Nilla

I've had mine for over a year now and honestly, I do regret the purchase. The machine works well, the service is excellent, but I've found I just don't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I keep plugging away though and the quilts do turn out lovely, but in hind sight, I wish I'd saved the money and just kept doing SID or embroidery quilting on my DSM. My tops pile up because I avoid quilting them. I just don't enjoy the process.

I've thought about selling the machine, but 1)my husband would go mad 2)I have no idea how to go about selling something like this. I've never used ebay or craigs list in my life. I've never even had a yard sale! For now I'll just keep pushing myself to use the machine and hope I start to feel more at ease with it.

ohstr

WOW - don't give up your machine. It takes time and patience to get the hang of using these wonderful machines. Pantographs are tough to do - I have had a quilting machine for 4 years and have yet get the results from a pantograph. Try using some of the fantastic rulers that are out there - Craftsy classes online are a great resource. I recently purchased one of the quick loading sets for the machine and they are such a great invention - saves time and frustration of all the time that it takes to pin the quilt and backing to the machine. Keep trying - if you are one of the ones lucky enough to have one of these great machines.....keep trying - it will be worth the effort. I am having a blast with my machine - and I learn something new every top that I quilt. Good Luck!!

DonnaPBradshaw

Love reading these posts! I don't have a Long arm and have envied those who do. I can see how much I would spend, learning curve, and room I would lose in my home, I think I'll be content to pay for my large quilts to be quilted!

amandasgramma

It takes practice practice practice. Don't give up yet! I, too, can NOT do pantos!!!! Tried them so many times and they just drive me NUTS. If you don't have rulers, search out "longarm tools" and find some straight rulers. They're a good beginner. Do NOT get intimidated by videos that show someone going superjet speed on their longarms. Go slow..... I bought lots of sheets at thrift stores and used them with cheap batting to practice practice practice. I made a lot of dog blankets that way for the humane society. I found www.mqresource.com......a forum for longarmers. They have classes and are the most helpful. Because of them, my work had improved immensely in a short time. Does your local dealer provide classes???? If so, please go....you learn something EVERY time. I also found if I went to www.youtube.com and put in "quilting" or "longarm" I found videos.....I've watched every one probably 5 times each. Some were lame or hard to follow, but even those that were seemingly over my head, I learned. Best of luck!

Nilla

It's not that I feel frustrated because my quilts don't look nice. They actually look quite lovely. It's just that I don't enjoy the process. In piecing a top, I find a good balance between sometimes doing something simple and quick and other times challenging myself with a new skill and I can easily lose myself in the sewing room for hours at a time, but in long arming I just don't like it. I have a computer on mine and I can make lovely pantographs. I just don't have fun while I'm doing it. I can free motion with a nice meandering line or smaller stippling, but again, it's not fun to me. I tried rulers and feathers and circles. It wasn't fun to me. It's work. It's what I have to force myself to do in order to be able to put the binding on and say the quilt is finished. I wish I loved it. I just don't. I can't imagine telling my husband I made a mistake this expensive though so I force myself to keep loading quilts and quilting them.

TeresaA

Nilla, try and picture yourself before you had it and think about what you'd do without it now that you've experienced the luxury of quilting your own quilts.

You might then go, oh yeah, it's a demon, but it's a better demon.

Hope2quilt

I had a huge learning curve. My husband googled things while I cried my eye balls out! We had to buy a different bobbin case holder and then we had to play with the legs. I found out I had the wrong carriage. I finally went to buy a grand Quilter that was used. I do not put my Janome Horizon on the frame but use the used Grand quilter instead. I sew the pieces together or do small quilts with my precious Janome. Please don't give up.

amandasgramma

Okay -- my thoughts are that if you don't enjoy it or consider it a fun challenge from day one, then it's just not for you!!!!!! I can understand that.....I've started MANY crafts over the years and discovered it just wasn't for me (tried knitting about 100000 times -- UGH).. This is just more expensive than any. If you truly don't like it, and you can sell it......then do what you ENJOY doing --- PIECING the quilt!!!!!! lord knows there's longarmers out there that need/want the work!!!!

miss_sonja

This is a great thread. I know I would not want a long arm-the cost, the space they take up, but most of all the learning curve. Thank you all for sharing-definitely tells me it wouldn't be for me.

debbiemarie

I completely understand how you feel, I bought a Bernina 750 DSM last October, after the excitement of getting it, fear settled in. I couldn't even sleep a for a few nights, I was terrified I had spent too much money...I could have bought a very nice machine for much less money...etc. It's been six months and I love it, I realized I seem to be better at quilting with this machine..due to the BSR, walking foot etc. I am over it now.