I do "Quilt As You Go" style of quilting. I am disabled/retired and will never be able to save enough money for a long arm. I also can not sit for long periods of time at the machine. I do some by hand and others on the machine and do each block individually or in sections. There are several books that have been written on the subject and also a number of online videos on the subject. I have also found a woman in a small town that has a quilt shop and does quilts for people all over the country and will do a simple quilting pattern-full size quilt for $35, $10 more for batting, and bind the quilt for an additional $10. I would have to do a lot of quilts to pay for a long arm, plus I really don't have a room large enough for a long arm. Good luck with whatever you decide.