Gammill's new Sit down Long Arm
 

It is suppose to be introduced today. This is one I may seriously think about buying.

....But you are still dragging that fabric sandwich around the sewing head....it is much easier to move the head thru the fabric, that is reason I went with a L/A/frame

Ifn ya buy one let us all know how you like it ...

I have helped the LA who does some of my quilts. She has the top of the line Gammill LA set up. It's too tedious getting the quilt loaded, fiddled with, rolled and then off. That's the drawback for me about having the LA frame. I know me and I won't use a frame set up much because I'd dread the loading of the quilt. I strongly suggest using a LA set up from start to finish before investing in one. I learned a lot.

Loading a quilt on the frame does not take any longer than laying the parts on the floor or where ever, pinning/basting/glueing or whatever, then rolling, shifting, unrolling, repositioning on a sit down machine. And, in my personal opinion, the tension of the three parts of the sandwich are better controlled on the frame, and no chance of getting tucks in backing. But, that is why I have a framed L/A.......and I do respect the choice of those who have decided the sit down version works better for them-and there must be quite a lot of them for the "big" mfgrs to be offering the sitdown machines.......there are some quilt artists who do spectacular work on their dsm.....just another choice we are able to make to make this a wonderful hobby...

At one of my LQS they rent LA machines but first you have to take the gal's class. In the class she has you make zipper loaders so you can prepare your quilt for loading at home and then quickly zip it on the frame when you get there. I was signed up for the lessons but had a bad bout of bronchitis.

A sit-down set-up is more and more appealing to me. It is interesting that more and more companies are coming out with them. Thanks for the heads-up.

You'll laugh when you read how I load my quilts, but it works! I don't use leaders; fasten the quilt to the rails with painters tape. Quick on, quick off, no residue. Don't knock it 'til you try it :-)

I'm not laughing, but how do you get it straight and keep it straight? For me, that's the hardest part of loading the quilt top!

Then again, I put the quilt sandwich together first and then load it onto the take up rail, let it all hang free until the second to last row of a quilt. The weight of the quilt keeps it taut enough until then. I also use side leaders that I made. Seems to work for me and for the quilts I make.

I was taught by a friend to do similar. I do attach both top and bottom to my cloth leaders and keep the tension as I work the rows. Works well for me.