own a longarm machine or are you doing all of that beautiful quilting on your regular sewing machine? My machine is old enough that is doesn't let down the feed-dogs for free motion anything, so I was just wondering if you all have longarms.

Domestic machine for me.

No longarm yet, but I am saving for it.

Domestic for me too :D:D:D

I have a Sapphire 870 for free motion quilting. There is a quilt shop not too far from where I work that allows you to put a long arm in layaway and pay on it until it's paid off. I've only got a little left on my sapphire so I may look into doing this is another year or so. But for now I'm happy and blessed with my Sapphire!

I got my longarm a couple of months ago, but prior to that made several dozen quilts on my domestic machine. So I've done both. :)

also, lots of quilters send their tops to professional longarm quilters to be finished.

No long arm for me - just use my Juki to machine quilt.

If you are using a regular machine, how do you scrunch a whole quilt up under it?

m

I tried rolling it but that didn't work too well, so I now use a technique I saw on an online tutorial (might have been Leah Day) where they suggested "scrunch, scrunch, flatten". I'll try to find the tutorial again.

I just use my little "Brother" and although it gets a little tricky sometimes it works well.

No long arm for me, wouldn't have room for it if I could afford it.

No long arm here either. I machine quilt on 2 machines...Viking and a 1979 Singer!

I just use a domestic one too!

It scrunch it very tight and begin at the center. It can only get easier from there.

you don't have to be able to drop you feed dogs, you need a darning plate and foot for your machine and you should be able to do it. I have a cheap brother machine and although I can not lower the feed dogs I do have a darning plate, and a free motion foot and I have quilted a few quilts on it using free motion!

Domestic for me, I just got a short arm machine, but have not really used it yet. I do not send out any for quilting.

Domestic for me too...someday I'll get a longarm (when the kids grow up and move out!)

HA! No way! too much moolah for this little ole lady

No long arm. Just wishing....
Do mine on my regular machine. Don't do very large ones, nor as fancy of stitching as I'd like and as I'd be able to if I did have a long arm.... so those will wait to be done.

Domestic for me too. I sometimes cut the batting into 3rds and quilt the center of the quilt, then add 1/3 more batting and quilt it, etc. Easier to get everything under the arm.
I think Marti Mitchell or Harriet Hargreaves published the idea.
My favorite way though is QAYG. Much easier.
If I ever move to a larger place I'm going to buy a low end long arm. How nice it would be !!

Mid-size machine on a mid-size frame.

Years ago, I was told that when you needed to have your feed dogs drop or covered (and you didn't have a machine cover for them) to use an index card. You just tape down the index card over the feed dogs with a hole in the area that the needle will go through. I tried it at that time and it worked.

I have a sit-down long arm. It is the machine without the bars and the fancy computer assessories, but it has the 16" throat. At half the cost of the big long arms...$4800... it is a nice compromise. It's a handi-quilter.

no long arm here either. does your machine come with a plate that fits over the feed dogs?? it may. it would be raised a bit where it fits over the feed dogs.
now i took a class on fmq and the instructor didn't let us lower our feed dogs. i've done fmq both ways.

Nope! Just a 20 year old Memory Craft. I don't even have the fancy rulers and templetes that make things easy, and I just now bought a rotery cutter. Guess I am pretty old fashion.

I have a longarm about 5 years now with the regulated stitch. I had one quilt done by a professional and it came back quilted very nicely but reaking of smoke. Thank God it washed out. It was for my sister.

I made up my mind then, that I just had too many tops to be quilted and intended to make more quilts so why not get my own machine.

It payed for itself by doing other peoples quilts too.

Right now I have hand quilted on small lap quilts. I did try free mot on my Memory craft 4900, about 9 yrs old. And I hated it. But someone on here made an extension table thingie for their machine and it looks like it would work good for quilting. I have no room or money so I have to come up with someway. Good Luck

Domestic machine for me but I do love to hand quilt and always have one on the frame.

No way

I have machines from the 50s that drop the feed dog - is your machine more 'ancient' than that?
use garden gloves with 'rubberized' fingers to help maneuver the quilt...

only in my dreams. wish that i could get my hands on one though. would love to try it out.

Just the sewing machine. I have a cousin that has a long arm. I send them to her. Wish I had the money and the space to have one.

Same here, but hope to upgrade perhaps next year or get my Juki stretched.

Here's a link to the tutorial from Leah Day I was referring to on Free Motion Quilting. It's the second video down on the page. She really explains it well...

http://www.daystyledesigns.com/freem...tingbasics.htm

No long arm....yet.

I hand quilt and piece so that leave me out of having a long arm. I am just an old fashioned girl!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

No long arm for me... just my Husqvarna for sewing things together and a Janome MemoryCraft 350 for embroidery.... I am not even sure I would want to start down the long arm path.....yet....

Regular machine and SID quilting.

I bet I have one of those plates somewhere. Just never thought it would be possible to do it on my old Singer. Some of the quilts done here that are free motion...well, I have not seen professional quilts that look that good.

If the feed dogs don't drop, tape an index card over them. The fabric slides quite well over the card. I love old sewing machines, buy them at auctions, and of course they don't have the handbook with them. I'm not an expert at machine quilting, but I do enjoy it.