I hear you and feel your angst. In 2005 I decided to purchase a pfaff grand quilter and 10' frame. It was about $3,000 (ouch) but I figured if it was costing me $200 per quilt sending it out to a free arm for quilting, I could be ahead in no time. And it happened just that way. In the last 6 months, I have completed 5 large lap memory quilts, 1 lap quilt, a queen sized scrap quilt, and there is 6 more pieced quilts waiting to go on plus I have basted 5 quilts for hand quilting. This will not solve your immediate situation, but it might be worth considering as you work forward. There are lots of these machines for sale second hand as people usually move up to a bigger machine with a bigger throat space. PGQ only has 9". Good Luck!