I also quilt all mine on my home machine. The harp space isn't roomy so I QAYG (quilt as you go). Quilting in sections. I am doing my first one right now.

I have done many quilts on my regular machine. A couple of years ago I did buy a brother machine that is just a straight stitch machine, and I do now use that for my quilting as it has more room for the quilt, both in height, and in width...nothing like a long arm, but it was affordable, and is great for piecing too.

I quilt with my Viking, but anything over a lap or small twin I send out for Longarming. I just got tired of wrestling big quilts u under the short arm of a regular machine. It was my least favorite thing to do in the world of quilting. Plus a longarm pro can do things I could never do ( without major frustration) on my regular machines.

I use my domestic Singers. Model 778, purchased in 1976 and my mom's 301. Mom's works better for large quilts, but have to do it on dining room table, which I hate to tie up, but so much easier. I have done 15 bed size quilts between both of these machines. No sid do not like it. Some free motion on smaller items, hard on shoulders & back. Mostly crosshatch.

I do all of my quilting on my home machine. I agree with what others have said. Read, watch videos, RELAX, and remember, you only have a little under the needle at once anyway! :D

I can't affors a longarm or even a midarm AND I don't have space for either, so the sewing machine it is. BUT I love my Babylock - she does good work.

I quilt on a regular machine. Just finished a queen sized. Don't have a long arm, no desire to get one.

I quilt all of my quilts on my regular machines. I have used an '85 Viking, a '74 Viking, and now- my fave machine- a 1934 Singer 15-91. It's awesome for FMQ, and has a large throat area. I have quilted everything from a king size (not easy) to crib size on these machines. It can be done- you don't have to have a LA to quilt large quilts. It just takes practice.

I use my vintage Featherweights for even large quilts. Do start with something small, as it takes about 100 hours of practice to feel confident with free motion work. Even stitch in the ditch takes practice, and is much easier with a SID foot. Do invest in a quarter inch foot, SID or edge-joining foot, and a good darning/free motion foot.

I too do all my quilts on my domestic machine. Hve done several queens works well

I had been using my brother runway (keep walmart machine) for machine quilting. Did up a full size quilt. worked well with just a free motion foot. Did the scrunch and bunch method, no frame.

I have since bought a pq1500 for a bit more room for even larger quilts. I just put a king size quilt on a flynn frame, we'll see how that goes.

I have just taken a series of lessons on machine quilting. There is so much wonderful stuff to learn. I even learned to make a medalian without a pattern. Also to the web site Daystyledesigns.com for over 250 videos of different ways to quilt the Quilt. She is really great and fairly young for those who care about that. PM me I will tell you what I have learned.

I'd love a longarm in the near future, but for now I use my sewing and embroidery machine for my quilting.

I do with my Pfaff with IDT. I usually hand quilt but sometimes, I machine quilt.

I do. I have a long arm, but sometimes I just want to use my regular machine. So if the quilt isn't too big, I use my Janome to quilt it. I like the feeling of FMQ on my regular machine.

Thanks everyone for responding. I will look at the sites you all suggested and see what all I can learn. I just needed this little vote of confidence that it could be done. I certainly can't see me investing in a long arm. I just love to quilt. May be posting pictures soon you never know. :lol:

I quilt with my Brother XR9000. I piece & quilt with it. It has the drop feed for FMQ. The only thing that I don't like about this machine is that the throat space is only about 5 1/2". Oh yeah, I also don't like that the numbers & alphabet are fixed at a very small size and so I never use them. I have hopes of getting a bigger machine and dream of a long arm!

i, too, prefer to hand quilt. i do the "lap quilting" method. anyway, i have been "practicing" machine quilting for about 8 years now. sometimes i get it right, sometimes not. i just use my regular sewing machine. i have even machine quilted a few king size quilts. it's not so bad and it does get done alot faster.

I do but am just starting so I've only done very small projects (tabele runner & wall hanging). SOme on here can do King Size Quilts on a regular machine!

I do with my Janome 66P.Have taken lots of classes,but it all comes down to PRACTISE.The more your try the better you get.Good luck.

