........does that make sence??
i just finished a simple quilt with thick batting for DGS and putting that under my Bernina makes me %&/)(/%ç&/ç, to say the least!
Putting up a frame (next to my coverlock, my overlock, my embroidery machine and the sewing machine) would do the same to DH.........

Cant I just set up a long arm on a table? I was looking for longarm machines and I like the tin lizzie a lot.
There is no chance for me to go to a dealer and over here they call machines with 6" x 9" throat a quiltingmachine!?
Do you know a dealer that ships to switzerland, maybe even a dealer in UK?

What do you think?
Granny

Granny,
I suggest you look at a few sites for longarms and you will find they all have tables with tracks to allow the machines platform (also with wheels) to move freely in circles, curves etc. I had an older Handi Quilter that the pieces that hold the quilt clamp to a table or wooden shelf supported by a table and the tracks tape down to that shelf or table. Can be easily broken down and stored under a bed. It will use your sewing machine. The larger longarms are in need of their own tables. If you do many small items like baby quilts perhaps you can purchase the size tables they use for shows. Much shorter and easier to find space for.

thanks


I did google search and I saw there a 18" machine on a sewing table - of course I dont find it anymore. I "know" how longarm machines are moved around but cant I just put it on a table?

QueenQuilterEighteen Long-Arm Machine - Sit Down Model


thats the one I meant, but it does not have a stitch regulator like the tin lizzie. Couldnt I set up a tin lizzie like that?

Handi Quilter has a sit down mid arm, believe it is called the Sweet 16, go to http://www.HandiQuilter.com and you should be able to locate it.

Was it the Cotton Patch website in the UK? They do the Handiquilter 16 that comes with a table, Lacelady has one. Perhaps you could email them for more information and see if you can get it without the table? They also do the 18" but that one has a frame.

http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalo..._Quilting.html

I'm an APQS rep, we have the "George" model with a 20 inch throat that is used in a cabinet. If you'd like more information on it, you're welcome to send me a PM.

thanks Mamahen

As the shipping cost will be huge I really would like a machine without table and also one that could go on a frame.........if I maybe change my mind about it and DH gets used to the idea. ;)

here's the frame set up i was talking about.

Why are APQS and Handyquilter more expensive than tin lizzie?

You get what you pay for. Just like a Ferrari is more expensive than a Chevy.

There are lots of brands out there, and they vary in prices just like cars do. They also vary in options and in function. There are some sit down versions as well as those that work on table systems.

I have tried several sit down models at different shows and have found out that George has the best stitch, less tension problems and wonderful tech support. I tried the Sweet 16 and not even the sales person at the show could get it to work right. George is more expensive, but with a larger throat than most. Some day I'll have my own George...correction, I already have two, but they are Jorge, not George.

So you would not advice to buy a tin lizzie then? And those sit down models, could they also be set up on a frame?

Thank you all so much.

Most are set up permanently on a table. They are just an option for those that prefer to move the quilt rather than move the machine. Many people like either one or the other and will not go back and forth between models.

No, I won't advise because *I* haven't tried a Tin Lizzy and I don't know what is right for your quilting needs and your budget! Buying a machine is a personal decision. I'd love to have a Ferrari, but I can't afford one, and I wouldn't advise everyone to buy one!! Try as many as you can. You'll know when you find the right machine!

Dear Shelly

I am searching this board for hours and you come up on a lot of threads and know so much about longarms!

The main problem will be that I will not be able to try out a single one unless I travel to the US......
I think I will go for a sit down model and I would like to have a stitch regulator. I will use the machine only for my quilts so I would spend up to $4000 I would say. I would like to get the biggest throat possible

You won't get a stitch regulator on a sit down machine, unless you use a Bernina. Stitch regulators (other than the Bernina BSR foot) operate off the frame encoder wheels and tracks.

I dont understand the word "encoder" (google translate doesnt help) Does that mean it wont work unless you have the machine on the frame?
Is there no home quilting machine with stitch regulator?

Stitch regulators run off of an encoder wheel that rides the frame tracks. You can add a stitch regulator of sorts to any home machine on a frame, but the only stitch regulator that works without a frame is the Bernina BSR foot, which only works on Bernina sewing machines.

The bernina 820 has a 12 inch throat, and the stitch regulator, and might be suitable for your needs. The BSR foot works by "reading" the fabric, so the stitch regulator on it is actually in the presser foot.

So I will have to go without stitch regulator as I want a quilting machine only. I am set up with everything else.

Thank you for your patience

I bought a Tin Lizzie 'sit down' machine with an 18" throat and I love it! you can see one here....

http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/qu...tinlizzy18.php

So are you talking about the queen quilter eighteen?
Does anyone know whether the Baileys home quilter can be used as sit down model?

no, think all long arms need their own rails or stands atleast mine does. But try some mid arm machines not sure about them.