Hello, like yourself I could never afford a long arm but have you seen the frames which can be built at home to take a regular machine?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZygl...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78h3z...eature=related
www.buildaquiltingframe.com
I'm working towards maybe getting something like this but as we might be moving again I need to wait to see if I have enough room. Maybe some of the quilters here have built one of these? Hope it helps