mrswordwiz

I bought a long arm after getting stuff ready for taxes one year, and hubby pointing out with 17 more quilts, you can have a long arm for the price that you paid for LA services. That is how I got him on board. I took him to a class at the LQS so he could see what it was all about. He also uses the machine that we picked out.

catsnchina

I've really thought about purchasing one as I do all my own quilting on my Bernina 440QE and make a number of large quilts.
However, I just took a LA certification training class at one of the LQS which rents time on their HandiQuilter and Gammill long arm machines. It was fun and very informative. They have staff to help us when we rent time on their LAs.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to take a LA certification class on a Tin Lizzie at another LQS. Their hourly rental is more and the staff may not be as helpful or knowledgable, but I'll have choices.

Given the prices of even used LAs, this is my current solution.

quiltmom04

Do we really think men make a cost analysis of golf clubs and greens fees, fishing boats and tackle or guns and ammo? We enjoys this, it's creative and therapeutic, and in 100 years , there will be evidence that we were here - score cards will be long gone. If you can afford it - great! If not, then you don't get it. But I don't think we have to justify it! ( hope you get one!!)

Buckeye Rose

LA quilting is getting more expensive to get done all the time.... $.015/sq inch for just pantos and that figures out to around $200 per queen quilt....so I have been doing my own on my Janome 6600. I am not even close to being good at it, but I keep plugging away at it. My brain simply cannot make the conversion from moving the "pencil on paper" to moving the "paper under the pencil". So one day I will have the space and $$$ for a LA.

To be able to justify the cost, you would have to take the cost of a LA monthly payments and determine if you spend more than that to outsource your quilting. So if you regularly spend $250 monthly for LA quilting and the monthly payments are $200 then I would say yes, the cost is justified. If you only send out a quilt every couple months or so, then you probably can't justify the cost.

Bottom line - if you have to be able to justify the cost to feel good about buying one, you probably shouldn't as you will always feel obligated to hurry. Then it becomes more of a job and less of a hobby to enjoy.

Fraew

As soon as I have the space! Quilting is my thing so...if I had the space, I would save and get it ASAP.

So maybe I should start saving now and be ready when I have the space.

Annaquilts

I am actively shopping but still undecided. I am looking at a Handi Quilter Fusion prostitch (computerized). (24 inch throat opening on 12 foot frame)It appears one of the more affordable long arms with a computer. I have been quilting for about ten years. I do some very large quilts (10x10 foot) on my Janome 6500. I feel I can't handle it and do not enjoy it. I feel physical limited not having a longarm. I like another brand better but when I add their computer option it is way out of reach $ wise. Also I live right next door to a Handi Quilter dealer while I live out of state for the other option. I do think I will feel obligated to do quilts for others if I buy such expensive machine. I also hope that some of my children might use it to earn some money and that has been one of the motivators to look for a machine with a computer.

Here is a picture of the last big Calking quilt118x118 in. I finnished. Now it is washed and you look from further away it looks nice but the quilting is so so. The only good part about finnishing the quilting on this one is getting done. It is just too much to spray baste and quilt. The long arm would also help with the basting and binding of the quilt.

kydeb

I took the long arm plunge after I went back to work. I retired in 2007 and went back to work full time last year. I decided that it was one of the reasons I wanted to work - to pay for things other then necessities! I make QFK quilts - most of the time as many as 4 to 6 a month. I know I never could make that many if I didn't have the long arm so that takes of any guilt I may have had!

An Arm Long

I have had my longarm for 15 months and have done 17 quilts on it . At an average of about $75 per quilt (a few were baby quilts), I have saved about $1275 or more which covers over 10% of the cost. I have not done any for other people yet, but may in the future. It would be paid off in about 9 years at this rate.
I absolutely love using it and can't wait to finish piecing the next quilt so that I can quilt it!

aborning

Just remember one thing. Husbands have their golfing gear (and membership fees), their fishing boat and gear, their hunting guns and gear, and their 4-wheelers, etc. How do they ever plan to "break even" with their "toys?" Just a thought. Quilting to us is a hobby, just like their hunting, fishing, and golfing is their hobby. It's not about breaking even--it's about our hobby.

brushandthimble

I have a mid arm and love it. The push to purchase was when I was asked to do a month long exhibit. The ONLY way I was going to get those tops finished was to take the plunge, otherwise I don't think I ever would have. Never regretted it for a moment.