I placed an ad earlier in the year on Craig's List looking to share a machine. It's about time to run another I did get one or two emails from the earlier ad but they didn't work out. This is such a wealthy area, I know there are a lot of people here with machines that aren't being used all that much for one reason or another. And some of those are people who find they just aren't using the machine all that much, or that they didn't enjoy the business aspects of quilting, or many other reasons. I'm willing to pay but I'd like a little more time and flexibility for my money that going to one of the local shops that have a machine set up. It's about $100 per session at a shop, I'm hoping for more like $100 for 2 days once a month, I can slip that into the budget. Still, I'm basically asking to be let into someone's house and play with the equivalent of a car so I understand why I'm not getting offers left and right
I'd prefer to buy supplies for just one machine and to learn just one machine, I like prewound bobbins especially. I'm hoping for regular basis and want a win/win situation for both the owner and me, someone who travels, maybe I can do my quilting while house or pet sitting. Maybe someone with a bad health year isn't up to quilting but could use groceries brought in once a week or something.
My natural speed of sewing is probably at least one finished queen sized project a month plus smaller quilts here and there, and like I said, I have approximately 20 top backlog. I don't think a long arm is for the person who only does one project a year, but hey, again -- if they have the space and the budget I'm not going to disagree. I have zero desire to quilt for others, but sure, I'd take in some orphan tops and do a few extra donation quilts, most of what I do is for donation anyway.
Something else to consider, it's all a very physical activity, but I say that about sewing anyway. Sure, maybe not big muscle movements but hand/eye coordination and such. On a long arm you do have to move your entire body. I also like to have music on when I quilt. I get rusty quick when I don't FMQ or LA regularly. Before I could tell a big difference if it had been 3-4 months before me quilting. And like most things, you don't get better if you don't practice practice practice.