rivka

msoop, you can find information about the Bailey Home Quilters here:

http://www.baileyssewingcenter.com/test.html

They come in 13", 15", and 17".

The Little Gracie II is made by the Grace Company:

http://www.graceframe.com/gfxoops/

They have several machine quilting frames that are suitable to different budgets and sizes :)

And finally, to look for used Bailey's and frames, I'd recommend checking out the following 3 Yahoo groups:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Baileyquiltingmachines/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gracemachineframe/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homequiltingsystems/

All 3 groups have a Database, where people can list items they are selling or items they are looking for. I don't see a lot in there right now, but people are always adding stuff. I'm sure there are other places to look, but those groups have worked well for me; they're all fairly active.

msoop

When you say they come in 15", etc......what is that the measurement of? Throat plate space? And, I assume the throat plate space is the distance between the needle and the opposite side of the machine where the quilt is held while sewing? (As you can tell, I am new at this "quilting system" information.) Been sewing and quilting for years, but don't know about all of this.

And thanks for the picture of your set up. Nice and roomy place to quilt.

rivka

I'm no expert on machine frame quilting, but I have been doing a lot of research on it over the past few months, because I purchased a system myself just recently. So I'll share what I know (and if anything is wrong, I'd appreciate correction from someone else :) )

Yes, the 15", etc., is the throat space (from needle to the end of the open space; effectively the length of the space to sew in). Your normal sewing machine is usually referred to as a "short arm" (when talking about using it on a frame), and most machines have a 7" throat, I believe -- even the 9" machines like the Juki TL98Q and the Janome 1600P are still called short arms (these are relatively inexpensive machines that can be used on a machine quilting frame). Anything above that, but less than 17" is usually referred to as a "mid arm" (although some manufacturers will still refer to them as long arms). Anything 17" and above is going to be a long arm, and is probably going to cost thousands and thousands of dollars.

The Bailey machines are a nice compromise -- they're big enough that you can do fairly large patterns, but still inexpensive enough that they're not completely out of one's price range. On my 15" (and with my specific frame set up), I can get about 12" of sewing range when I first start quilting...this decreases, of course, as the quilt is rolled up within the throat space. I still haven't done a full quilt yet; I'm still practicing, as I've only had the machine for a few weeks. So far I love it, though -- I'm much happier with it than I was with the Juki that I originally bought...but I wanted to do specific types of patterns which wouldn't be possible in the 9" throat of the Juki.

If you're looking to do frame machine quilting, and you want to do it on a budget, then you don't have a ton of options, from what I can tell. Some people use their regular sewing machine on a frame, which I can't fathom -- you'd have almost no space to stitch as you got towards the end of the quilt. You can upgrade to a Juki or Janome 9" -- but I personally still found that far too limiting, space wise, but I know there are a lot of people that do make it work. Or you can look at a Bailey. There may be other options out there that one could consider "affordable", but this is what I've discovered so far doing my own research.

Some things to think about:

- what's your price range?
- how much throat space do you want? Realistically, what kind of patterns do you want to quilt? If you just want to do small free motion patterns and stippling, then something like a Juki or Janome would probably suit you just fine. If you want to do pantographs, then a larger machine is probably your best bet.
- how much space do you have for a frame? There are a lot of frame makers out there -- Grace, Handiquilter, and Hinterberg to name just a few.
- do you think you'd need a stitch regulator? This is an add-on to the machine that keeps your stitching a uniform length; if you don't have this, then you have to make sure that you always move the machine at a perfectly uniform speed, which can be difficult for a beginner. This is an added expense (usually between $500 and $700, depending on the machine in question)

If you think the Juki/Janome idea would work for you, there are all kinds of packages at allbrands.com, and sewvacdirect.com that include both a frame and a machine. You could get a complete setup with machine, frame, and stitch regulator for around $2000.

Feel free to ask any more questions -- I know I was confused a lot by terminology when I first started researching.

Rose Marie

I dont have the room for a longarm so bought a machine with a 10 in throat. It makes a big difference but you also need a large flat surface with the machine flush with the top.
If the newer embroidery machines will quilt a square in a quilt with all three layers togather I will seriously plan on getting one.

msoop

thank you, Rivka, for all that information and the things to consider!! So helpful!! I know more about what I'm dealing with. I didn't know what a mid-arm was, etc. I have seen the huge long-arms in quilt stores. but, that is strictly out of my budget!! Therefore, I am trying to find something that will work for me. No, I don't think I would be happy with the 7 or 9 inch space either. That's too much like what I'm trying to do on my sewing machine now. Thank you, thank you, so much. I will probably be asking some more questions. I am trying to do a lot of research before I even start shopping.

govgirl75

I don't know if this will help, but there are a couple videos on Youtube that show how to build a quilting table using inexpensive materials. Essentially what happens is your machine is set into a piece of foam insulation material so that the throat of the machine is the same level as the piece of foam, giving you a large surface to support your quilt while you are quilting it. You can make this set up on an inexpensive folding table and I think it really works.
glo

Shandy

I just purchased a Grace Pinnacle frame and am using a Janome 1600p on it. It has 9 inch throat and it's fast. I also got the Sure Stitch regulator, and the laser. They are on the Grace website.

I'll likely upgrade to a larger machine. My frame will handle one up to 18" throat space, like the new Babylock Jewel. I want to see if I enjoy doing this before I go and spend all that money. I'm up in Canada, and haven't seen a Bailey machine. From what I've been told, go as large as you can afford to go and plan for upgrading if you have to start smaller.

ScubaK

I'm with Lostn51...
Some of those older machines are really great for quilting with their large throat (harp) area...
They sew like a charm...and can be picked up for a dime!!!
Kirsten

msoop

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and information. It sure helps to hear from everyone and what works for them.