Is there such a thing as a vintage long arm machine?
 

I am so frustrated! I have spent hours a days for many days trying to find a vintage long arm sewing machine. For now, I just want an older sturdy machine but one that has a really big harp space for quilting. About the longest I have been able to find is 9 inches. I have a 221 Featherweight and a 50s model Riccar that I do my piecing on but the openings are just too small for a large quilt. Please, any help would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas other than a vintage machine without spending thousands of $$$?

Use the QAYG method (quilt as you go). There are a couple of current discussions going on about this method. http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t213738.html

Also, Leah Day has a lot of FMQ lessons online and she does not use a mid or long arm machine.

I can't quilt as you go because I have many quilt tops that are already put together, but thank you, I would like to try making a quilt that way.

Well, we're having some problems with terminology, here. When you say "vintage", do you really mean "used"? And when you say "longarm" do you really mean "midarm"?

Longarms generally refer to machines that are 16" or longer. Midarms are 9-14", and DSMs are what you've been using. Brother came out last year with a new model that has an 11" harp, but since it's a newer model, I doubt you'll have an easy time finding a used one at a good price. I believe there is another manufacturer that makes an 11" machine but I don't know who it is. Bailey makes machines that are 13", 16", and 17".

If you're searching online, maybe changing your search terms would help you find what you're looking for.

Thank you so much. I have a 7 inch now, so the 11 inch would definitely be a help. If anyone knows the manufacturer, please post.

I know Brother makes an 11", I believe Bernina is the other company I was thinking of. If you have a dealer nearby, it would be worth it to go take a look at the machines in person.

There are ways to quilt your tops in sections, using a DSM, even if the tops are already finished. You can divide the batting in sections. This is one of the methods described in Machine Quilting in Sections by Marti Michell. Many people also manage to quilt large quilts (without dividing up the batting) in their DSMs, but it does take some practice. You can also put most DSMs on a frame, which makes the task somewhat easier, but again you will want one with a larger throat space.

This lady claims to have a vintage longarm, and it does indeed look like her machine's throat may be longer than the standard vintage machine, though it's hard to say for sure. http://busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com/...g-machine.html

There are two sites I know of that sell used quilting frames and machines. You never know what you will find on there. ALOT of them are pricey, but then one will come along that is not. Keep looking! Do you have a Craigslist in your area? I just saw a couple local to me on there.

www.houseofhanson.com
ww.longarmuniversity.com
I know APQS has used machine on their home site under Forums. ALot are APQS brands, but they have other brands there too...good luck!

Thank you for responding. I just went to the site and sent her a message.

I have an older machine that has an 11" throat on a 12 foot table. I think I am the 3rd owner. The brand name is Consew. The lady I bought it from had an ad up in the fabric dept. of the Hobby Lobby store.