Exercising the New machine

In July, while quilting my show exhibit, I decided it was time to move on. The machine and I simply could not come to a happy understanding about tension. Even after a good service I had both back and front of the quilt sufferng.

I went to the exhibition and started looking at machines. I narrowed it down to Brother PQ1600, Husqvarna Mega Quilter or Pfaff Grand Quilter.
The DH only said "yes" when I bargained away all my birthday monies and sold two patterns to the magazines and cleared the Mastercard. (Tough, isn't he??? Never mind, the M/C was clear for a Thursday afternoon only! LOL)

At last the Mega Quilter arrived. Reverently I carried the box in. I unpacked the machine, admired it and then put it away until I had time. Finally, 5 days later I gave it a careful run. Then I put it away again. Reverently. After a full dusting and oiling.

The reverence thing couldn't last. I decided it was way too much fun and I have left it on the dining table to be played with whenever I walk past!
All the sandwiches I had prepared have been used up so I pulled out a class sample from earlier this year. I went to a machine trapunto class with Nicole Bridges.
It was a lot of fun, but I had not done much on the sample as I knew that the old machine and I were not up to the in-fill.

So here are two pictures of my practice runs with the new machine on the trapunto sample. I have done even more practice since. I just need some more ideas of designs to quilt as I now have stipples down to a fine art!