I hate hand work so 3 years ago, nine months after I started piecing quilts, I bought a longarm. I quilt for others as well as myself. Quilting on my longarm is my favorite part of the quilting process!!!

The quilting process is my favorite part of quilting! It used to be the planning, but now that I'm very comfortable with FMQ, the quilting is without a doubt my favorite part.

I quilt on a domestic machine - a Janome 6600 which has a fairly wide harp (which is why I purchased it).

Three times I've tried using long or mid arm machines, and twice I've tried using domestic machines on a frame. I just don't like moving the machine instead of the quilt ... it's totally different for me and it just doesn't feel the same. Perhaps it's because I have more practice with the tradition method of FMQ on a domestic ... but I feel I have a lot more control when I'm holding the fabric as opposed to holding handles on a machine, or in some cases moving the framework (for domestics that were set up on small frames like a Flynn type thing).

I would LOVE to have a mid or long arm that I can recess in a big table! I want to quilt the way I do, but I would love the additional harp space. I know they sell them, and some day I might justify the cost - but not yet.

I quilt my own and use a domestic machine...Viking Quilt Designer and a Designer Topaz 20
(have only had topaz for a few mths so haven't completely transitioned to it yet). I felt the same way about needing a long-arm machine but have since changed my mind.

I've quilted several large and small quilts on my domestic machine. Sometimes it was a real struggle, but most of them looked pretty good. The last one I did used the QAYG method. It was king size and I was very pleased with the way it came out. I like this method because I can quilt each block before I put it all together and when I get it all together it's done except for the binding.

Patchwork Marion, I love the Avatar on your site! Would you post a larger photo for us, and I guess you did it? Hand or machine quilting?

I hand quilt 99% of mine. That's the part I like to do best. I did have two mahine quilted a few
years ago. Had 3 teenage grandauters (all in same family) that wanted patriotic {queen size) quilts for Christmas. I got
them done and handquilted each one, but go so far behind with other things I did have a couple
of quilts made out of homespun done by the long-arm quilter. Homespun is very difficult to me
to mark it for quilting...so it just seemed right at the time to let the long-arm quilter do the 2.
I did try to quilt..straight lines..on my regular machine yr or so ago. It was a disaster...so I
won't try that again. It just didn't look good to me.

When I started quilting I wanted to do it all. I had learned to piece with my grandma and she hand quilted my first quilts for me. So, I am starting to get the hang of FMQ on my dsm. I have sent quilts out in the past for quilting when I didn't even consider FMQ and I have taken quilts to a long armer to be basted for me. Cannot afford to have all my quilts quilted, plus, I enjoy finishing them myself.

Then I found Marti Michel's book, "Machine Quilting in Sections." You have to plan ahead and divide your top into manageable pieces, quilt them, and then put them together. She gives great instructions and it greatly reduces time for backing prep and pinning/basting. I've one queen quilt and plan to do 2 more with this method.

you are a poet! that is EXACTLY how handquilting makes me feel!

My very first quilt I did was double irish chain and i didnt know at the time that there were LongArmers around so anyways I did each of the white blocks by hand. Since then i have sent 2 out, cant afford them either but enjoy making the tops.

My daughter and I went halves on a long arm and do our own and for others.I have a spare room dedicated to the long arm on a 12 ft frame.