While at MQX last week (wonderful!) I fell in love with a long arm machine, the price is finally something I can consider at some point. My question- why would you need a frame bigger than say 8 feet? I am just going to use this for personal use, not business, and the largest quilt I would be making is a queen size...so am I just missing something? Thanks!

I have a 10 foot frame and I can't imagine using a smaller one. The extra area on the side of your loaded quilt is for acessing your machine to change bobbins and clean the bobbin area as you quilt. I find I want at least an extra foot.

You need extra space on either side of the quilt top to test tension and move your machine over so you can change the bobbin. A queen size quilt is usually over 90" wide so you would need a mimimum of a 10ft frame. 10 ft is only 120" and of that 120" you only have about 116" or so of carriage space, maybe even less. When they give frame measurements they are giving from outer corner to outer corner so your supporting legs are taking up some space.

I agree that 8' would be too small for queen size quilts. I've done kingsize quilts and was happy for every inch of my 12' frame. If you have room for 12', get that. You will have more options.

8 feet wide would only give you 96 inches tops. My gammill , when pushed all the way to one end, takes up about 20 inches. I need to be able to see into the bobbin area to clean, oil and troubleshoot. Add on the extra backing and batting you need on each side of your loaded top (you put a clamp or something on each side to keep the backing taut while you quilt), and now you are way over 8 feet. Queen quilts run about 88 inches (give or take). Hope this helps!

Ok this makes much more sense now- thanks! Have to go measure some possible spots!

I agree with all above. I just moved up to a 12 foot frame....PLENTY of room to do what I MAY want to do in the future. If you can avoid it, don't go small -- you'll be wanting bigger sooner or later.

That is a BIG for sure. If I had the room anywhere in my house I would have gone for a 12' frame.

i have a 10 foot table and am so looking forward to upgrading this year to the 14 foot studio frame- some quilts, even queens are at times difficult to load---you need to remember- the machine takes up some space- a 10 foot table does not give you 10 feet of usable stitching space- you only have about 8 feet-if that
my 10 foot table just does not make it for me-i quilt alot of large quilts-(most queens) and at times have to quilt the length of the quilt, unload it, move it over, re-load and quilt down the length again...would be so much easier if i had bought the full size table in the first place...