Jump right in there and do it, do it, do it. If you had the heart to buy a long arm, you must have figured you would be able to use it. This, from one who has had a Gammill Classic since 2008, and have only this year started to quilt on it--my son has been the one who used it up to now and has moved to another city, and I can't get him over here to do my quilts for me. So, I have started using it myself; and love it. It is a dream to use; a little finicky tension wise, but I guess that's peculiar to the Gammill; I am getting used to it and have made five really pretty quilts since May.
Good luck.