machine quilting question

**Sara Noel** · 07-22-2003, 05:11 PM

for those that machine quilt..do you use a regular sewing machine or one of those longarm machines? I was surfing and saw that the longarm machines have a lot of templates for quilting.

**homesteadmamma** · 07-22-2003, 05:25 PM

Sara, I use my regular sewing machine to quilt my quilts.

Long arm quilting machines are very expensive, and you need a lot of room for them, at least the ones I've seen.

Quilters that sell many quilts or do the quilting of the quilt for others would probably be those who would look at purchasing one.

Just the other day there was an article in our newspaper in regards to a lady who had purchased one in the city. By the time she was finished, she had spent huge (and I mean huge) dollars on the purchase of one. But she also was in business, doing the quilting for those who had finished quilt tops, but wanted someone to do the quilting for them.

I've seen quilts done with a long arm quilting machine and watched a lady do it at the quilting store where I purchase some of my material. It did get the quilting done really fast, but again I can't justify spending all the $$ on one.

**homesteadmamma** · 07-22-2003, 05:31 PM

I forgot to add, there is quite a bit of controversy amongst quilters who do only hand quilting of a quilt and those who use long arms.

Those that classify themselves as true quilters, say that those who use long arm machines aren't true quilters.

Its always interesting to me what people can find to argue or disagree about!!

**Katybird** · 07-24-2003, 04:18 PM

I could never afford a long arm, but I would sure love to have one. I have actually considered a small business loan to purchase one and to start a business of machine quilting. There is only one person in our area that does it and she stays so booked up that she is more than a year behind all the time. There is great money to be made in it.

**MJsLady** · 07-24-2003, 08:08 PM

I have a facinating book called "Country Quilts in a Day" and it is how to use a rotary cutter and sewing maching to make quilts in a day, well it seems mroel iek a weekend to me. They say nothing about needing the specialized long arm machine. i just want a regular one so I can sew and quilt!