Originally Posted by Peckish

I guess that depends on your definition of a longarm. I have an 18" WOW, which I consider a longarm, and it DOES have a presser foot lever. I know quite a few quilters who consider anything on a frame a longarm, and their 9" machines have presser feet that lift. The OP doesn't specify what kind of machine she has, so it's entirely possible she has a machine that needs to have the presser foot lowered.