Brother & Babylock have machines with 11 inch harps, the Brother (and I assume the corresponding Babylock model) does fantastic free motion with their free motion setting-you do have to move the fabric though. But since it is also a regular sewing machine you could easily do stitch in the ditch, and use the decorative stitches, etc. I did much quilting on my Brother before I bought the Tiara

Thanks everyone for the great input. I think I just need to let it all sink in for a while now before I make any decisions. I really, really don't want to make another decision that isn't right for me!

I'm glad I thought long and hard about it before I traded in a long arm for a sit down machine and I'm glad I made the switch. I attended an AQS show and sat down to try every single brand of sit down machine. Turns out HandiQuilter makes many of the other 'brands' of machines. Each 'brand' has different specifications that are made to order for them. And the HandiQuilter sit down quilter is the same machine head as is on the long arm frame, only it is inserted into a table instead of on a frame. This may be true of other brands, I don't know that information. But if I wanted to put my HandiQuilter Sweet 16 on a long arm frame I could. This means I have the same good quality stitching as those girls that stand on their feet for hours. I made the switch and never looked back. Good luck and have fun with it.

I also have the HQ Swet Sixteen and LOVE it. Easy to use, has lots of rulers available too. The table comes with it but I also bought the 18" extension tables for both sides.....absolutely do not regret that! So much space now. Comes with the bobbin winder too. I got a great deal on mine because it was a demo at the Sewing & Quilt Expo last year....only had 2500 stitches on it. Funny thing the dealer delivered it to my house (at no charge) and it tipped over in his truck and got damaged, so I ended up getting a brand new one for the demo price !! SWEET. Good luck in your search.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful input. I talked with my dealer and one other local dealer, since I want to trade in my long arm. They're working up a value on my long arm. Apparently they lose a significant amount of their value in just a few years.

Anyway, I'm looking at the BL Tiara or the Pfaff sit down (can't remember the name). Apparently from what you've told me here, they're both made by HQ. I tried out the Bernina sit down. It has stitch regulator built in, but from what I understand, the other machines don't. You have to buy it and it sticks with a magnet? Is that effective at all?

I've been vacillating about whether or not to even get a sit down since it feels really different than either a long arm or a domestic sewing machine. I suppose I'll wait to see what my dealer is willing to offer and go from there. I'll keep you updated.... :)

Nilla, here's a link to some of the videos on the HQ website. Lots of info on set up and how the stitch regulator works.
Good luck with your decision!
http://www.handiquilter.com/videos/h...t-sixteen/266/

I originally thought I wanted a long arm, so I visited a local manufacturer (Nolting - great folks). They let me play on 3 separate machines for almost 2 hours. I ended up making the discovery I wanted to feel the fabric in my hands rather than handles! I then got my Handi Quilter Sweet 16 not long after they first came out. As others have noted, HQ makes the Babylock and Pfaff, but the goodies that come out will come to the HQ machines first.

Pam

Nilla, I've read your posts here and the other thread you started about this topic...understand your frustrations, although the longarming I've done both at the lqs and on a friend's machine have been relatively painless. In both places I've used not-cotton thread:). Maybe trilobal poly?

I, too, would like to fmq large quilts on a dsm or small sit-down quilting machine, so I'm very interested in the questions you're asking and the responses you're getting. I'm most interested in the hq sweet 16, but a dealer rep said you have to realize you'll still be wrestling your quilt through the machine if it is king size, which was discouraging to hear-something for you also to consider depending on what size quilts you want to do.

What is the largest quilt you can comfortably quilt on your current dsm?

Well I spoke with my dealer yesterday. Interestingly, she said she does not think I would like a sit down quilting machine either. She said you have to adjust the tension or other little things more often on those machines than the long arm machines!

I'm feeling stressed and a bit overwhelmed now so I'm going to take a step back and regroup. Thank you again for the help and guidance. I'll keep you updated.