I don't like the piecing part very much - quilting is the best part for me, too. And I even love making bias bindings and putting them on.
I've never had anything quilted by anyone else - rather, I've resorted to buying tops so that I have something to quilt. :mrgreen: Pretty sad to be buying someone else's UFO's!
I use ordinary domestic sewing machines, all of them vintage or antique, because they've got a lot more room under the arm than my modern machines.