robbijmorris

I have a chance to get a GMQ Pro Grace Frame for $400. I have been interested in one, but I have never actually used one. I did my research-I think it is a wonderful price. She says all the parts are with it and she only used it 5 times. She even emailed me a pic. What do y'all think? Should I go for it?

Thanks,
Robbi

omak

I have the Grace Pinnacle. It will support a machine with an eighteen inch frame, if I ever go to a bigger quilting machine. $400 is a great deal, as I found a new one (Grace Pro) for $1200 +, so the next question is how serious are you about quilting.
When I bought the BabyLock Quilt Pro machine and the Pinnacle frame, I thought I could live with that set up, though I knew of slightly better systems ... working in six to eight inch depths got old really quickly.
Still ... for a beginning system ... four hundred dollars isn't that bad an investment.
Last week, my daughter had me quilt her grandmother's flower garden without doing all the rails - - as in, she basted the three layers of top, batting, and backing together, we loaded it on to the take up rail and the top most rail which usually holds the backing ... it worked fairly well. Much easier that pinning the backing, loading the batting, pinning the top. Keep us appraised of how it all works out for you.

littlehud

That is my biggest fear of buying a frame. I have a Juki and wonder if I am wasting my money on a frame. Can I work with my Juki on my sewing table and do just a well as I would with a frame. At least on my sewing table I can work with a larger area. What do you think.

omak

The price is a good deal.
I guess if I were being brutally honest ... I would rather sit down with my corner table and table top machine over the frame ...
If I were where you are, I would save my money for a mid arm quilting machine and frame. I spent almost four thousand dollars on my set up; I settled ... and, had I just waited for a few more weeks, for two thousand dollars more, I could have had the midarm, and a terrific frame ... frames usually end up being just about fifteen hundred dollars of the package price ...
Right now, having to set up the backing, the batting, the top, getting all the pins in and out, working on the machine to prepare it for the next quilt job ... for all that time and energy, I could have the quilt ready and be sitting down and quilting at my table with a bit less hassle.
The problem with the frame you are considering, and the one I purchased is: From the beginning of the quilt, you may have eight inches of surface to quilt on ... the longer the quilt, the less area you can cover with your machine ... for stippling, even it is restrictive ... I could do more with the mid arm ...

dizzy

robbie you might want to look like a couple of others said because i to jumped on the gracie frame an also got the nolting machine as a package deal for a little over $5,000 an i do wish i had waited just a little bit longer or kick my self in the a-- for not getting the machine that was offered to me for$2,000 an been able to work at the job i was at an pay for it at the time an when the oppertunity came aruond for a up grade i would have went for an even better machine look on internet they have some on there at times at a real deal to

omak

Once you begin free motion quilting with your table top machine, you quickly understand that working with a frame and moving the machine would be a lot easier.
Then, you do what I did, and you find out ... a regular sized sewing machine on a fabulous frame is not as good as having a bigger machine, more throat space, and more surface to be reached at a time.
Something one of my friends did for me was to allow me to work on her quilting machine for a bit to see if it was indeed what I would want. As Dizzy said ... when you realize the possibilities beyond what you are doing right now, the basic set up won't allow you to make the money you could with more space.

janell2009

One of the things I kept running into when looking at what frame to get is when looking at the long arms.. everything was way I mean way out of my league.. I kept running into $10,000.00. Well that was just tooo much. So when I stumbled on the Grace site.. they were very helpful. It is made for the home quilter (which is what I am still) and it was in my price range. I did not get any of the pantos or all the extras you can get, I got the frame and the machine and it was suppose to have a stitch regulator with it.. Mine did not work from the get go.. So it forced me to work with only the Speed control. I have had the pinnacle with the Juki reg for a month now.. I did 3 practice quilts, and learned much from each time. I finally put on one of my real tops. It was the Day & Night by Elenore Burns. It is done. I am not happy with it.. I may rip it out. Very hard to do a straight line in FMQ. It gets little wiggles in the line. So onward and upward. My next one on deck is a jigsaw puzzle piece top.. so I will just be doing stippling.. Wish me luck. So true on the fact that as you go down the quilt once you get almost to the end you can not do the same area as when you started... So planning is hard, turning back and forth to get the desired design.. walking around the big frame.. it all takes lots of time and effort.. so can be frustrating.

rn2639

That is the exact machine I HAD. I would not give you $4 for it. Much less $400. Invest in a LONG arm.......it hurt my shoulders, took up my entire living room ( and that was set up to quilt the small things) It is VERY HEAVY....comes with a TON of parts....I did NOT like it and would NOT recommend that at all. If you are healthy and active, maybe, but if you are older, have arthitis, want to custom quilt...dont get it. This is good for meandering or just free motion. The neck of the machine is not too big so you cant really do big quilts like you think.

I would have given you mine amost.....maybe kept the Juki.

I hope to one day get the long arm SIT DOWN handi quilter.

Good luck.
L~

rn2639

I went back and re-read your question and all the replies.
My answer is this: dont bother with it. You will not be happy.

rn2639

I bet you could talk her down to $200 in that case I would get it for the machine.....lol.. sorry for all the replies. I just get on a soapbox about that thing. Dont trust the reviews on it.