I am glad you have taken up quilting. I hate to keep repeating myself but what is wrong with trying hand quilting. It can be very relaxing and can be totally portable. I don't machine quilt anything but Linus quilts and small items that will be washed constantly like potholders etc. The idea of having to roll up the quilt and force it through the throat of any sewing machine drives me crazy. I occasionally do commissions and the last one I did was a T shirt quilt for a teenage boy. It had to be machine quilted because it would be roughly used and washed to death. My husband had to stand behind my sewing machine set up and hold up the parts of the quilt that was not under my sewing machine needle at the time. It was a full bed size quilt and rather heavy as each T shirt had to be stabilized which only added to the bulk and weight of the quilt. The boy's mother was delighted with the results and said she had another son who would be needing such a quilt. I am praying that she looses my number and changes her mind. I don't think I would attempt that again for double the money. I own several different quilting frames. I have been able to hand quilt a queen size quilt on a 36 inch round frame while watching TV with my family and carrying on conversations. My favorite part of sewing and quilting is handling the fabric and turning it into something beautiful and or useful. Hand quilting full fills both of those.