For those of you who have a or done quilting on a big quilter, how long did it take you to learn?
One of the LQS has training for $50.00 an hr. And to do your own quilt you can rent it for $20.00 an hr. that is as long as you are qualified. Are these reasonable prices?
How long does it take to quilt a full or queen size quilt?

i have a tin lizzie 18 , only since before Christmas last year. i didn't have any classes at all, i read the manual and watched the CD (probably about 9 times, lol). i've done several quilts on it and getting better all the time. i think the prices you have quoted are way too much. it takes almost as long to get it all pinned on and ready to quilt as it does to actually quilt it. if you're going to pay that much to use it, you may as well pay somebody else to quilt it. you can learn it without classes in my opinion. i have the stitch regular and the laser light but i don't have the computer stitcher on mine, (it cost an extra $5,000). it helps if you have a close friend that can learn it with you, then u can help each other.

Each person is different on the learning curve. It took me a good month before becoming "comfortable" with the LA. It is quite different moving the machine and not the fabric. The rates being charged are VERY REASONABLE! Here in Springfield MO the initial class that you are required to take is $100. The rental price is a bit steep, ours are $75.00 for the day.

Depending on if you are doing custom or panto work. Using an easy panto on a queen should take about 4 to 5 hours. Doing custom could be 40 to 60 hours. But it also depends on how fast you can quilt and how fast the machine will go. But I hope this gives you some general information.

another thought - instead of renting time on someone else's machine, you may as well just buy yourself one, finance it, and for what you would pay to rent by the hour & classes, you could easily make payments on one for yourself. then you could take your time learning it and actually doing it.

Our local LQS charges $10 to take the course and $50 to rent it for the day. They don't charge anything if the quilt is going to a community group ie.(Youth Shelter). It takes almost as much time to load it as it does to quilt it. Two of us can load and quilt one of our 72" X 96" community quilts in an all over meander pattern in about 3 hours. We usually do two quilts and lunch between ten and five o'clock. You definately should rent it and try it out before you consider buying one. I haven't found the machine nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. I can run it but I don't want to make this my new career and I couldn't see me wanting my own quilting business.

dojo36 has a great idea if at all possible. Everyone learns at diff. speeds. If the machine were at your home, you could use it more and at your convenience. Which would really be to your benefit. It is like taking a typing class and only typing once a week. If you could practice 20-30 mins. a day it would help you a lot. And rather than pay for someone elses machine, you really might as well be paying for yourself one. There are even used machines out there all the time for Sale since people upgrade frequently. I wish you luck. Sorry but at the Shop here, they don't offer a LA to rent time on so I have no idea what the price is.

I found another LQS that has a 2 hr. orientation class for $100. Class fee includes supplies and you can bring your own quilt.
Does this mean that you only have enough time to quilt something small? Or is orientation just to learn all about setting it up and how it works? What do you think?
I just came across the website tonight and they aren't open now until Monday. I am going to call them as soon as I get home from work.