This reply is spot on! Just do the math first. It'l like trading a paid-for, gas-guzzler for a newer, high mpg vehicle. You have to ask how much gas can you buy for $10,000? Just do the math first.

I never thought of it this way Quiltaddict. Now I can justify sending my tops off. Thanks

If you can afford a LA and you like quilting your own tops, why do you have to justify the cost vs. how many quilts you could send out to someone else for the same price? You never hear anyone say "how many pounds of fish could we buy at the market for the cost of that bass boat, fishing gear, gas, etc.?" If you don't like quilting your own, send them out. Not everyone buys a LA to quilt for a business so it can be an investment in equipment for a hobby you enjoy and that alone can be enough to justify the purchase.

Wholeheartedly agree!

No you are not. I am just starting out in this wonderful world of artistry, on my fourth piece, and I do want to do my own quilting, but the only thing I think I would want (at least right now) would be a deep throat on my machine, but it is only 2 years old so nothing else right now, unless I have two older ones fixed.

A tiny minority of quilters own long arms. Most of us would not want to invest the price of a car and a whole room of our house for something like that. Many who do own them think of them as business investments, and maybe get small business loans to help pay for them. After you're good at it and can do quilting for others, the machine might eventually pay for itself, and as a home based business, the overhead would be minimal. It would allow the owner to stay at home, set his/her own hours and have this marvelous machine for quilting not just other people's tops but some of your own. If you can quilt on a domestic machine, you can probably do it better on a LA, once you've learned the basics.

On the other hand, a person like myself with a long history of dabbling in various crafts would be insane to buy something that expensive. It would feel like a ball and chain to be that ($$$) committed to quilting, even if I love it at the moment.

If you're considering such a plan, first try it either at a local shop or at a quilt show, where there are often several different machines to test drive. You might surprise yourself.

I don't have one, and to be honest, do not want one. I have the room, but can't justify the $ with the number of quilts I make. I don't really want to take time away from my other interests, because I know I would if I bought one, just to say I needed it!

I gotta be honest, I love playing on my regular old machine! Love to FMQ!

I was just shy of being 60 when I got my long arm. Always wanted one, couldn't afford it or didn't have space. Then one day we moved, had space, still couldn't afford it but bought it anyway.lol I love mine and don't think of it as work.

Having a long arm is just another way to have fun with quilting. It's not for everyone obviously, it's fun for those of us who have the room.

No long arm here either. No room for it and if I did have the room, I'd be terrified of messing the whole thing up. I agree with Quiltaddict about the cost. I'm an entrepreneur by hiring someone else to do it. lol

I just recently bought a LA and had BIG TIME buyers remorse. I am slowly getting it over and the more I use it, the more comfortable I am with it and all the quirks that come along with it..ie. tension issues, squaring fabric, batting choices etc. I will say that I am finally beginning to "bond" with me machine, but it has taken 2 months..lots of freak out attacks as it was as much as a car!

I love this discussion, where were you when I started longarming 10 years ago, and 4 machines ago! I have learned a lot and have broken even with all the additional expenses. It has been a cottage home based business while I raised my sons. And the break even doesn't factor in all my personal quilts and gift quilts. I will say, I don't think there is a quilt you can throw at me that I can't turn into something nice! and it is a fun skill. I am not doing any more customer quilts (except for a slight few of my old regulars)

Presently, I am oogling the Sweet sixteen to sit down! My hubz just lowered my Statler frame to real sit down level. So, I might keep it if this works out, but still may sell to move back in the house and make it less of a big deal in my quilting life!

Yes, it does kind of consume your life with the need to justify the monstrosity.

Really appreciate hearing from happy sit down quilters, for a possible life after longarm! Still not sure about wrestling a king in a sit down!! wow, you guys are awesome, but maybe with that sweet sixteen!!

After a very long wait, I finally got one. But, I have no idea how to use it. so, I'm investigating all I can!

I guess mine would be called a "mid-arm" Nolting Fun Quilter. When I got it, I played with it for a while and then, due to my father's illness at the time, I had to stop sewing for a while. When I started again, I quilted everything I could get my hands on. Table cloths, window coverings, quilts for everyone that Christmas. I re-quilted things I had only tied before, I used old bedspreads and put new tops on them. I would tell you, just do it....and relax. Learn from your mistakes, find out what you like, try new things...years from now, my kids won't be saying what odd quilting there is on their quilts, hopefully, they'll be saying, "My mom made this quilt for me...and this one...and this one...and one for my friend's birthday...and this one for the cat..."

Lots of us don't have them. Before I'd even consider buying one I'd take classes. I hear alot of people who get them and then decide it's not for them. That's a lot of money to put out on something to decide you really don't like it or want to put the time into learning it really well. One store here offers classes and then you can rent their LA for a discount. This way after doing a few you'd know if it was for you or not.
I'm going to a LA advent at my LQS store this month. We will first hear all about it and they are going to show us things that aren't quilting that you can do with it and then we get to do hands on for the rest of the class. I'm really looking forward to that.

