Seeking Qnique advice
Greetings everyone. I just went to a quilt show here in IL today and I'm all excited about purchasing a longarm/midarm machine. I have been quilting on and off for many years, but recently I find myself with more time for this hobby. I'm looking for a larger throat space and frame so I can finish my quilts myself.
What I've settled on is the Q'nique 14+ with a frame, but it seems too good to be true. A local dealer was there, so I feel like I'll have support, but he just moved and his website and Facebook page are out of date. That makes me nervous. These days, I think, your on-line presence is your first contact with your customers. Even the Grace company website is questionable. They have 2 sites with different information. Anyway, back to the point.
I make Q size quilts on down. They offer a combo with the machine and their SR2 frame, which they say fits up to a Q. When you look at max quilt area you can work up to 88". My large lap quilts approach that but I haven't gone over yet. I'm a little worried I would go over.
The other combo deal they're offering is the 14+ with a 10' frame and a light bar. That sounds very appealing. It can handle up to a K and the max quilt area is 106". I wouldn't have to be nervous about that! The other thing that appeals to me is the light bar. It's separate from the frame, so it can be moved. I have been wanting better lighting over my cutting area, so this might do dual duty.
So, thoughts? Any advice on the frames and machine are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
-Melanie