I couldn't afford to have my tops quilted by someone else, and I don't think I'd feel the quilts were quite mine if I did. I recently invested in a Janome 7700, replacing another Janome that wasn't good for quilting. With the help of Leah Day and her Quilt Along, my FMQ is improving rapidly and I'm beginning to enjoy it instead of seeing it as a necessary evil! I keep things simple, and sometimes stick to stitch in the ditch.