I'm in the same boat and haven't decided to jump ship yet. I'm squeezing a large queen size quilt through my DSM now and can't do any FMQ. I can barely straight stitch it. I am going to try a version of QAYG next I think. Now finding a used one is a good idea. I should check with my LQS.

I toyed with the idea of a longarm machine the minute I saw my first one. Then the practical side of my brain took over. I did some calculations and figured out it was never going to be finiancially viable for me. I figured out how many quilts I would take for it to be just a break even, not including repairs and other issues. As much as I would love my own machine it makes more sense for me to send mine out to a pro. The space required and the learning curve to get to the skill of a pro!!!... I opted to use professionals. AS much as I would love to quilt my own large quilts , it was too much money, space and a learning curve. Everytime get the overwhelming urge to jump in and purchase a longarm I pull out my sheet of calculations and see if any thing changed to make it viable.
I also had to admit there was far more piecing I wanted to accomplish and using a long arm pro just made more sense.

I think your story is really a word to the wise for anyone looking at buying expensive machines. If the main purpose of owning the machine is quilting, it might make more sense to have a less expensive workhorse sewing machine and a sit-down longarm quilter.

A longarm is fabulous if you can afford it. I have one on a frame. (I purchased it used in 1996 and don't plan on ever buying another one. It is huge, has a 30 inch arm, which is almost a detriment sometimes, but sometimes AWESOME!). I have been looking at the feasibility of modifying it to work as a sit-down quilter (while still keeping it capable of working off the rails).

I am a free motion quilter, almost entirely. I will draw out my designs sometimes before quilting, but I don't like pantographs or perfect circles, etc. They all looks store-bought to me. Anyway, my experience with free motion quilting on my DSM and on the longarm is that I get more control on a sit down quilter, where I'm driving the quilt, can quilt a long angular line at once, or rotate to get in the perfect position to do some special motif or whatever. I get a flatter quilt on the frame/rails. That and I don't have to baste the quilt if it's going on the frame. But to use many of the stencils, pantographs, etc, the frame is probably better.

I decided to purchase my Sweet 16 sitdown after finishing a large quilt and had aching shoulders for 2 weeks. I went to a demo and had an "aha! moment". Life is too short not to be able to use my arms for 2 weeks after each quilting session. My machine takes up no more room than a card table, altho I did add the extension table. I can quilt for hours on end and have no shoulder or neck pain. My quilting still looks like a kindergartner did it but I can say I did it myself. No buyers remorse or guilt over spending the money on myself ( I just lost my BFF to ovarian cancer and that drove home the point to enjoy life now.)

I have been fascinated by long-arms since I started teaching myself to quilt. I've test driven a few of them, but lack of space as well as recognition that standing and quilting is not good for my back, led me to look at the Sweet Sixteen instead. I spent several years trying it out at shows (and loving it) and talking to myself about the price... then had an aha moment about two years ago that I am spending over half the cost of the Sweet Sixteen each year on my son's hockey fees - and I deserved to spend money on myself as well - plus my toy will last for years to come - unfortunately the hockey fees are renewable each year for several years to come (he is passionate about hockey).

My hockey-playing 13 year old is also fascinated by long-arms and my Sweet Sixteen. He has test driven more machines than I have, and it would not surprise me if he eventually invests in one of his own.

Cheers, K

I was doing pebbling on a large area and wearing myself out moving the quilt around. On that quilt I ripped out the pebbling and did something else but decided I eventually wanted a longarm. I finally ordered it last week!

I have fibro and ruptured discs in my neck,worn out knees-bone on bone so for me a long arm is the only way I can quilt.Sitting on the floor leaning over to pin baste became torture for my body.If I did not go to a long arm my quilting days would be over-sitting at a domestic to quilt was bad for my neck also.I piece at intervals and have to lean back to rest neck and shoulders often.

I got the Sweet 16 while I was quilting my sister's super king, I knew I would never get it under my Janome 6600. I also did not have the room for a longarm, so opted for the sit down. I have to admit though, at times I'm with Lori S, and do occasionally opt for using a professional. It would definitely be cost effective, I just struggle with the concept of not completing every step of the process myself.

I could quilt on my dsm, but it was hard on my back and shoulders. After trying out frame quilting at quilt shows, I knew that was a lot more fun for me! Took me about a year to research setups online to find something I could afford. Knew I wanted a Hinterberg stretch frame and Voyager 17 so, when someone in my quilt guild left a flyer at a meeting wanting to sell this setup, I bought it. It was about half the price of a new sitdown machine.

I find frame quilting to be ***much*** easier on my back and shoulders, plus I can finish a quilt much faster this way.

If I didn't have the space for a frame, I would definitely consider a sitdown setup with a large harp. Alternatively, if you really don't want to spend the money, it's a good idea to find ways to cut down the bulk that needs to go under the sewing machine arm. I did a few quilts this way by splitting the batting into thirds, quilting the middle first, then re-attaching one side at a time and quilting that. Debra Wagner has *excellent* instructions in how to do this in one of her books, but Marti Michel also describes this (plus other ways to cut down bulk) in her book:
http://www.amazon.com/Marti-Michell-...dp/B0002J5GX0/

For me, ergonomically it makes a lot more sense to quilt standing up -- whether on the frame or my dsm. I did find it much easier on my back and shoulders when I listed my sewing machine onto my cutting table and placed a styrofoam "table" around it. Biggest issue with that was making sure the machine's foot pedal reached the floor.

I just bought me the brothersQP1500 machine, but some day I hope to get the handi quilter sweet sixteen. Because my sister has a long arm and although it is nice to work on it means I have to leave home to work on it,still nice. After working on it a couple of times I'm convinced I would rather one u can sit down to work on. So cost wise and time wise I think I will be Happy with my 1550s machine.