. That is not on the new machine. The Bliss system requires a different setup for the table so there’s no flat spot for the tape measure. I’m not even sure if they still put the tape measures on the regular tables but I surely did find that convenient for measuring backing, batting, and other large items. I’ll get over that but it surely was convenient.
On my previous Millennium, the light is a skinny florescent tube, and it sits right below the front handles. The light on the new machine is a cluster of LED lights and is much brighter and doesn’t block your view of the needle and quilting at all. The LED cluster light was new on the machines several years ago and I’ve always wished I had that.
Front light
There is also a black light on this one.
Black Light
The black light is so helpful when doing very tight closeup work and the thread perfectly matches the quilt top.
Panel
The touch pad front panel replaces the mushroom handles that were on the older models. Here I can increase or decrease the stitch length, check my email, switch back and forth from regulated to non-regulated stitching, lock the channel locks vertically or horizontally (or both to keep the machine from moving at all) and clip the bobbin thread. This same panel is on the front and back of the machine.
A glance at the panel tells me if my channel locks are on, of if I’m in stitch regulated mode or if my needle is set to stop up or down. There is also an icon that tells me when my top thread has broken, as well as an audible alarm, and there is an icon that tells me that my bobbin is empty.
The bar graph is new. The left (orange) side tells me my stitches per inch and the right side, which is actually greenish, tells me the approximately usage left on my bobbin.
The previous models had mushroom handles with four buttons on the left and four buttons on the right handles, along with a “clutch” on each. Heck, I can’t even remember what all the buttons did but one made a one stitch, one was stop, one was horizontal channel lock, one was vertical channel lock, one clipped the bobbin thread. The new handles are quite simple. At first, I was certain that the new handles were not nearly as efficient as were the old handles but after using the machine less than an hour, I LOVE the new handles.
New Handle
All four handles are exactly the same. Press the button towards the white dot and the needle goes down, press it it again and the needle comes up. This also sets your needle to up or down stopping position. Press the button to the left, away from the white dot and it turns the machine on or stops it if it’s already running.
There were two options that I struggled with. First was whether or not to get the Bliss Drive System. I could not imagine that a machine could run more smoothly than did my previous machine. I’ve used it on demo machines but every machine feels different and I didn’t have a real clue how it would feel when set up on my own machine and in my own room. When checking with friends, some felt Bliss made the machine too loose and hard to control, some loved it. I took a chance and got it and I would never have believed the difference it makes. The machine doesn’t seem to me to be hard to control and it truly floats!
The other decision I struggled with was bobbin size. For so many years non-APQS users have wondered why APQS didn’t use the larger “M” bobbins. Several years ago APQS offered either the larger or the smaller “L” “Smart Bobbin”. When I placed the order for my machine, I placed it with the larger bobbin but the more I thought about it, I realized I’ve always had such perfect tension and whether it’s due in any part to the “L” sized Smart Bobbin, I didn’t want to take any chances and changed my order to the smaller bobbin. I’m fine with the amount of bobbin changes I have to make and I’m thrilled with the tension on the new machine.
Except for having a rather large credit card bill this month, I’m 100% thrilled with my new machine!
Debbie Rhodes says
Glad you are so happy with your machine..
Judy D in WA says
This sounds like a love story. 🙂 I’m glad it’s all set up and you are happy with it. Quilt on girlfriend!
Linda Steller says
Yeah! I’m so glad you like it. Advances in technology are amazing, aren’t they? I’m still using my 2004 Liberty, which I always felt was a match made in heaven, but every time I’ve made an improvement, I would never have believed it could be better. When I think back to those old orange wheels, I just get the willies! The M&Ms are great. Is there any place on the table where you can glue down a tape measure? When I got my IQ, they re-adjusted my table and covered up half my tape measure, but I still have half of it to use and I’d really miss it if it were gone.
Sherrill says
WHOA, it sounds like you have to be a GENIUS to operate one of these machines. I think they’d completely befuddle and confuse me!! And I do think you should be able to check your email–they do everything else for cryin’ out loud! LOL
JudyL says
Oh, no . . they’re so easy. The touch screen makes it even easier. Within 15 minutes of using one, you would feel like a pro.
Peggy says
It’s always so satisfying when we struggled with a decision, and we’ve made the right one. Glad you love your machine. The credit card pain will lessen every time you take a finished quilt off the machine.
JudyL says
Once the bill is paid, I’ll forget about it. I check my account every night and I break out in a sweat every time I see that balance. My credit card usually has a balance of $100 or less so my bank is probably wondering what the heck I bought.
Cathy says
Oh wow, that looks fabulous!! I have a 2005 Milllie, which is much like your old one. The one feature on your new one that looks great to me is that bobbin thread indicator. I always seem to run out of bobbin thread exactly at the wrong time. Have fun with your new machine.
JudyL says
I’m kinda on the fence about that. I generally know how much I can quilt before running out, so I don’t have to change bobbins in the middle of a panto row. I’m still not going to change in the middle of a row, even if I know I can get 3/4 of the row done. I suppose if ever I do custom quilting again, it would help then because it’s so hard to judge how much you’ve done and how far you can still go on the bobbin.
Sue in Scottsdale, AZ says
I’m glad you like your new Millie. I originally had a 2005 one and updated the head in 2008 because I needed better light. I just couldn’t see with the old tube light! I am jealous of all the new features you now have. Did you get the Glide feature? Enjoy your new Millie.
Marilyn Smith says
Judy, I knew you would just love this machine! I’d love to upgrade too, but I did upgrade to the bliss and love it. Mine is a 2007 and a week after I purchased it they came out with the 2008. I wish they had told me at that time that a new model with some changes was coming out. None the less, I love my machine. I have pieced most of a top this morning, a very simple one that is made all from scraps of one I made a few years ago. I hope I have some black batting – if not, it will be white. We had a new great nephew born last Sunday and this will be for him. Not exactly a baby quilt but one that he can use for years.
Again, enjoy your new baby!
Linda in NE says
I’m so glad to hear you’re loving your new longarm. Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever hates theirs after they get one. My Premier isn’t all that fancy but I am so glad I got the stitch regulator. It makes the learning curve so much shorter. I’m surprised your credit card company hasn’t called you to verify that you made the purchase and not some scam artist. Any time I buy something a little unusual for me, they always call to check.
shirley says
heehee I’m happy with the old one. Only thing you mentioned that I’d like to have is the low bobbin. Otherwise I love mine. And no credit card ballance. he he.
Carolyn says
If I had the room…. I’d get one…. other wise, I’m just jealous.
Susan says
This sounds just wonderful! I love the bobbin thread alarm. After listening to what the presenters had to say in Charlotte, I had decided I would stick with the smaller bobbin, too. When I finally get to have a machine!