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Old 08-08-2012, 09:03 AM
  #11  
kristakz
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,111
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If you've only done one quilt, I'd wait on a long arm decision. I started quilting in 2004, and have quilted all of my own quilts - even 3 queen size quilts - on my regular domestic machine. It is possible, and if your "usual" quilt is likely to be on the smaller side probably a good way to start. Make sure you really love the process, before you fork out the thousands of dollars for a long or mid arm machine.

For my piecing, I have never used anything other than straight stitch and the occasional zig-zag. I bought an embroidery machine at the behest of my husband, and I regret the extra money. I have never used the embroidery, and probably never will. It's not what I enjoy doing. So for me, a simple straight stitch machine - with a wider throat - would have been the perfect purchase 7 years ago. And until about 2 years ago I was perfectly happy quilting on it. Then, as I graduated to big and better- and wanted to do more with my quilting, I started thinking about a long arm machine. I just bought one last month - 8 1/2 years after I started quilting.

And note that long arms - if you want to do bed-size quilts - take a significant space investment - 12' x 8' clear space for them at least, which you can't put anything else in.
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