What kind of long arm do you have?

[Karen W.]

I have an APQS Millennium and love it!
Karen Wheeler

[Lynn K.]

I have an APQS Lenni, and love it. I quilt for customers now too (partly to justify the cost of the machine!) but I love it.

[Lynn K.]

Gina, I am considering an Innova myself. I tried it out while in Paducah. The 18 inch was recommended by the rep. I will look again while in Houston and make a decision. Can you let me know pros and cons of this brand and if you are pleased with the product. I found that the lightening made a big difference. Thanks for your input. Betty Ann

[Lynn K.]

I have an Innova 26" with lightning stitch by ABM. I really like it but wish I had purchased the 18" size because my room is small and I would have been able to get around the machine better if the depth was 6" less. So measure your space a few times before purchasing and consider not just the length of the table but also the depth. I might see If I can sell it and down size to the 18", but not sure how difficult that would be.
Gina

[Lynn K.]

Sounds to me like no matter what you (we) have we love it! That's great cause it must mean there are lots of great choices out there for us!

[Nancy R.]

Check out my blog to check out my Lucey and my first attempt to free motion on a longarm community/my-profile/BrinkOfNorway

[Nancy R.]

Sounds like you are having fun with it. I have been thinking about A george one because of space and 2nd because of the cost. I think I would be able to handle that more. Happy

[Nancy R.]

I am just 2 weeks into practicing on the longarm, so I can not realy tell the pros and cons yet in all aspects. For sure I have loved doing free motion on my domestic machine, but for my big quilts I find it timeconsuming. As a full time worker too I want to get those quilts finished :wink: I already love the fact that all the huzzle and buzzle getting backing/batting/quilttop together, nice and flat within 20 minutes. The room between the bars on the frame is generous, 22", so I do feel it is enough room to see where to go and what to do. But, I always think about quilting designs while sewing the top and I guess I wont stop doing so in the future. When I find what I do not like with the longarm I will be honest and tell you. As you I have been quilting all sorts of designs on the sewing machine, and loved it, but hated to layer the quilt, and the struggle managing a big quilt in the 9" throat space.

[Nancy R.]

I actually have an HQ16 that I rarely use. I just haven't had the time to really get how to use it, so I'm not ready to use it on "important" quilts. And with working full time and having more quilt tops to piece than I can ever get done, I don't have time to quilt anything but the important quilts. I think it's interesting that some of you mentioned the big view you get of the quilt when using the longarm. I feel like one of the difficulties of using the longarm is replanning your quilting to fit in the space between the bars. On my domestic, I feel like I can quilt absolutely anthing that I want, going in any direction and travelling all the way across the quilt if I want. On the longarm, I think this is more difficult and I have to approach the quilting design in a different way. I mean, you can move the quilt with the needle down, but you need to really have everything anchored first.

Oh well, if retirement ever gets here then I'll block out some time to really get to know and love my longarm. For now, I can still do basic quilting on it.

Nancy

[Dawn S.]

Hanne-Grete - Yes, "the overview of the quilt top" is what is sadly missing when quilting on a domestic machine. It's like having tunnel vision, because all you see is about one square foot of the quilt (if you are using the puddle method) while quilting in that area. I love it when I go to shows and just stand there and watch the long arm "pros" gracefully quilting long feathers and such. It's just beautiful to watch! Like music to my eyes!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Dawn S.]

I DON'T! :x :cry: I still quilt with my Janome Memory Craft 9000. As long as I keep the motifs small I'm okay, but I just haven't mastered long sweeping movements. Someday, a long arm....................maybe!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Dont cry Dawn :wink: You are able to do lots of fun free motion on your Janome! Been there, done that But, I get you when it comes to the long sweeping movements! Bigger motifs is somewhat easier to do on the longarm, I am getting better at it as we speak...but, the smaller movements required for small motifs I need to practice a lot before I get the hang off. I do like how effordless it is to get a BIG quilt on the frame and the overview I have of the quilt top. The biggest adjustment going from a sewing machine to a longarm is coordinating brain-eyes-hands as going from moving the quilt to moving the machine. Oh well, I do enjoy the practice so I do not mind.

[Dawn S.]

I DON'T! :x :cry: I still quilt with my Janome Memory Craft 9000. As long as I keep the motifs small I'm okay, but I just haven't mastered long sweeping movements. Someday, a long arm....................maybe!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

[Margo C.]

OH BOY!! Can't wait to see what you and Ms. Lucey produce!! You GO girl!!

[Eileen K.]

My APQS Lucey arrived from USA on the 6th of June. 26" throat space and a 10ft table...I love her already I am practicing and cant wait to put the first real quilt on the frame. Using Leadergrips makes the loading prosess so easy, do not regret investing in those :wink:

[Eileen K.]

I got a Gammill Optimum Plus in January and absolutely love it. It is so easy to use and does a great job. I am very interested in learning some new techniques as time goes on. Using the Gammill is so much better than my previous machine (Pfaff Grand Quilter) just because of the throat size alone!

Where do you live? There are several big shows for longarms and machine quilting in general. This week in Manchester, NH is MQX; next month in Overland Park, MO is MQS. In the fall, there's Innovations in the Tacoma, WA area and Quilting with Machines in Ohio(I think). Also, there are now longarm classes at the International Festival in Houston, TX in October.
So, depending on where you live and what you're looking for, there are plenty of opportunities to take classes.
HTH,
eileenkny