when i first used the long arm i decided to quilt in a meander or in a stippling pattern to get used to the feel and while i am learning to adjust the layers after rolling to a new unstitched area. i am still having trouble figuring out the latter. my first quilt i did dollar size loops. after i had a few more in the same pattern under my belt i thought i would do the stippling pattern. the one that looks like puzzle pieces. i had tried this with FMQ on my home sewing machine and i had a hard time. so i naturally thought it would be harder than loops on a long arm. i was wrong. it was faster and a lot more fun quilting continuous puzzle pieces than loops. when i did loops the machine kept beeping at me to slow down. i had a lot less reminders with the puzzle pieces.
i did try doing a feather with the long arm. i can do free hand on FMQ with my home machine real well. i think i need to put in more hours on the long arm before i try some of the motiffs.
since i am renting the long arm machine i prefer to quilt quick and easy since i am paying by the hour and i don't want to over work the machine since it is not mine. when i have my own long arm at home then i can do more intriquette designs because i won't need to take the quilt off the leaders when i go home. i can leave it on the rails and work on it here and there so i don't ruin it with my hurry.
when you start adding up how many quilts you normally do in a year. How many you would do renting a long arm and the cost. if you add that up it would seem cheaper to buy your own machine. even if you only take the larger size quilts to quilt on the long arm. the most important thing is that if anyone decides to buy a long arm or even a mid arm, you must learn to use it. whether it is used or new don't waste your purchase. think long and hard before money is plot down. once the purchase comes to your house and it stays in the box, then you may be better off renting. i think that decision is more important than how much room is available to house it. one thing i have learned when growing up poor is that if you want something bad enough, you will find a way. so....first decide if you really want your own personal long arm or mid-arm bad enough. once that is decided sometimes you would be amazed at what life or fate or etc. will do to set things in motion to get you that goal. never stop believing in miracles. everytime i see pictures of people showing their quilting room done the way they like it i think a miracle.