Hey Crystal, I went through the same thing. Started using my home machine with a table behind my machine and a table to my left in the front to help with the weight. Then I used a flynn quilter. Then I built my own frame and used my home machine on a roller board. Finally, watched Craigslist and found a used Voyager 17 for $2600. Absolutely fabulous. It has taken me 6 months to work out some thread breaking issues(operator error), but we're sailing now. It's frustrating to enjoy putting the top together and then having a hard time quilting it. If you'd consider renting time on a long arm, they do that at the quilt store in Lewisville. Just a thought.