Originally Posted by
luvspaper
That sounds like a sitdown machine (set into a table) rather than a long arm...not quite your domestic machine, but also not a long arm on a frame. Unfortunately since the sitdowns came out, many contests don't know which category to put them in.
The main difference is that in domestic and sitdowns - "home machines", the quilter is using the same process of moving the fabric rather than the machine. In Long-arm machines, the fabric is still and the machine is moving.
I suspect that is where "home machine" came into play...the fact that you move the fabric rather than the machine.
I think you have explained it--the process of quilting by moving the quilt is done on either a domestic (shorter harp) or "sit-down" "mid-arm" machine (longer harp, usually a bigger, built-in table top too)
Perhaps the real question is shouldn't judged shows differentiate between the different processes--long arm vs. domestic (short harp) vs. "sit-down" mid-arm--just like they do (or should) between hand guided vs. computer/robotic quided quilts--the actual process DOES make a difference. If the process does not mean different results, then there should be no reason for any difference in classes.
As far as whether you quilt your own or pay someone else--that is already noted on entries & categories.