I have done several quilts in the past on my Brother sewing machines with that small a throat. (Yes, machines! They always died within a few years. I guess I either always ended up with Wal-Mart's lemons or I put too many miles on them!) I now have a 1950's Singer 15-91 with no bells or whistles. I can do all the maintenance and repairs myself. It has 7" throat; I would love a bigger throat, but I'm just glad I haven't needed to spend several hundred $$$ on a brand-new machine.
One day I will get a long-arm! Even if it's just a simple Voyager 17.