I quilt on my Bernina 830 and 730 with quilts as large as king size and I am happy with the results I am now doing quilting in the hoop with the embroidery module so all I can say is give it a go

I use my S Viking and love it. I just got a used Handi Quilter frame to use with it but don't have it set up yet. I can't find a manual on how to set it up. But I am still looking, going to go buy a table today

I have this machine too and agree that the keyword is PRACTICE!!! So many ppl expect to be able to sit down and FMQ just like that and I see ppl on here posting that so and so is 'lucky to be able to FMQ' - it's not luck, it's putting in the work! I mostly do small art quilts and hangings, up to about 5' square but have and can do bigger through my Janome's 9" harp.

If you plan the quilting right, you can do any size you like in one piece. Katrine is one of the best ppl I know for this - look at her 'Starstruck' http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-62514-1.htm - all done on her Janome 6600 in her teeny tiny sewing room! I know because I've been there!

Now I'd love an LA one day, when I can afford it, but for now, I'm happy with my Janome. :-D

I use my Bernina to do an easy meandering on quilts up to sofa size Or stipple on wall hangings. Bed quilts go to a LA quilter.

Hand quilting now, but want to move to quilting with my regular machine. Have to find the time.

I've read all the posts and the one thing no one mentions is the traditional quilting challange of hand quilting. I use my sewing machine only for pieacing. The quilting I do by hand. I know it's a long process but gives more personal satifaction and pride in your perfect stitches. I don't admire machine quilted quilts. They may be pretty but to me they have no soul.

I do my own quilting on my Brother Sewing Machine but you do need to pratice on small things first. I do up to a queen size at my diningroom table.

I can and do hand quilt - in fact that was how I started quilting. I was responding to the question asked by the author of this thread... Sometimes I even combine both hand and machine quilting on the same piece. I don't agree that one has more 'soul' than the other. I have heard ppl apply this same criticism to machine piecing. I'm sorry but your comment is insulting to the many immensely talented freehand machine quilters on here, both by domestic machine and long arm. :-)

What pfaff do you have? I am looking for a good machine that I can quilt on.
Sue in Va

me too...along with my longarm...beautiful machine

I have done up to a Queen on a $50 walmart brother machine. It can be done. It was only straight line quilting with a walking foot but it still turned out fantastic.
Good Luck!

Love my Janome 9000 for quilting & its the only one I use for FMQ :)

I use my Janome 6600P just for the quilting. I am still mostly do STD and some FMQ (just meandering). I have done about 12 King size quilts. I can make lots of tops but still find the quilting part the hardest to do.

I quilt on my Janome 509, but mainly just SID, "X's" and straight lines. I did a 90 x 90 quilt around Christmas; it was pretty hard to stuff it through that little throat, but I did it! I have a book on "easy" FMQ that I want to try so we'll see how well I do with that. :)

I use my Diamond or my Topaz with a long throat. I usually use the SID but also use the embroidery hoop. I am trying to learn FMQ but it's not going too well. Would love a long arm but space, money, and the ability are an issue.

I quilt on my Kenmore. I just couldn't imagine spending all that money for LA service, that adds up to a whole lot of fabric I could buy for more quilts.

What do you set your machine stitches on. I have an eyelash effect on the back, I use a walking foot and my stitch length seems ok. I still need much practice .

I've just finished my first machine quilted baby quilt. It's a bit of a disaster and wish I had hand quilted it. I have a Janome and walking foot. I hand basted the quilt. The basting threads got tangled in the foot and kept pulling so that some of the stitches are uneven. Although the back looks ok, the front has a few puckers. I used Hobbs 80/20 cotton batting and 100% cotton fabric on the front. Maybe the flannel backing was not compatible. I also used Masterpiece thread in the bobbin. I haven't washed it yet so is it likely that some shrinkage will reduce the puckers? I think I will stick to hand quilting.

I have a cheap brothers regular machine short neck and I do my best with what I have. And I can't complain the few lap throws, twin and 1 queen quilt look ok. My family will appreicate it even with mistakes in it.That short neck is a killer. I've only been quilting since Sept 2010.

I have quilted 2 full size quilts on my Brother machine and as stated before-it can be done, just takes a lot of patience. I roll them as tight as I can and start from the center and move out from there-lots of basting and pinning helps!