WOW!! That is a blessing! Good for you!

It is really worth it to me to pay someone else to quilt the large quilts on a long arm.

It's not the quilting I mindas much as cutting the batting. I did one today, my cutting table is only about 4' X 8' and I promised myself, no more biggies. Of course I'm old and tend to forget.

I have made a few large bed quilts and just SITD because I don't really enjoy that portion of the process. I did just purchase a Brother SE-400 from WalMart (less than $400.). I downloaded some outline quilting designs that I can use as quilting on the blocks now. I am currently making a queen size quilt that I will use these designs on. I also just downloaded a program that allows me to make quilt labels on this Brother machine using the 4 x 4 hoop. THAT really excited me! I tried it out tonite and very happy with how the label turned out... now I am motivated to get the quilt done!

My sister-in-law in OK sent me a lap quilting book written by Georgia Bonesteel which shows you how to make and quilt (hand or machine) one block at a time and how to then sew them together to make any size you desire. She had a stroke and her eyesight was affected in such a way that she is unable to work on a large quilt, but can do the individual blocks and then sew together. I learned this way and that's how I do it.

I am with Raptureready on this one...I too admire all the other forms of quilting, but for me I like my quilts to be on beds, chairs or couches. I make them to keep people warm and give comfort.

I do bedsize quilts and hand quilt them, trying to quilt a little each day, and that gets the job done. I have also machined some with very simple quilting. I also like to do wall quilts, throws, table runners, etc., because it is fun to use a new technique to make them. I must admit that I have run out of wall space to hang them, but I swap them out periodically for a change.

I have read several articles lately about big stitch quilting. The stitches are larger and therefore the quilting goes much faster. Might be worth a try.

Nope..I do large quilts and I quilt them myself on my little domestic machine. Some get a little difficult to handle in the center part, but I've found that if I can do it using the kitchen table and an ironing board to hold the quilt up...then I'm good to go.

I've hand quilted a queen (my 1st quilt)..then started trying to machine quilt. I like to vary the sizes of my quilts and also the techniques...it keeps it interesting for me. I get bored easily. :roll:

I have large quilts in progress but I love the baby quilts and have made several of them because they whip us so quickly. I do like large quilts but do hesitate to start one only because they take soooooo long.