I do wish you lived closer. I have a professional Free-Hander for sale
Sister left it with me when she moved and I really prefer doing my own.
I live in NC

salisaquilter~ Thanks for your comments about sewing machine and hand quilting, I keep thinking them as I move my quilt around in the sewing machine (82"X85"). It's really helped me.

salisaquilter, you can list your Freehander for sale in our classified section. There's some tips in a post in there, like how to word it ect. Maybe someone close to you from here is wanting one? We don't like people who come here just to sell, but we know you're not one of them. :D Here's the link for those tips I was talking about.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/651.page

I've sent one out my grandson's and it was lost . I,ll never do it again.

Suggestion for those who can't afford a Long arm.

check out the frames by Grace company and then do a Google search for mid arm machines. Brother calls one of their machine a Long arm, although it is not as long as other mid-arm machines. Check the prices. Some of the gals have spent about $1000 and been happy with their equipment. Do a really thorough Goggle search and keep notes of all the sizes and prices. They might be more affordable than you think. I was pleasantly surprised to find what I needed and while it take time to research, you can find help on various Quilt forums from people who have purchases equipment. Quilters are always willing to share, so don't hesitate to ask questions. That's how I came to the conclusion of which machine was right for me.

tHANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT, I JUST MIGHT DO THAT I READ THE LINK ..
SAL

I had one professionally machine quilted - all the others I quilted by myself on my regular sewing machine or by hand.

It was ok - The professional quilter was experienced and did a fine job, but I think I prefer to do it myself.

How much does it cost to send it out to be quilted? If it isn't much I'd send it out to be quilted since you don't have the time to do it yourself.

For me this would depend on size and if it will be a keep sake....Longarm Quilting is so much faster and it is a nice job depending on what you want done to your quilt on the price...an overall pattern is much cheaper and just as nice....but if it's something special and you want extra stuff of course it would be higher....I send all mine to my Dad ...I think he does a fantasic job...as for losing a quilt....Please insure them...I know it can't take the place of losing a quilt but hopfully you can get enough money to do another one...and someome posted on here how to take a photo of your quilt for that reason...also there was a place for lost quilts on that site.....maybe it's on there...

Henry, there is a big range in pricing for machine quilting. You can have it done professionally and pay over $200.

Professional quilters charge at the least, 2 cents per square inch.

Non-professionals charge by the size of the quilt and the over-all design she uses. The one in my area charges about $30 for Crib, $40 for Twin, $50 for Standard, $60 for Queen and $70 for King.

Someone with their own home quilting system may do it for you at the smaller fees. Quilting guilds or quilt shops may have some information on who does quilting in your area.

Thanks for the info. I may contact one of the guilds around here today.