Annaquilts

No I hear you. I am dreaming of a long arm. Need to find the right used one. I have send out only one quilt in about 10 years of quilting, my first Cal King. I did all other quilts, hundreds, on my Janome 6500 but I find it challenging when it gets to be much wider then 60 inches. The largest I have done myself was 120 in. x120 in.

Honeynga

Just this morning as I was looking at the quilt "show" I also was thinking should I stop this non sense and do something that I know I can do well ?

After reading the entries here I've decided I'm going to go ahead and keep enjoying the process ! I have 3 tops finished and can't afford to send them out; however, I did sandwich one this weekend and it is here next to me on the sofa.....thinking about hand quilting but then again you folks give so much encouragement to go ahead and quilt on my domestic machine !

I don't particularly want a long arm, even if I could afford it; I have a small 1 bedroom apt so space is a big issues.

ONE DAY, just ONE DAY, all of "us" out here will be able to show the fruits of our labor I'm sure. I would be far more apt to show photos for you to see, but rest assured you want get a close up !

Thanks again for your on going encouragement and your reminder that we are here to encourage each other.

Yooper32

I am not and never will be the world's best quilter but I do the best I can with what I have and try to improve my quilting without a LA. That, at my age, I will never have, but that's the way the burger flips. Giving up is NOT an option, no way am I leaving all this fabric to my kids, LOL.

Sunnye

I don't have a long arm and I haven't really practiced free motion on my machine. I did rent time on a long are once but found I'm not really that artistic. I just do the best I can with simple straight line quilting. My quilts are not fancy.

ScrappyCat

Sorry...I don't know what you are upset about. I NEVER compare my quilts to anyone elses. I do not have a long arm, and I do not do anything other than straight stitches on my antique sewing machine. You quilt and sew because it is a passion for you. IT IS ART..and however you do your art is correct. I do the flip and sew method for really large quilts, because my hands can barely hold or manage anything large. I don't have the strength or feel in my fingers. I also try hand quilting, and my quilt stitches look almost like running stitches and I LOVE THEM and call them Folk Art stitches. You have to do it because you LOVE IT!

Opal Jane

I have been very fortunate as my sister is a professional LAQ and has quilted my quilts for free. However she is moving in the spring and will no longer be doing LAQ soooo this means I have to learn how to do FMQing, buy a machine (which I don't want to) or pay to have my large quilts quilted.

grandma Janice

hand quilt or tie. I always hand quilt.

boomer47

Oh I so agree with you - it is a hobby and a happy one - do it the way you enjoy it the most. I hand quilt lap, twin, and full. Anything larger I tie. Now, I will hand quilt a queen or king but I usually have a longarm quilter baste them for me - makes the process so much easier and not nearly as expensive.

kateyb

Don't give up. I quilt my own tops and have done simple allover meander and loop da loops, stitch in the ditch. I was lucky enough to take a Harriet Hargrave class this summer and I think I am getting better and am trying more things. I have lots of baby quilts and table runners to practice on. Her book "Heirloom Machine Quilting" is very good. It has great directions for quilting on a regular home machine.
What is wrong with simple SID and cross hatching. It is amazing how nice these can look on a lot of quilts.

tlclifford47

Don't be discouraged. I hand quilt most of my quilts. I really enjoy it and it gives me great satisfaction to say I made that quilt from from top to bottom.