QuiltNama

For years my quilts were tied and tacked, then I started doing them on my DSM using basting spray and hated every minute of it, started sending them out to a LA quilter and almost went into the poor house. The shop I did teaching in started selling HQ's, I tried it out and was hooked. So I test drove a bunch of different machines and ended up with my HQ16 and have not regretted it one bit. Love it, no more basting spray, backaches, fighting the bulk under my small machine so it has been a win, win for me.

brenwalt

I have thought about a LA or even a sweet 16 but I've now mastered the knack of doing even a 120 x 120 on my small machines and the thought of going through another learning curve leaves me cold. I have an old Bernina 830 Record from 1972, an old Bernina 1230, an old Bernina 165 and a newer BabyLock. I can use any of them for quilting large quilts. It is a case of "mastering the knack of it."

grann of 6

I have arthritis in my hands and my wrists. My right wrist hardly bends at all, so that was what made me go to a longarm. I found it just too hard to move the fabric on my DSM, so now I let the machine move. I never considered a Sweet Sixteen because I would still have to move the fabric around. I love longarming, and just got my 2nd machine, a HQ Avante computerized. I love love love him (His name is Bob). My other machine is a Husqvarna Viking Mega Quilter, both are 18/8 s. I had many issues with the Mega Quilter, it spent months in the shop being rebuilt....twice. I use it for simple meanders and teach my friends to quilt on it.

alleyoop1

I have a Bernina 440 and the Bernina frame. I use my 440 on the frame. Sure, I have a very limited quilting space but I don't mind because I really enjoy the feeling of moving the machine over the quilt sandwich. Once I am fully recovered from my battle with breast cancer I will put my Christmas present, a Bernina 710, on my frame and use it exclusively for quilting. I have a bunch of them hanging over the frame rail just waiting to be quilted.

qwkslver

It was difficult and unpleasant for me to quilt on my regular sewing machine. I thought my quilts didn't look nice enough. That was enough for me to decide on a Sweet 16. I could afford it, I wanted it, enough said. I haven't regretted it for one minute. I don't use it every day or even every week but it's there waiting for me when I want it.

kuntryquilter

I had a sweet sixteen, didn't really care for it. My husband bought me a long arm for my birthday last year. Guess who is using it? He is & he is really loving it, I still don't even know how to turn it on.

maryb119

I got a long arm when my mom decided to sell hers. Her health is not the best anymore and she can't stand long enough to quilt with it. I helped her finish the quilts she had there for her customers and bought the machine. I will always hand quilt too. I love to do that in the evenings watching tv. I do some qilting on my DSM but not as much since I have the long arm now.

Country1

We bought our mid-arm when our LQS was expanding to a long-arm. It is a Juki machine on a 12 foot frame. It works great and I knew she had taken very good care of it. The machine was only 7 or 8 months old. She sold it to us at a wonderful price. It's not fancy, but we love it and it meets our needs!

caspharm

I had been to several DSM classes with well known teachers and one thing I realized is I was getting shoulder and back pain from shoving everything thru a small space. My LQS started offering LA training classes in order to rent their machine. I fell in love with the LA, since it is easier, as DebraK says," to run the needle over the quilt, rather than guide the quilt under the needle." So I rented until we moved to a new house, where we had room for a LA and I was unable to find a machine to rent at the time. My DH said we could buy one.

The Sitdown machines still require you to push the quilt under the needle, but you have room to guide the quilt under the needle and more surface to support the quilt.

KnitnutBZ

I looked and drooled over the sweet 16 sitdown for 3-4 years. Had my janome6600 on a frame but killed my back and still had limited throat space. So got a good price at a quilt show and bit the bullet. glad I did. Love it.