It is possible to have a long arm quilter just layer and baste a quilt sandwich together for her to then quilt herself by domestic sewing machine or by hand, if you don't have the floor space or a large table to do it on. If you are considering a long arm you don't have to have a large 12-14 foot frame. You can purchase a long arm model and place it in a table for sit down quilting. Handi Quilter and Tin Lizzie each have them with tables or you can also buy a Bailey or Nolting and have a table reconstructed to set the machine down in. For this type of quilting you would usually sit at the head of the machine not on the side of it like you would a domestic machine. Any of these options would pay for themselves in a short amount of time compared to sending quilts out to be quilted. Some of the newer machine manufacturers also have machines with 9-10 throats that make domestic machine quilting much easier than with a typical 6.5" or 7" machine. All she would really need is a straight stitch machine for this purpose however. Look at the Juki machines for quilting. Also, some of the vintage machines, like a Singer 15-91, are great for sit down machine quilting because they also have a larger throat opening on them. Parts for that particular Singer are still readily available. There are many many options for today's quilter besides just sending a quilt out for quilting.