notmorecraft

Has anyone bought a sit down quilter like the HQ 16 and then thought they would rather have a stand up long arm? I’m in the market but I don’t want to buy the sit down and then wish I’d bought the stand up and loose money, hope this makes sense.

Sewnoma

I bought a sit-down (Bernina Q20) and I have zero regrets! A sit-down is a very different animal than a stand-up LA, in my opinion. Ideally, I'd have both!

I shopped for mine for 2 years, test-driving every machine I could get my hands on - I was 100% certain by the time I made my purchase that I was buying what I really wanted. If you're thinking you might change your mind, maybe you're not quite done shopping?

Have you made "pro" and "con" lists for each type of machine? Do you have a really clear idea of what type of projects you'll be doing on the machine? Have you spent a solid amount of time working on each type of machine?

For a LA, I discovered that my back problems will be an issue if I ever get one. I think I can make do with having a stool to perch on and perhaps by wearing a back brace, but definitely I found a sit-down machine far more comfortable and can spend hours at a time working on it. If I ever do get a stand-up LA I will need to make sure it's one that glides as effortlessly as possible, to avoid fatiguing or tweaking my spine. Depending on your age and health, that may be something to take into consideration too, if you haven't already.

Prism99

Most quilters have a definite preference for one or the other. How long have you been researching your purchase? The rule of thumb is to spend a year looking and trying out different setups before making a decision.

I learned to FMQ on a domestic machine but always felt quite tense doing it. Once I tried out a frame setup at a quilt show, I knew that was what I really wanted. For me, quilting on a LA is easier on my back and shoulders than quilting on a domestic, probably because I am much more relaxed. I have never been able to machine quilt for hours at a time - an hour or two per day is my max. This may be part of the reason my back problems have not flared up from quilting.

DogHouseMom

Agree with Sewnoma ... perhaps you are not done shopping yet. Have you been to a large show where you can try lots and lots of machines? Do you have the space for the size frame you would want to get?

also, bear in mind that there are sit down machines that can be converted to frame machines. The Juki and the HQ come to mind, but there are probably more. Perhaps one of these is the answer??

Jingle

I don't have either and don't have room for either.

I hope you can decide which one, you will love it.

Doggramma

I also have the Bernina Q20. I love it and the wonderful stitch quality. However......you still need to sandwich quilts (hate this part) and there are still times when the quilt is unwieldly and in my lap or it catches on something and pulls. It's certainly a lot better than my smaller machine though because of the space under the machine and the huge table are great. It can be converted to a long arm, and sometimes I wish I did that instead. But at this point there is no way I'm paying maybe 15 or more thousand to set it up as a long arm. If I wanted a long arm, I would've done that before spending 13 thousand on this one. And I probably would've picked a different machine if I did a long arm to begin with. Good luck figuring it out. It makes such a difference to have the better set up with the sit down especially with big quilts.

quiltingshorttimer

I think Prism99 has given good advice--definitely take your time shopping and trying out machines. Make that list of pros/cons of sit-down vs. LA. Often I think people jump on the assumption that LA are more expensive (not if you go the route of a used machine and since they are mostly made for commerical use, they should last a long, long time)and that you have to stand the whole time. That depends upon the type of quilting you would be doing--working on pantos or Edge to edge where you are making large sweeping motions usually does require more standing. Doing custom work or modern quilting usually allows you to sit on a drafting stool. I'm assuming you have quilted with your domestic machine, so you know the issues with sandwiching--that alone was a driving force for me to go with a LA.

pocoellie

I'm getting a sit down instead of a frame, mainly because I have no room for a frame. If you want a frame then get the frame.

jmoore

Interesting question...most quilters I know have upgraded in one kind of machine or the other but I don’t know of any that have gone from sit down to LA. As other members have suggested, maybe you need to spend more time on each of them to see what works best for you.

Roxanne

I don’t have one, have never used one or shopped for one. But just thinking about them over the years, the sit down always seemed like the choice I’d make if I were able to invest in that purchase.