And the question is....frame or no frame?

I think 9" of space would be heaven after the 6" space I have, frame or no frame. But it seems like that's not a lot of space to make a frame really worthwhile. However, I know nothing! That's why I'd like your opinions. Is having the 9" on a frame a transformational event? You can see I all about transformation! Thanks in advance for your info!

I have the Juki on a table - no frame. I love it! I've heard that people who want it on a frame wind up buying two of them so they can have one for piecing. They are also great for tough sewing. I like making tote bags on it because it easily sews through thick layers. Mine is purely mechanical - extras are just the thread cutter and needle threader (which is a bear to use!).

But, not only is the throat wider, it's higher too. And the lever for the pressor foot is out of the way and does not catch on the quilt. I easily quilted a queen size quilt on it.

That's the pro's, the con is that its a very heavy machine and it needs to be oiled on a regular basis.

I have heard others say that if you want one on a frame, that you should buy the largest one you can afford and don't plan on taking it off the frame for table top sewing. I have heard others saying something about having to take time to adjust the tension whenever you do that. Does not sound worth it to me.

I have been using my Juki on an original HandiQuilter frame for years and have had great luck with it. I can quilt up to a queen sized on it if I use warm and natural batting since it is thin and rolls up tightly instead of taking up the the throat space. I can do a twin with poly bat just fine.

my juki is on a frame and never comes off except for deep cleaning. you really only get about 5/6" of actual space to quilt. Pennyvalley makes a machine with a 13" throat that would fit on my frame but the quarentee is only 6 mo???? seems weird but may be worth it to have more space.

One definite benefit to using a frame is not having to baste quilt layers together and, therefore, no basting to remove while it's being quilted. I had to dismantle my frame when my son lost his job and came back here to live, so I've set my 9" machine up on a table; the machine is surrounded by styrofoam which is covered with heavy vinyl + I've a slider in the needle/throatplate area. The table is butted on the back & both sides by walls/shelf unit, so the quilt stays on the table. I haven't used it enough to give it a rating; it seems to work o.k., but, as I said, I am back to having to sandwich & baste. On the plus side, I'm no longer confined to the narrow quilting space that the 9" on a frame provides.

its actually pennywinklefarms.com....can be used on a table also....check it out

I have a juki on a grace pinnacle frame and it does well. I have a separate machine for piecing because getting the juki on/off the frame is not hard but I do not want to do it all the time because it does take some time t get it lined up right.

Ditto! Same thoughts, exactly, on my Juki TL98Q.

I have a Pfaff 1200 on a frame. It's nicer for me than having to pin or baste and then wrestle the fabric around, but if I could afford it, I'd go for a larger throat/harp.

By the time you get to the end of a queen size quilt, you're working with just a few inches, because the roll takes up space in the throat. Great for meandering or stippling, not so much for designs other than narrow pantos. All the starting and stopping to complete a design make for a LOT of sitting and burying threads unless you do them as you go, which makes for a LOT of standing and burying threads. ;)

There is a mid-arm set up at our LQS that we do our Community quilts on. It works and does get the job done but it would be nice not to have to stop and roll after one pass down and one back. It's a Husqvarna machine and usually takes about 6 bobbins to finish a twin size quilt using an overall stipple or meander. More space and a larger bobbin would work much better for us.

If you want to quilt a queen size quilt on your 9", a frame really helps since you don't have to baste and you don't have to wrestle the quilt around. I have a Pfaff 1200 on a frame and I wouldn't go back to not using a frame for anything larger than a crib size anymore. But, like Charlee said, by the time you get halfway through a queen size you either have to turn the quilt around on the frame or you will have a very small space to work with (I prefer to turn). So I'm saving my money for a LA - when I realized I could have had a Bailey for about what I spent on my present set up I knew I should have investigated more before I rushed out and bought the Pfaff. You're right to think about it before you leap into buying something.

I have a Pfaff Grand Quilter I bought used from a lady in our Guild. I absolutely HATED trying to quilt with my regular piecing machine. The Pfaff never comes off the frame because it weights too much. But, if I had it to do over again, I would look for a 13-15 inch throat. You lose space to quilt very quickly, usually half way through a lap quilt. Wouldn't give it up for the world (until I get a larger one).

I have looked into the smaller 9" set ups too... I will say not having to baste is a plus, but the smaller quilting area is what holds me back from looking more seriously at these :D:D:D

I have the Baby Lock Quilter's Choice Pro on a New Joy frame. I have had it for a few years now, and find that it is more than sufficient for my quilting needs. The space to quilt averages about 5", but slightly less for a large quilt when I get past the middle and the roll gets larger. But nevertheless it does the job, and it was reasonably priced.

this is a huge benefit IMHO. i just finished quilting a king on my frame using warm and natural. i only had 4" of quilting space at the end, so had to be creative with my quilting designs. also, i had to turn my quilt 3x to finish

I have a 9" Janome on a New Joy frame. If you're only doing meandering or some other simple back-and-forth quilting, it's fine. But if you want to do designs inside blocks you may end up running into trouble with lack of space, and you may even have to take the quilt off the frame, turn it around, and reload it so you can finish.
I have lucked out with a recent acquisition of an 18" Wow (stretched Singer 201) and am currently expanding my frame to accommodate it. So excited!!!

I have a juki o a grace start right frame. works very well

I have tried using a Bernina 730 and found it difficult. Seemed all I did was stitch, undo the side clamps, roll forward a little, reclamp, lock and start all over again. The stitching space was limited. With a longer arm, I believe I could have been more successful.

My problem was my back. I had the most difficulty standing for long periods in the same spot. I cannot do it. Too much hardware in my back and I am fighting to have more added. I do much better FMQ using the "stuff and fluff" method.

I have a Juki on the original Inspira frame. The quilting space does get limited but I have done so many that I have learned to work with it. Usually all over small patterns work best for me.

I think the crucial point about a frame is the space it takes up. For me it fits perfectly on the floor I was using to get down on my hands and knees to pin and baste :-)

If you can swing it, you can get a Bailey. It's a very basic machine but is known to be a workhorse. You can use it on a frame or set it up on a table.
http://www.baileyssewingcenter.com/test.html

There is a yahoo group devoted to them. People sell their 13" & 15" when they are ready to get their 17" machine. You might be able to find one at a good discount used ;)

Has anyone tried to do a block pattern by using a triangle corner pattern?
They mentioned this on a Fons and Porter show but did not explain how to do it. Seems like you would have to turn the quilt to get both halves togather.