I just signed up for a longarm class today. The class is the end of August on an HQ16 machine. Got to see the setup today and I must say it was a thing of beauty. The quilt shop is an hour and a half away from me but it is very pretty drive to get to it so I don't mind. Lovely shop as well, very large selection of beautiful fabrics, unfortunately average quilt shop steep price of around $9 per yard on average.
Once you take the class there they allow you rental time on the machine. I want to be sure I can do it and like long arming before I take the substantial plunge for one of these setups. But you longarm quilters out there have really inspired me. Handquilting just takes too long and freemotion on my Bernina seems a daunting task on anything bigger then a large wallhanging or crib quilt.
The only thing I don't like about renting is you really don't have an opportunity to practice other then any practice runs you take before quilting in the rental time.

Have fun!

How exciting that you're taking a LA class so you can rent one. You just might wind up owning one :lol: I got a little bit discouraged when I got to try one out for a VERY short period of time on a VERY small piece of fabric. My movement was like that of a 3 yr old. However, I was sure with some practice that I could do better. It has taken some time but I can sure see a difference from when I started a year and a half ago and now. I'll bet a quarter that you get hooked and just have to have one.

I bought a Grace over a year ago and am still "practicing". I'm finally getting around to putting one of my six tops on for quilting. I'm not a procrastinator, just a perfectionist. I know any mistakes will be forgiving but you still want the best. WE HAVE A rental machine here locally but I want to quilt in my own time. I'd love a Gammill but don't have the bucks.

Good luck on your long arm! I too took a few classes and rent the long arm machine. I did get fairly good on following pantographs but am not good at freehand and need a lot of practice. Where I am it costs $15 per hour and $2 for each bobbin.

Thanks so much for letting me know what you pay suzic. I had no idea what the cost would be, this gives me a ballpark point of reference.

FF

I did the same thing---took a long arm quilting class on a HQ16 at a quilt shop near me. I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing that I have never gone back again to rent the machine. The instructor was great but we did not have enough hands-on time in the class. I hope that your experience is better than mine.

So......I just continue to send my quilts out to be quilted by someone else.