Barb44

I have no desire for one either. My 'better' quilts I hand quilt. The utilitarian quilts I can SITD. And I do not like quilts that are so heavily quilted.

candi

I didn't think I wanted a LA when I first started quilting. I mainly did smaller quilts and quilted them (poorly I might add but good enough) on my home machine. Until I made my Bargello for our bed and I agonized over how to quilt this, I knew how much I struggled just to quilt a 50" quilt and couldn't imagine shoving a 102" quilt under that little throat. My other option was to send it out to a LAQ, but I really disliked the idea of not finishing my own quilt. I learned about a studio a couple of hours away that rents out their LAs and I thought oh well, I'll get 'er done. Well after that class we had to take to learn how to operate the machine and my first rental session quilting my big quilt with easy, I LOVE quilting! It used to be my least favorite part and not very enjoyable, but I love it and rent that LA whenever I have a big quilt to finish. Quilting on the LA had also improved my quilting on my my home machine for some reason. I should mention that I have only used the LA to do free hand work- a lot of fun, felt like Inupdated to a convertible!!!lol.

Now, loving the LA is different from wanting one, I too can't justify the cost of buying one, nor do I have the space, but surely I love renting the convertible and being free every now and then. :mrgreen: :lol:

KarenR

If I had a long arm I would need to add to my house.
Tooooo expensive the building permit alone is expensive.

nanna-up-north

I don't want one either. I took a class on using the longarm and then rented it to do a quilt...... I get a lot more enjoyment out of hand quilting my tops. It takes a lot of time but they are so beautiful when they are done...... no LA for me!

pdcakm

if money were no object, i would have a long arm today. since dollars are the missing ingredient i will be perfectly happy using my domestic.

the long arm is just so much easier and faster. it would allow me more time to make tops. my favorite part.

deedum

Exactly, I love FMQ on my vintage singer. All my friends are gaga over the longarm and I admit the work they do is beautiful, the designs. OMG! I just am happy quilting my own. My neighbor says " you need a longarm". Yesterday, my sil said "You can hire out and make money"! Not for me! I like doing what I do, whatever that maybe in my quilting world. Glad to hear I am not the only one who doesn't want one.

SharBear

LOVE the HQ Sweet Sixteen sit down. I took a 60 x 60 quilt up to my mother's to use hers today. She's an hour from my house. It took me all of an hour and a half to FMQ the whole thing. And that included my "orientation lesson" and setup.

I can see that I'll be taking all my quilts to spend the afternoon with Mom!

(oh, and I've already let my brother know that everything in the sewing room belongs to ME when Mom goes to her just reward!)

Phannie1

I looked into getting a quilting machines but the cost and room a long arm quilting machine with frames and all was just over my head in cost and technology. I got a good machine with a large throat and it has been wonderful to work with.. I am still praticing quilting with it.

raedar63

nope, I would never have the room or money lol

Cybrarian

Like others, the money isn't there, and the desire isn't either. I know a lady that rents hers out and I'm going to try that sometime in the near future. I'm not planning on making king size quilts; believe it or not I'm purchasing a cream colored silk one and plan on making lots of different bed runners so I can change them often. There are many professionals who only use their domestic machines and quilt amazing things! That's my goal, well maybe not amazing, but lots better than I currently am.