I have a grace pinnacle frame (not the king one) with a juki machine. I cannot quilt over a queen size quilt and it's frustrating. I am looking into getting a longarm to set up at my mother in laws house. She can learn to quilt on it by using our own quilt tops and I can retreat over there and quilt to my little heart is content. I suppose I justify this expense because I like to make large tops and do not want to be constricted to being put on a quilters waiting list and not being about to do it myself on the little frame I already have. I see it as... if I can finance one for 200-300 hundred a month then that is the expense if I send out two-three tops all depending on size. If I want the top customized then it'll be more money. Plus it'll give my mother in law something to do on retirement and it can be a learning experience together just as quilting was.

Tell me more about the AMish frame.

I had one and SOLD it and now have the handiquilter, its a sit down quilting machine and it was $3000.00. I have quilted at leasst 50 quilts on it so I am getting my moneys worth I think. I HATED doing the long arm work and the standing killed my legs.

Oh thank you for that! I am almost over wanted a long arm. Nell Moon

I find your post encouraging! I am 60 and just purchased a very nice, used Grace frame. I live in an apartment and it's set up in the bedroom. I hope in the next few months to get a 9" machine or a Bailey. My goal is to become proficient with the short arm setup. I've seen beautiful work done with a short arm. This is part of the quilting process I want to learn. I want to finish my big stack of tops and get them on the beds of my loved ones. There's no way I can afford a longarmer and keep piecing.

No long arm but I have a long Mountain Mist pattern frame. If I win the lottery I'm still won't upgrade......I'll send all my quilts to Charisma.:) Merry First Day of Christmas everyone.

Just can not justify the cost of one...but those that have them really seem to love em...

I don't have a long arm but I'm shopping around for a used one. I've been quilting ten years and it's pretty much taken over my life. It IS my life. I don't think it's a necessary thing - just like a lot of sewing doodads and gadgets. I know that I have always been artistic and am really passionate about my quilts...I am totally capable of quilting large quilts on a domestic but I just don't really want to. I think to own or not own a long arm is a really personal choice and it's hard to judge someone else's reason for wanting one.

I'd like to make a little money on the side with mine because quilting is my passion but we are on a tight budget...if I didn't currently do commissioned projects or sell on Etsy I couldn't have afforded half of the things that I have for my sewing. But I'm not planning on running a huge business any time soon. I think when you start quilting hundred of quilts you lose time for yourself and your own creativity and I know for me - I don't want that. But I can totally understand why someone would. (I have small children at home - I'd like to make a career of my quilting some day in some way, but for now they are my priority over all other things.) It was a HUGE decision to set aside the money for this purchase, I have never spent this kind of money on myself. The most expensive thing I own other than my house or my car is a $300 featherweight! Lol* I don't think I would either if I weren't absolutely sure I would use it. It's not for everyone - and if you are an avid quilter who'd like more space there are a lot of other options aside from a long arm.

I bought one and ended up selling it! You need a very large room, you need lots of patience to learn it. I bought the Sweet 16 with the table ($3,500) and I have quilted dozens of quilts on it, even king size. Its' easy, fun and only uses 1/3 of the space of the long arm

I'm considering getting a one and still investigating. Can't afford new though. Sewing room is in the basement and with some rearranging would have room. I am enjoying reading all the thoughts here. I presently send my quilts to a friend in IA.

I do not have a long-arm and don't anticipate ever owning one. I don't really have room for a LA system nor do I think I really want one. What I WOULD like to have is a mid-arm with lots and lots of throat space and a table that I can SIT at. I am one of those who likes my quilt to be my very own from beginning to end, from design concept to the final stitch in the binding. I am just picky that way, so would probably never send a quilt out for quilting. I've done several queen size quilts on my domestic that has a 7 3/4" throat. I get it done, and I'm almost always pleased with my results, but it IS a wrestling match. I could see having something like the HQ 16 or maybe the new Baby Lock Tiara, which I went and drooled over last week. Right now, however, it's just not in the budget.

Got a HQ Sweet Sixteen recently - so a mid-arm - it's the sit-down. Love it, love playing/practicing with it, and can't wait to get some of my tops done. I just could never part with them, not knowing for sure how they would come back. Call me a control freak.

I know some here would disagree with me, but I got myself an industrial machine for Christmas! It's "only" 12 inches, not 16 (oh, but the 12 is so nice!!!). I got one that is a knock-off of the Juki 8700 and it has a servo motor that has adjustable speed. I got it off Ebay and it was less than $450 delivered to my door. Took about 4 hours to put it all together (no instructions; it would probably take us an hour to put one together now that we know how!). I haven't really had a chance to sit and play with her, but I did do a few practice runs and she is great!!! The table is about 3 ft x 5 ft so she doesn't take up much room. What really turned me against a mid arm on a table is that they don't have feed dogs. I like to do straight stitches on my quilt too so I couldn't really see any reason *not* to go industrial.