Good for you. I don't have a long arm and will never purchas one. Yes it takes more time to finish a quilt but the satisfaction that it is done and done the way I do them, is a great reward.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Sounds like you need new friends--LOL! I have the opposite problem. I have a mid-arm and several of my in-laws seem to think I enjoy quilting so much I'll do it for free & to their specifications including purchasing the fabric, thread & batting.

I'm just starting to learn FMQ on my regular machine. At the rate I'm going I won't want a LA till I'm about 90 lol :D:D
Just keep doing what you're doing, Deedum!

I quilted and did free hand embroidery on my little Singer Machine for 20 years. "Experts" told me , my machine was a toy. I now have a Long Arm , but it was what I learned on my Singer that makes me better at what I do now. So stand firm Don't let anyone tell you can't or have too!

Get a coffee can and everytime they tell u to get a longarm point to the longarm fund canister! I admire you that your learning to FMQ! Not easy! Just keep on keeping on!

Long arms are so out of price range for most of us. Even if I ever have the money can I justify that much money for a hobby. It would definitley be different if I also did a side business LA quilting for others. It is very satisfactory quilting a quilt from beginning to end even if the quilting does not look as perfect if it was done on a long arm.

Yep, Another reason I have no desire for one!

I never thought of it that way, but I do beleive your right! Experience is a great teacher! My friend makes beautiful scrappies on her old machines which are 50 plus yrs old. Maybe someday, I might think about a mid arm or something, but for now I know what I want and what I don't! I have no problem saying so either! Maybe I should get cards printed saying this and just hand them out, haha!

As a lifetime handquilter I have no interest in a longarm. I know of several members of both my guilds who have burned out on their's. I do simple basic quilting by machine on my Linus quilts because I know the new owners will likely wash them to death. It also allows me to produce a lot more quilts for that project. While I enjoyed spending the money I made doing a couple of commisioned quilts it is just not the same as making a quilt for myself or for a gift.