What would you recommend?
 

I want to start quilting my own quilt tops. I don't have the space for a long arm with a big frame. I have been looking at the babylock tiara and the hq sweet 16. Is there one out there that is similar to either but could be converted to be used with a big frame when I have more space?

I can't help you with your specific question, about the eventual conversion of sit-downs into long arms.
My suggestion would be to ask the dealers.

However, I'm not sure by the way you worded it, whether you are aware ... the Tiara and S16 are the same machine. The Tiara is just a S16 painted for Babylock.

i love my innova ,,,,,have used a few others ..and those boys down in texas know a few things about service ....

I have a HQ16 (not the sweet 16) that I bought used. It came with a table and was later converted to use on a frame. I've never used the table.

The best thing you can do is ask the dealer before you buy.

I was told by the HQ people that the HQ Sweet 16 can be modified to fit into a frame. I don't know what that involves, or the cost.

There are quite a few sit down machines available now ... seems to be the direction a lot of long arm manufacturers are going.

Suggest strongly to go to a large show and try as many as you can get your hands on.

The other thing you might want to try is quilting in sections. I did that before I got a longarm, and made quite a few very large quilts fairly easily on my regular sewing machine. I used the methods in Machine Quilting in Sections by Marti Michell - great book. That way, when you get ready to purchase a machine on a frame, you won't be locked in to using the sit-down machine that you might purchase now.