Pros and Cons of Machine Quilting on a Frame
 

I'm trying to decide whether I want a machine quilting frame. I have a Brother PQ1500S, not a longarm. For those of you who have frames, or who have tried them in the past, what do you love about them? What do you not like? I'm concerned that I won't enjoy standing up to quilt. Is that an issue for anyone else? I'd really appreciate your insight!

I just sold my sit down handi quilter. I just loved it for lap size quilts and smaller but to do the larger quilts I find the long arm better. Yes you stand but you don't have to do the entire quilt at once. I bought the Innova and love it

I LOVE that I no longer have to baste quilts. You do not have to stand for hours at a time. Do a pass or 2 and then take a break. I would never be as productive if I did not have my Handiquilter 16.

My 15" bailey is on a frame and I much prefer that setup. Not having to baste the quilt is a big plus. I have tried quilting on a regular machine and it is a LOT of work. Plus, the frame makes the quilting go so much faster too, and no wrestling the whole quilt under the needle. As luvstoquilt301 points out, you don't have to stand for hours at a time; you can take breaks whenever you like.

I would love a frame and the only cons I can see are that they take up a lot of room (I don't have a spare room until one of the kids move out) and the expense of the frame/machine (I would want a machine with as large a throat as possible)

if space is the concern... i had a juki tl98q on a hinterberg frame. with the hinty, you buy your own rails/pipes and can have them cut at any length. i had mine cut a 9.5' to fit my available space. i could quilt a queen size on that frame. with a little creativity, i even quilted a king size once.

I have a longarm and sit down all the time to quilt. I have a chair with wheels that came with my Koala sewing machine table (it's the extra high one) and I use that. I just scoot up and down the length of the frame as I move back and forth.

DebD

Thank you so much. I hadn't heard of this frame before. I'll check it out!

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I hadn't thought of the no-basting thing as making such a big difference. You've given me something to consider.

Space is a concern, but not an insurmountable one. We have a spare bedroom I could use, and my husband said he'd build a Murphy bed in there so we'd still have room for guests. I just worry about spending hundreds of dollars on something that I might not enjoy.

I took the plundge this summer after moving my sewing room to the basement. I debated a long time about the pro and cons. For me, the no basting anymore was the main point. With three little ones, it was almost impossible to find the floor space to do it. I waited for the right deal and got it: a gently used HQ 16 on a frame for 2500$. I had to accept the fact that I would not use it for pantograph: the frame have to be against a wall. Even with this limitation, I'm so glad to have it! I enjoy quilting like I never did before. It's so easy and fun to draw big allover designs on my quilt! I would say the pros are:
-you don't have to baste your quilt
-finishing a quilt will take about 1\4 of the time
-not having to turn your quilt under your sewing machine make you feel free, you will use designs you never dare to think about before
The cons are:
-space! unless you have a very large house, the frame will take a space you would use for so many things...
-accessories: you need specific needles, bobbins, thread, etc. It add to the storage problem
-cost: it's an expensive toy... but you can shop for a gently used one, there is plenty of it
-it may not fit all your quilting need. I was thinking about selling my Juki Tl-98 to fund my HQ16, but I end up keeping it because I'm still using it for quilting. I prefer to do small detailed quilting design on it, it's easier. Also, loading a small baby quilt on the frame is not really worth it.
-learning curve: it was not a very big issue for me, I'm only an advanced beginner, so it was easy to learn new technique for free motion quilting. But I can imagine an advanced quilter not wanting to go back and learn everything again.
So, good luck to find the right solution for you! I had several months to think about it before we moved my sewing room, it helped to priorise my needs and desire.