I've just finished my first totally machine made and quilted small 4' x 5 'quilt this weel. Frankly, it was a hassle stuffing that fabric into the throat of the machine. Thankfully, I had used Elmer's glue which really held it together well so I didn't have the problem of shifting fabric. I guess it gets easier as you get more experience, but it probably won't replace the joy I get by hand quilting. I have a really large quilt that I was going to machine quilt, but decided to have someone else long arm quilt it for me. I'm now shopping for a machine with a big throat!