I have a Grace SR2 frame and the length of it is 100".

I work at a HandiQuilter dealership, and there have been times when we went to set up the 12' frame at someone's house, and we had to take off the closet door and stick one end in the closet to make it fit. Is that an option?

My 1st frame was a Grace Pro frame and though they claim it to be a 10ft, it was actually 129" so 9 inches longer. Then I changed over to the Innova frame 12ft thinking I'd have extra but it was the exact opposite. Its 12ft from outside edge to outside edge. I was disappointed as someone mentioned you need to take in consideration the machine head/carriage so I marked my leaders at each end so I know just how far I can go on either end. Then I measured from those 2 marks to see how wide a quilt I can place on the leaders. I also have robotics attached on the right side of the carriage so that also took some space but I can get 113 inch quilt pinned to my leaders.

I think you misunderstood the OP question. She was asking about the quilting space on a rack, the actual exposed area on the quilt surface you have to quilt in. In most rack setups, as you well know working in a dealership, you lose both neck space (due to the rollers taking up inches within the machine head neck-span) and side to side space (which you lose for all the reasons various posters have stated) as the available quilt surface area exposed when mounted on the rack.

Thank you all so much! I have rearranged my sewing room and put painters tape in the floor to see what I could work with. I was thinking of taking off closet doors ad adding floor to ceiling shelving in the closet. I will tape 14' and see if that allows me to walk around the frame. One more question. In laying out my tape, I currently have it exactly 10' & 12'. Is that fine, or do I need more length ? Does that make sense? Thanks for suggestions. I think my ironing board will have to be relocated.

Tothill, mentioned putting the quilter in the living room and that is what I have done. Then I made a frame around it out of red 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe and fittings. Finished and unfinished projects are displayed on the frame and they hide the quilter against the wall.

Moving a machine into living room is not an option. I don't see how having it on diagonal would work either. Unless there came some windfall of money, unable to build/expand.

Are you going to have overhead lights for your setup? If so, and if they have posts at the end of each end of the quilt frame, you may need more space. My husband put a 'shop' fluorescent lamp over my set up and that works well. The quilter is in the garage, though, so beauty and sophistication are not a concern. And I can see better!

Excellent advice about frame and machine throat.

Each manufacturer should have specs for all their machines, which will tell you the amount of floor space needed.