".....but the actual quilting process is painful for me and takes me too long. I do it all on machine, but have to take frequent breaks due to shoulder and neck muscle spasms. It's manhandling the layered quilt that gives me the most trouble. "
Wildyard, today while a friend and I stitched, we discussed all the BEEAUUUUUtiful machines at ROAD with the larger throat space. She said she did a king size on a machine with the 5 1/2" throat. Amazing, I didn't know that would even fit. She said she could only work a short time because it was so hard to move that material being heavy and small throat space; she'd get sore shoulders and neck. She now has a machine with 9" & is doing better. I've had back problems most of my life and when a used Gammil Classic was found, I jumped on it. It's so much easier on my back. Now there are many home models of frames and long/short arm stand up and even very large throated sit down machines. At the very large quilt shows, many of the machines are there & set up for trial. Maybe this would help you neck & shoulder problems.