can you quilt it in thirds??? Or maybe leave off the borders until the main part is quilted, I have done that it works okay you just have to leave room with the backing and the batting to add the borders. When you add the borders you sew thru all layers so that part is quilted.

Wow! These are some great suggestions!!! I'm floored by the number of quilters here who have done kings (and Cal Kings!) on your DSMs. Very, very inspiring. I'm feeling more confident. I love the idea of laying it out in a school gym or church dining hall. I also think I'll put an extra table behind my sewing table so that the quilt doesn't drag. I'm a little timid about quilting in sections, but the idea of cutting the batting in half and re-attaching it with a zigzag stitch as I quilt through the sections seems very doable.

That's beautiful Delilah! It is possible!

How about getting quotes from LAQ to do just the basting. I haven`t done this yet but this is an option I`m going to try. Alex Anderson mentioned this at her seminar in Puyallup. She was charged $25 by her LAQ to just do the basting.

I use 505 basting spray (the only type I will use, doesn't gum up the needle, etc.). Also have you checked out any of the blogs or info from Leah Day? She does all of her fmq on a domestic machine, she has a lot of great free info, here is a link to her home page:
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/
Regards,
Kif
PS: She has several blog posts where she discusses why she doesn't have a long arm, and doesn't want one...
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/faq.htm#why

Glad to hear that these stories are giving you courage. I did a king sized quilt on my home sewing machine. I wanted a challenge. :)

I did pin baste the quilt and just took my time starting from the center out. I free motioned the quilt. The center is the hardest to maneuver but I think the trick is to keep the weight of the quilt off the area that you are working on. And than that, it is just persistence. (But isn't that the key to all quilting....even piecing. :thumbup: )

Anyway, one reason I did a king sized quilt was to say that I machine quilted a king size quilt.

Good luck!

Thank you pocoellie- I too have a King size one ready to quilt and was worried about how to do it. I'm in the process of moving but as soon as I get my room set up I'm going to try this. Thank you again.

:thumbup:.. I think it also helps to hear others have done it, and seeing the pics of all the great quilts (king size especially, in this case) that have been done on a dsm is an added bonus!!