I have been seeing all the posting regarding long arm quilting machines and was wondering if a lot of you machine quilt with you sewing machine. I usually hand quilt but want to try machine quilting but just not sure. I certainly cannot afford a long arm right now.

I do. I have a Pfaff and the built in "even feed" foot makes all the difference. My previous machine was a Janome, which I loved, but I had to attach a special foot and it never worked all that great. A long arm machine is on my wish list for when I retire from my full time day job, and I'm trying to save the money to be able to buy one then. Until then, I'll machine quilt with pleasure using my Pfaff.

I use a Viking Rose with a walking foot.

I’m a hand quilter too. However I’m planning on venturing into machine quilting with my machine. This can open up some new and fun possibilities and looks like fun :-P Because the size of a large quilt would be difficult for me to manage so I would work in smaller sections and make a quilt as you go quilt. I’ll be following this to see what other more experienced quilters have to say.

I use my sewing machine. I don't have the room for a longarm. I have never quilted a very large quilt, but smaller ones I do all the time.

I'm learning too. There was a you-tube to watch on here the other day and it is very informative.....type in Patsy Johnson and watch 1-4 series......I think you will like it
I also like the barn quilt block,too

I quilt with my sewing machine, since that's the only machine I've got. :D

I would love a longarm someday...

I use a regular sewing machine. Mainly small quilts (crib size)and wall hangings. Some day I will have a long arm.

I use my regular sewing machine with a walking foot. It's very difficult, though, to quilt more than a lap sized quilt. Those sewing machine beds are not very big.

I use a walking foot and a free motion foot to quilt my quilts. I don't do large quilts. Lap size and small projects are great for a home machine. I used my new, old Singer 301 over the weekend to practice free motion. It worked very nice. I think this will be my go to machine for free motion. Highly recommend. It takes a lot of practice. Please start with a small project so that you are not disappointed. Good luck.

Quilter711

I do. Check out books by Diane Gaudynski and Harriet Hargrave from your library. Both ladies are very informative about the ins and outs of quilting on a home machine. And have fun!

I think this is the one you mean it's a great video! I don't remember who posted this link recently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39I5A...layer_embedded

I'm in the practice stage, but know it can be done. I do SITD on my Elsna SU and free motion on my Singer 301. The SITD is under control - working on the FMQ. The 301 does it great job. I just need to be more comfortable with the motion.

I too use my domestic Janome 9000, I have quited king size quilts on it by quilting them in two halves then joining them up..where there is a will there is a way..plus you have QAYG

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I either quilt with my regular machine or hand quilt. No long arm here.

I either hand quilt or FMQ on my sewing machine. I can't afford a long arm so I practiced regular and even though it's not perfect quilting, I'm getting comfortable with FMQ.

Have to agree! LA never in the cards for me. Also love the large throat on my beloved Pfaff!

I have used and will continue to use my regular machine to machine quilt. I plan to do some, "Quilt as you go," for me and a little sister queen size quilts. I have one small room for all of my hobbies and am very crowded, would never have room for a long arm.

I have a Bernina 630. A regular size machine.

I have an Elna Quilters 720 Pro and I machine quilt using a walking foot. Haven't mastered FMQ yet, not sure that I ever will, so I mostly do STD and straight lines.

I am a hand quilter though so most of my quilts are hand quilted. I machine quilt if the quilts are going to be passed onto charities.

There is no reason that you cannot machine quilt on your regular machine. I have done so for years, first on my Bernina 830 Record (the old one) and now my Janome 6500. I have always used a walking foot and either did SITD or echo quilting around motifs. Just lately I have tried FM quilting and using a stencil to transfer quilting patterns to my borders. I have done everything from placemats to King sized quilts. The larger harp on my Janome 6500 does make it much easier to push a King Sized quilt through the space. The secret to all of this is to pin or baste your sandwich well and take breaks. Sewing until your arms and shoulders are aching makes your reluctant to start the next time. Machine quilting takes practice and the type of batting selected does matter. A fluffy polyester batting will not produce an absolutely flat quilt no matter how you quilt it. Start with a small quilt and work up to the larger ones. As my daughter often reminds me "Mom, the baby won't care if your quilting is not perfect!" Start quilting and enjoy this new skill.

