I might be willing to swap with you. I just got a new long arm yesterday and I will need the practice. If you don't mind them being "practiced" on ... I'd love the challenge. I have done FMQ on my DSM, but I need to develop the skills on the long arm. And I don't have any tops to practice on ... just earlier today I was looking at purchasing cheater tops as practice quilts.

If you are interested, PM me and we might be able to work something out.

I see even on here where people sell thier unfinished tops, you could try that if you don't want to finish them. My daughter doesn't know how to FMQ so she does sitch in the ditch and then ties off the quilt so that it has what it needs to stay together. It depends on rather you want to invest the time into finishing them or sell them so that you can afford to buy more fabric for more quilts. I have even bought an unfinished top on here. I'm still teaching myself on finishing them with different techniques. Good luck. Have you contacted any of the shops in our area to see if they have customers that buy tops and finish them, I know you can also find them on eBay.

if you can't find a way to get them done for yourself, many senior quilters groups take in donation tops to hand quilt and then donate to a charity or to raise money to support the batting needed.

You could also call Bella's, it in Carrolton right over the James River Bridge, they get together and make tops for wheel chair users. I'm sure they could use them, they also get together I think once a month at night and use scraps, etc and make them.

This sounds like a win win situation!

I love to make tops and have never sent anything out for finishing. From 2005 to 2009 I tied and stitched in the ditch. One day I decided to start FMQ and started with something small and worked my way up 120 x 120. Jump in and go for it :)

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. DogHouseMom and I have worked it out so we both benefit.

Romanojg - Bella's is 5 minutes from home and I'm up there often. Most of the tops were made from patterns our little group chose during our meetings there.

Carslo - I have tried to fmq but I have a disability that limits doing some things. I can't control the sandwich in the sewing machine so fmq is unfortunately not something I can do. I appreciate the advice and encouragement, though. :-)

what if you put your quilt tops up for sell if your running out of people to give too ,that way it can keep you enjoying making quilt tops and you getting your money back for the fabrics you used making them or contact a long arm quilter and maybe you can trade work by you making her quilt tops for in exchange she quilts your tops just a throught it might work better for you that way.

I am sure there are some quilds and such out there that would love to take them finish them off and give to charity or raffle them off for charities.

I agree: win win situation.

Another option is don't finish them. They take up less room to store. At some future date, you may want them.

Some places rent time on their LAQ machine. You might find you like that method.