Originally Posted by
dunster
A longarm generally has a head that is 18" or greater, and the machine moves over a frame. There are also shortarms and midarms that move over a frame. Some people sit at their longarms too. There are lots of options for you - one is machine quilting in sections with your current machine. (See the book Machine Quilting in Sections by Marti Michell.) I did that for a few years before buying a longarm, and I found it was much easier than trying to layer and quilt a large quilt in my sewing machine. The best thing is to try out all kinds of machines and decide which type is best for you. If you can go to a machine quilting show, there are usually lots of vendors with all the different types of quilting machines.
Thanks for the info and your feedback. I don't like the idea of quilting in sections. Since I've decided no more really large quilts for me, just making lap size from now on, that I would like to do my own quilting. I've paid laq to do 4 for me and it does get to be expensive when you are on a fixed income, a small fixed income I should say. So I was thinking of investing in one of the smaller types, like the babylock jewel (?) or the hq sixteen. It's hard to get to quilt shops and shows as I live in a very small town. would love to hear some more input on this type before spending days looking and trying. It might help me eliminate some options that would not be for me. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm also thinking of things like table runners, bed runners, or wallhangings. just small stuff.