Regretting long arm purchase?
#121
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 539
I've had mine for over a year now and honestly, I do regret the purchase. The machine works well, the service is excellent, but I've found I just don't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I keep plugging away though and the quilts do turn out lovely, but in hind sight, I wish I'd saved the money and just kept doing SID or embroidery quilting on my DSM. My tops pile up because I avoid quilting them. I just don't enjoy the process.
I've thought about selling the machine, but 1)my husband would go mad 2)I have no idea how to go about selling something like this. I've never used ebay or craigs list in my life. I've never even had a yard sale! For now I'll just keep pushing myself to use the machine and hope I start to feel more at ease with it.
I've thought about selling the machine, but 1)my husband would go mad 2)I have no idea how to go about selling something like this. I've never used ebay or craigs list in my life. I've never even had a yard sale! For now I'll just keep pushing myself to use the machine and hope I start to feel more at ease with it.
#122
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 213
WOW - don't give up your machine. It takes time and patience to get the hang of using these wonderful machines. Pantographs are tough to do - I have had a quilting machine for 4 years and have yet get the results from a pantograph. Try using some of the fantastic rulers that are out there - Craftsy classes online are a great resource. I recently purchased one of the quick loading sets for the machine and they are such a great invention - saves time and frustration of all the time that it takes to pin the quilt and backing to the machine. Keep trying - if you are one of the ones lucky enough to have one of these great machines.....keep trying - it will be worth the effort. I am having a blast with my machine - and I learn something new every top that I quilt. Good Luck!!
#123
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 574
Love reading these posts! I don't have a Long arm and have envied those who do. I can see how much I would spend, learning curve, and room I would lose in my home, I think I'll be content to pay for my large quilts to be quilted!
#124
I've had mine for over a year now and honestly, I do regret the purchase. The machine works well, the service is excellent, but I've found I just don't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I keep plugging away though and the quilts do turn out lovely, but in hind sight, I wish I'd saved the money and just kept doing SID or embroidery quilting on my DSM. My tops pile up because I avoid quilting them. I just don't enjoy the process.
I've thought about selling the machine, but 1)my husband would go mad 2)I have no idea how to go about selling something like this. I've never used ebay or craigs list in my life. I've never even had a yard sale! For now I'll just keep pushing myself to use the machine and hope I start to feel more at ease with it.
I've thought about selling the machine, but 1)my husband would go mad 2)I have no idea how to go about selling something like this. I've never used ebay or craigs list in my life. I've never even had a yard sale! For now I'll just keep pushing myself to use the machine and hope I start to feel more at ease with it.
Last edited by amandasgramma; 04-12-2014 at 06:04 AM.
#125
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 539
It's not that I feel frustrated because my quilts don't look nice. They actually look quite lovely. It's just that I don't enjoy the process. In piecing a top, I find a good balance between sometimes doing something simple and quick and other times challenging myself with a new skill and I can easily lose myself in the sewing room for hours at a time, but in long arming I just don't like it. I have a computer on mine and I can make lovely pantographs. I just don't have fun while I'm doing it. I can free motion with a nice meandering line or smaller stippling, but again, it's not fun to me. I tried rulers and feathers and circles. It wasn't fun to me. It's work. It's what I have to force myself to do in order to be able to put the binding on and say the quilt is finished. I wish I loved it. I just don't. I can't imagine telling my husband I made a mistake this expensive though so I force myself to keep loading quilts and quilting them.
#126
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Washington
Posts: 855
Nilla, try and picture yourself before you had it and think about what you'd do without it now that you've experienced the luxury of quilting your own quilts.
You might then go, oh yeah, it's a demon, but it's a better demon.
You might then go, oh yeah, it's a demon, but it's a better demon.
#127
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: St Louis
Posts: 315
I had a huge learning curve. My husband googled things while I cried my eye balls out! We had to buy a different bobbin case holder and then we had to play with the legs. I found out I had the wrong carriage. I finally went to buy a grand Quilter that was used. I do not put my Janome Horizon on the frame but use the used Grand quilter instead. I sew the pieces together or do small quilts with my precious Janome. Please don't give up.
#128
It's not that I feel frustrated because my quilts don't look nice. They actually look quite lovely. It's just that I don't enjoy the process. In piecing a top, I find a good balance between sometimes doing something simple and quick and other times challenging myself with a new skill and I can easily lose myself in the sewing room for hours at a time, but in long arming I just don't like it. I have a computer on mine and I can make lovely pantographs. I just don't have fun while I'm doing it. I can free motion with a nice meandering line or smaller stippling, but again, it's not fun to me. I tried rulers and feathers and circles. It wasn't fun to me. It's work. It's what I have to force myself to do in order to be able to put the binding on and say the quilt is finished. I wish I loved it. I just don't. I can't imagine telling my husband I made a mistake this expensive though so I force myself to keep loading quilts and quilting them.
#130
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Posts: 832
I completely understand how you feel, I bought a Bernina 750 DSM last October, after the excitement of getting it, fear settled in. I couldn't even sleep a for a few nights, I was terrified I had spent too much money...I could have bought a very nice machine for much less money...etc. It's been six months and I love it, I realized I seem to be better at quilting with this machine..due to the BSR, walking foot etc. I am over it now.
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