willis.debra

please don't get discouraged. I hand quilt, only 3-4 quilts a year but it is so worth it. and so much cheaper. I got a scroll type quilting frame, the gracie ez, off ebay for $150. if not that then hoops or quilt as you go or just small quilts.

wraez

Keep your stash and continue piecing tops if that is what you love. Take time to learn to quilt, maybe watch Leah Days YouTube tutes. I don't know anyone who knew how to quilt without practice.

There are days that I wish I had a long arm but when I found out how much time and work it is to just set up the quilt on the frame, I realized it wasn't something I wanted to try ... I'm getting older not younger.

So many of my pieced quilt tops are displayed in my home without being sandwiched and quilted and that is fine with me, I love how they look. I do finish quilts that I give as gifts, and have for a few of my own BUT my pleasure is in piecing quilt tops.

Do what YOU love to do, don't let the cost of quilting get you down, frustrated or discouraged. Look into alternatives that give you pleasure without spending the $.

tuesy

You're not the only one by any means. I too feel that way and love to look at all the pretty quilts everyone makes here and then there is google images...omgosh! I could spend days there just drooling over them all.
I figure that one of these days I'll get a LA, but until then, I'm just going to plug along and do the best I can and I hope you'll join me and do the same. :)

fatquarters

most of us can't imagine giving up our hobby. Do what makes YOU happy, whatever that may be

BarbZ

Have you thought of tieing your quilts. that is the way i always did mine for years. My dh just made me a table out of an old computor desk we bought at a salvage sale for 35.00. it is really neat he cut a hole after drawing a line around my 6600 and made a shelf for it to sit on and it came out great!!!! I can't seem to post pics on here right now for some reason but if you PM me your e-mail i can send a picture to you, it will make a big difference just on regular sewing having the machine even with the table.

Murphy1

Love you analogy.

wildyard

Gosh Rae, you make wonderful things and use beautiful fabrics. I don't have a longarm and know I never will. All that fancy quilting is not in my future because I can't afford to send anything out. Heck, I can barely afford to hit the thrift stores as much as I do, and certainly not as much as I'd like to, for adding to my stash.
But I just see that as one of the things that are a condition of my quilting and life. Like having steak every night, lol, it's not going to happen. I'm not going to let that take the joy out of the bean soup and cornbread tho, no way!!!
I do simple straight line and outline quilting on my regular sewing machine and I am happy with it. No one complains when I give them a quilt; not one single person!
Learning the quilt as you go techniques is a great suggestion as it makes things much easier.
Holding you close in my heart that you will be able to close your eyes to the things that you can't have so they don't steal your joy and pleasure from the things you do have and that you will be able to open your heart and mind once again to the fun and creativity to be found in the quilting we all so dearly love. Hugsssssss and peace for you, Linda

Murphy1

Such inspirational words we all appreciate. My quilts are gifts of love. They take time to decide on so many things.The time and thought that go into them makes them the richest gift I can give. As we march toward the holidays, I love working on the gifts that say I care.

raedar63

Thank you for opening my eyes to look past the temporary clouds, your words truly touched me ,thank you Wildyard, and thanks to every one that encouraged me through my "moment" The thing I think got me down was that I saved up money to buy batiks to make a special quilt and then realized it would never look good tied and I would not know how to begin to quilt it , Soooo, I think I will either sell those batiks or come up with something else!You all are great people!

This is the one ,The one that I HAD to do.The only quilt I ever went and bought all the fabrics for ,new and at the same time, boy was that costly ! http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-156631-1.htm

I have not started mine yet,but think this is so beautiful, up to now I have done mostly scrappy.

wraez

Oh wow, your batik quilt is so stunning! Yes batiks are expensive but aren't they worth the beauty they create?

Keep on quilting, you do beautiful work.