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