Long Arm Quilting Machine
11-01-2013, 09:50 AM
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
I have a friend who's planning to get one of the sit-down longarms, because she doesn't have space for a frame. I am interested in seeing how well she likes it. I don't think I would care for it, since one of the compelling reasons for buying a longarm (for me) was that I would no longer have to baste my quilt sandwich. That was the part of quilting that I liked least!
11-02-2013, 05:59 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 3,371
I have a Tin Lizzie sit down and love her. I almost bought a HQ but am glad I got the Lizzie. I really really like her a lot.
Having said that... Bailey didn't have their machine available in a table at the time and my husband is not a handy kind of a guy (let's not talk about the bat house incident...) Bailey now offers a table so the machine and table is almost half that of a Lizzie.. much more affordable.
I had a Bailey on a frame because I hated basting quilts. I always had puckers and didn't know how to get past that. Now that I table baste I haven't had a single problem and it takes me less than an hour to baste a huge quilt.
There are a lot of sit downs out there - Sunshine, Bailey, Tin Lizzie, HQ Sweet 16/Babylock Tiara, the George, etc... each one would probably make you happy in the end. I went with the Lizzie because I liked the orientation of the machine. It also comes with a huge flip up table extension on the back of the table so when you are quilting it will support the quilt. I also got a skinny folding table to go to the left of it to support the quilt more on the left side. It is a great set up and more affordable than the HQ and others... the Bailey and Sunshine are both about half the price of the Lizzie or HQ.
Do you have a local dealer of any big machines? Maybe who has service nearby will help decide what to get
Having said that... Bailey didn't have their machine available in a table at the time and my husband is not a handy kind of a guy (let's not talk about the bat house incident...) Bailey now offers a table so the machine and table is almost half that of a Lizzie.. much more affordable.
I had a Bailey on a frame because I hated basting quilts. I always had puckers and didn't know how to get past that. Now that I table baste I haven't had a single problem and it takes me less than an hour to baste a huge quilt.
There are a lot of sit downs out there - Sunshine, Bailey, Tin Lizzie, HQ Sweet 16/Babylock Tiara, the George, etc... each one would probably make you happy in the end. I went with the Lizzie because I liked the orientation of the machine. It also comes with a huge flip up table extension on the back of the table so when you are quilting it will support the quilt. I also got a skinny folding table to go to the left of it to support the quilt more on the left side. It is a great set up and more affordable than the HQ and others... the Bailey and Sunshine are both about half the price of the Lizzie or HQ.
Do you have a local dealer of any big machines? Maybe who has service nearby will help decide what to get
11-02-2013, 06:14 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
Strongly suggest you get yourself to one of the larger quilt shows that typically have at least 5 or 6 of the large quilting machine companies with booths. Of the larger companies ... HQ, Baby Lock, APQS, Innova and a few others have both long arm's and sit down models. Try them all.
I tried 3 of the sit-down's and liked them, as well as all of the long arms. In the end, like Dunster & Feline Fanatic ... I LOATHE basting and opted for a long arm. I also don't have the space at home for a long arm, so I compromised and set the long arm up at our business location (7 miles away). I'm not able to quilt as often as I like, but I didn't buy one to quilt constantly as a professional, I got it only for me.
I tried 3 of the sit-down's and liked them, as well as all of the long arms. In the end, like Dunster & Feline Fanatic ... I LOATHE basting and opted for a long arm. I also don't have the space at home for a long arm, so I compromised and set the long arm up at our business location (7 miles away). I'm not able to quilt as often as I like, but I didn't buy one to quilt constantly as a professional, I got it only for me.
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