Regular Viking...usually SID but I've been working and practicing my FM...on small pieces

I use my regular singer. nothing fancy here. It takes patience to pin it all down without any puckers on the backing. Start in the middle of the quilt and wrk out. I roll up the remainder and put clips on it to easily get it thru the throat of the machine. I would also love a longarm but cost is an issue and also I am tooooo old to learn or master such a complicted machine.

Agree 100%.

I do this also, although I'm very new at it. As I was working on a quilt today, I kept thinking of a quote from this QB, that quilting on a regular machine is rather like pushing an elephant through a doggie door! I thought that was hilarious, but so appropriate!

I use my domestic machine for quilting. I love what the LA can do, but I'm too cheap to spend money on that kind of quilting.
It takes practice, especially if you are working on bed size quilts. The maneuvering is one of the toughest parts. If I ever make a king size quilt, I'll probably bite the bullet and pay to have someone do it on their long arm.
But, for now, I have fun practicing free motion and using my walking foot. I've even done some quilting in the hoop which is fun too!

I'm pretty darn good at practice sandwiches and placemats, but the first time I tried a crib quilt ... instantly it got caught on the lip of my plexiglass sewing extension. I saw it coming: I would rearrange more than I would quilt. So I did stitch in the ditch instead. I see a QAYG in my future because I love meandering and block motifs!

I do a little, smaller things...Some stitch in the ditch, but haven't attempted anything large yet..

I watch this one to the other night, she a good teacher..

I use a viking rose with a stitch regulator & my embroidery module with quilting designs

Harriet Hargrave was the speaker at our last guild meeting. She brought some of her quilts, all quilted on a domestic home sewing machine. they were beautiful!

I have a long-arm on my wish list, but in the meantime, I quilt everything on regular domestic sewing machines.

My favorites are the 15-91's from the 1940's - more room than any other of my machines. But, the Kenmores from the 1950's and 1970's are really good for FMQ, too. The Lady Kenmore has the smallest area under the arm, but even so, she managed a queen or king sized quilt. :)

Largest one I have done was a double bed on my Janome using SID and outline quilting. I did use a walking foot. I started it 1 week after I got out of the hospital after having mastectomy and reconstruction and finished it in 2 weeks. I felt like it played a huge part in my recovery because it kept my arms moving (wrestling) the quilt and made the recovery quicker. The surgeon said she had never seen anyone get as well as fast. The quilt was a wedding for my nephew. I was very happy with it. I'm not a very good FMQ'er however course if I practiced it would help, lol.

I've been machine quilting with STID, straight, or decorative stitching using my 1956 Singer 403. Largest quilt I've done this way was 60"x60". I recently acquired a 1948 Singer 15-91 that I am going to use to learn & use exclusively for FMQ. It has feed dogs that drop, a vertical bobbin and a larger harp area.

I use my brother machines to quilt but nothing bigger than a baby/crib size so far. I have done/doing quilt-as-you-go on my brother with the decretive stitches, and have tried free motion with another block - that one is a wip/ufo though wasn't too happy with my skills.

I've only done about 10 or so quilts, but I quilted them all on my domestic machine. I did most of them, including my avatar which is a queen, using a quilt as you go method. I've seached and discovered at least 4 qaug methods and I'm trying them all to figure out which one I like best. Toying with a long arm purchase, but can't justify the price.

I do FMQ on my Pfaff. I got the best information on how to manage this form leah Day's site. daystyledesigns.com The largest so far was an 80 X 80 for my son. I am really pleased to be able to do my own quilting. (i'm not concerned with doing show quilts, just "love quilts".

I'm new at quilting but have quilted 1 king and 2 crib quilts using my home machine and ready to quilt a queen next. I am not very good at it yet but hope to get better as I go along.

I'm practicing on my espire. Hope to do my first on my quilt for the groomers soldier son at my work. I am going to surprise her

I do all my own quilting on my home machine. My quilts range from table toppers to queen size quilts. I have an Elna 7200 and it has a wider harp than many home machines. But I've also quilted a queen size quilt on my Elna 6300 with no problems. It's all in the "puddling" of the quilt while your'e quilting. If you try the roll method, you'll struggle.