Hi, Ally, and welcome. Quilting is a wonderful hobby, as we here can all attest. It is good for the soul. But it can get hard on the wallet. I would agree with the others who say don't rush into the huge purchase of a longarm. Instead,
make sure that quilting is something you're going to stick with and want to keep learning. What kind of sewing machine do you have? How many quilts have you completed and how did you quilt them?

Hi all—

You are all very correct in that I am new and therefore considering a longarm is a bit crazy.
This is actually my second “start” in the hobby. First started in grad school back before Youtube and didnt have time to go to the guild or shop meetings to get help/learn, so quit.
Fast forward 15 (ack) years and I spur of the moment bought a new machine Brother Bottom of the line Innovis from a local dealer while 8 months pregnant!
Started actually sewing when baby girl was about 8 months old. She is now 2 and 4 months.

I actually pieced almost the entire top for her brother in March while trying not to go crazy waiting for labor to start :)

So yes I do realize that I am a bit gung-ho but I have already finished 3 complete quilts, have 3 more tops done, 3 in the process of piecing.
Being able to watch videos has changed my skill set and opened up my sewing.
I have been sending my quilts out for long arming because I know I will not enjoy basting.

So I took a longarming rental certification class.
I only plan to quilt for myself.
I hear everyone about trying out the machines and I have time rented out for the class I took next month.
I work FT and have small children so the hard part is that the stores that rent, only want to do so during working business hours.Which I totally understand, but I quilt nights/weekends which makes it hard to practice my skills.
I know its a bit crazy. The dealer salesperson keeps calling trying to sell me this “great deal” so I thought I would ask.
I have decided the earliest I would actually buy is May when the local big sewing expo happens and I can try all the machines and have rented out time and hopefully quilted those 6 tops to make sure I am indeed committed.

Didnt mean to come across as a flake, I really am loving quilting tho and just wanted some opinions :)

Best!

A

Thank you!! Will go and read.
I suspect that I am in the “wrong “ season of life. But I have learned, life is short so if it makes me happy?
Hah. seriously though, rental might be my best option for now.

I agree about the deal. I think its okay but I am not feeling like I need to jump into buying machine today. So I can wait. Research and play some more.

You asked all the right questions emperessally and got some great advice. Whatever you decide, do what's best for you. There are so many options out there, don't let a dealer convince you into something.

Hi empress! I'm so glad you joined us, I love your humor! :)
I don't know anything about longarms but just wanted to say hi.

Twenty thousand is a of money to pay for a machine, that you don't know you'll like, or if you'll like the actual quilting. Instead of spending it on that machine, I'd buy a Bailey for around $3000. I love my Bailey, they have great customer service and reasonable prices.

Welcome to the QB empressally. I love your enthusiasm of quilting and have no doubt you will end up with a LA in your future. I did rent use of a LA for a couple of years and attended shows and classes where I could test drive and practice quilting on a variety of machines before I made up my mind. Once you have it in your mind that you want a longarm machine, it is worth the wait. :)

If I had a budget where I could fit in a machine and the space for one, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I would have done it before I had actually worked on a long arm and I would do it now! In my lottery dreams I have a Statler professional model named Elvira...

If the financials aren't too horrible and you know you want to quilt, why not? I started quilting when I was a senior in high school, 40 years ago, not from a quilting family. I've never been quite sure if I "quilt, therefore I am" or "I am, therefore I quilt".

I recommend strongly getting the computer driven options. Roll over everything you can into the purchase, make sure to get a stitch regulator and all that. Everything is more expensive if you buy it in pieces.

Two final financial comments -- you can get a lot of quilts quilted very nicely for 20k! In my area, everything is expensive and it would be about $350-500 per quilt for me to get what I want. Other areas are more around $100, at least for basics.

Home systems, like new cars, lose a lot of value immediately. It is extremely doubtful that you would be able to sell it yourself for anything close to what you pay, because of a number of factors, including service contracts.

Go to a quilt trade show. You can generally get a better deal there. Make sure they offer support and classes. Do you want to freehand quilt or use some of the ones who offer software and programs to quilt for you? Most important is the amount of support you can get especially as a new owner.

Innova machines are great machines but your best bet is to try it out and see how it feels under your hands. Not all machines are the same, some will feel better than others and you'll feel made for each other. Stop and write down all what you want to do with the machine, check to see what comes with it, how far do you want to go with quilting. I started small as I didn't know if I'd even like to do the actual quilting, then I moved upward as I felt I was improving. Do you want to quilt for others or just for yourself? Also this is not a cheap step in your life, think about all you'll need to use this machine...........threads, needles, leaders if they don't come with it, room for the size frame you're looking into, lighting. So many things to decide on. When I tested my Innova out at a show I was hooked but that doesn't mean you will be. APQS, Gammill are a couple of names that make great machines too. Test out all that you can and see which one fits your needs, price for what comes with it and how do they feel under your hand.