There's lots of topics about what kind of machine to buy, what features to look out for and even where to buy them.

I don't remember seeing any topics about WHEN people decided to buy a long arm machine. So here it is!

WHEN did you decide to buy a LA?
Like HOW LONG were you involved in making quilts before you decided you NEEDED a LA?
Did you get tired of paying to have someone else quilt your quilts?
Did you want to start up a business to make money at it?
How long did it actually take to make the purchase? months? years?

Thanks

i finished my daughter's HUGE dragonfly quilt and went to the lqs to find out what to do next...i knew it was way too big to do myself...i had no idea how...and i was running out of time (wedding gift)
the lqs ladies gave me a business card and said..."call John, he will take good care of you-and your quilt."
so i called John...and he did take good care of me, and did an absolutely fabulous job on the quilt!...when i dropped it off he told me..."I charge 2 1/2 cents per square inch" i just said...ok...not even realizing what that meant.
when i went to pick up the quilt and was handed a $385 bill i about had a heart attack!
i decided right then and there i had (2) choices...i could go buy my own long-arm and learn to quilt my own quilts or i could stop making quilts!
since i didn't want to stop making quilts i went for the purchase. it took me 3 months between that 'moment' and my new long-arm arriving at my home.

I decided I wanted one before I learned to quilt. I have been sewing for years and always wanted to learn to quilt. Any sewing machine that is so big that it needs its own apartment is freaking AWESOME!
Im tired of fighting the quilts with my machine and have thought many times that my husband could build me some kind of table that would turn my machine into a long arm.....lol
I will buy one when my youngest graduates college.....she is only 6, so I will be saving for a very long time.

Hi, Decided it was time to buy a longarm when my quilts were getting bigger and my sewing machine was not. I enjoyed quilting on my machine but the big quilts were a hassel. Also, in the back of my mind I was thinking of starting a business when I retired. Also, I want to pay for the machine while I was still working. So I jumped in and have never looked back - except in awe at how I quilted on my sewing machine.

My house just isn't big enough for any kind of long arm, but the minute I saw an HQ Sweet Sixteen and had a short demo on it, I put the deposit on it the following day

I never knew this kind of set up existed (and it didn't really, because what I tried was a prototype). I was already OK with FMQing, so not fased about still pushing a quilt under the needle, but all that space was/is delicious. I had to raid my savings, big time, but I haven't regretted it.

I was inspired by all the beautiful LA quilts I had seen at shows, on the internet and here on this board. Green Fairy had a very strong influence on me, but it will be years of LAing before I will be in her league, if I ever get there.

I first started considering in early 2009. I found a not so local QS that had an HQ16 set up that they offered training and rental time but because the shop was 1 1/2 hour drive for me rental time wasn't really a viable option. I just wanted to get a feel for what it was like so I took their training class in summer 2009.

I have been quilting since early 90's. At that point all I had done was hand quilting and only wallhangings and child size on my Bernina.

Researched on the net and found a dealer for Innova at a local quilt show in September 2009. At that point I knew I wanted one just couldn't bring myself to make the investment. Test drove the Innova at the quilt show and was totally sold on it.

I have only paid to have one quilt professionally LAed. Of course I chose Green Fairy to do it. Glad I got in before her waiting list got to be one year long!

I took delivery of my Innova in July 2010. So basically I saved, researched, dwelled on it and obssessed about it for a year.

Eventually I would like to make money at it. I am thinking a supplement to my retirement. In the mean time I do the beginners discount for people and don't make much money at all but it is enough to pay for thread and I am earning experience at the machine. I let potential customers know I am a total beginner and show them samples and they still entrust me with their quilts! That makes me feel good and I do my best. I think I will only get better with more time, more quilts and more experience.

a year or so of quilting on the DSM, I got a PC Quilter and Juki with a frame as well. Turns out that the Juki's 9" throat is not really big enough to do the quilting I wanted to do. Also, the PC Quilter is terrific, but my confidence increased and I found I wanted to do more free motion. So for a few years now, I've been dreaming of a real long arm. I've tried a few at fairs and talked to lots of folks. I've been dreaming of the purchase and have not decided on a brand. However, I recently took early retirement and money is now tight. Guess I'll be dreaming a while longer :cry:

I got my longarm five years ago. I bought a Nolting 24 2ISKN. I tried our every brand on the market at the time. and I just felt that the Nolting was best for me. It does have a stitch regulator, but I don't use it very often. My table is 12 feet long. I chose the Nolting because of its reputation for reliability and ease of use and because it is manufactured in America. I did buy it with the intention of doing customer quilts and I started doing that about a year after I bought the machine.

I started with the original HandiQuilter frame and an old Pfaff sewing machine and outgrew that set-up in about two months. I sold that and bought the Super Quilter frame and used my old Juki on it. I outgrew that in about six months. Bless my husband's heart, he suggested that maybe I get a big long arm. In retrospect, I wish I would have had the confidence to just buy the Nolting right away instead of all the step ups. I would have saved a bunch of bucks. When I finally agreed to get the big machine, it took me about six months to really make the committment. I don't regret it a bit. I was able to quilt seven quilts last week and I enjoyed every minute of the quilting.
I hope this anwers your questions.

in 2008 when I went to the Quilt festival in Houston, saw the awesome quilting they can do, tried a couple, dreamed about it for a year.I was working 50-70 hrs a week at the time and knew I would never have time to learn to use it, then in 2009 we had a major hurricane (IKE) that put my company out of work for several months so I figured I had plenty time to learn so I bought a 15" Bailey. I love it but wish there were a shortcut for practice!

We started quilting all together in 1994. Hand quilting/and a La or 2. I had more than 10 quilts of my own on hand before I purchase my machine. I knew I would have a business, I had the love of quilting in my blood.
I had a Mom who pushed me and my sister with piecing quilts... she was dying and she had many quilts she wanted done in her last 18 mo. We worked all day long between treatments. My sister moved in with Mom, and they decided then, we needed a LA.
But, we couldn't spend our Mom's money and couldn't afford it. My DS looked into the best machine and we dreamed awhile.
Our Mom passed away and the inheritance was enough for each of us to purchase our first Gammills in 2004.

Thankful to have it purchased for us, in a sad way.

Then 2009, I had to make the choice, to upgrade to a Statler, computerized.

I remember when I purchased the first machiine, I was an OUTLAW LAQ because I had a stitch regulated machine. Because I wasn't regulating the machine made me less of a LA.

Times haven't changed, I somehow feel that many think I'm not a LA Quilter or less talented than another LAQ because I use a computer.

Well the art will continue to change.

I did take out an equity loan for my Statler. I'm so thankful for my Mom and Sister as they have helped me a long the way with this huge purchase.

So maybe I should sign off.
Outlaw LAQ