7 Reasons Why I DO Want and Need a Longarm – Podcast #107
It’s high time I updated my infamous post from 2011, 7 Reasons Why I DON’T Want or Need a Longarm and share all ways my perspective has changed in the past 8 years. I do believe this is the longest podcast I’ve ever shared! If you want to get straight to the topic, just jump to time: 34:00:
You can also listen to this podcast or download it to your computer using this player:
Click Here to help support the podcast by joining the Quilt Friends Club! We’re doing a weekly giveaway now, just for members of the club, so if you’d like to be entered to win, join in the fun today!
No, this isn’t an unbiased podcast. I’m a dealer for Grace Company because I love their machines and quilting frames! Here’s a few links to the machines and frames I mentioned in the podcast:
Grace Qnique 21 on the Continuum Frame – This is my current setup and the machine in the video in the podcast. I really need to level the frame again. The machine is rolling all over the place!
Grace Qnique 15R / 14+ on the Continuum Frame – This was my original 15-inch longarm on the Continuum frame and I quilted over a dozen quilts on it. It’s smaller, more affordable, and will help you finish your quilts so much faster.
Grace Qnique 15R on the Q-Zone Frame – This tiny frame is only 4 1/2-feet wide and you can put your home machine or the Grace Qnique 15R on top! This is a great choice if space is a big issue for you.
News from Around the House
We had a very busy Memorial Day weekend! I realized last week that my new Champagne D’Argent bunnies were getting way too hot in their new hutch. All weekend I tried to trouble shoot the issue and set up fans, froze water bottles, and added extra roof pieces to the side. I even stapled fabric over the front and sides too and I found soaking 2 panels with water does help to reduce the temperature.
But the hutch is still getting over 90 degrees in the middle of the day. That’s very dangerous for these bunnies.
What I eventually realized is I built the hutch in the worst possible place – the south side of the yard in full sun. Back in February when we were building this, that didn’t seem like a bad idea because it was cold. Then this week, the weather has turned super super hot.
Ultimately we decided to get a new prebuilt shed for the yard. It’s the exact same size as the Crafty Cottage I put in a few years ago, but this one will be the Rabbit Ritz. I’m still wrapping my head around the expense, but I know I love raising bunnies already. I can’t wait to get angoras and have a ready supply of fine wool on hand as well!
Progress on the Goddess Quilt Book
I’m nearly finished with the first draft of Goddess Quilt Journey, a book about a series of quilts I created starting in 2007. I just have two stories to finish up and it will be ready for editing. I’m really looking forward to starting the book layout and photography. That’s when the book really starts to take shape. I want this to be a gorgeous, photo heavy book and I’m really looking forward to designing each page.
Working on this book is also helping me focus on finishing a lot of the goddess quilts I left unfinished over the years. No, I won’t be able to finish any of the complicated ones. Piecing 200 – 3/8-inch hexies isn’t something I can do in a weekend!
My goal is to finish Eye of Calm, my newest pregnant goddess quilt I started this winter. I plan to keep the quilting minimal so the quilt can be puffy and dimensional even though it’s designed to hang on a wall.
Don’t Forget about Quilt Fantastic!
Spaces are filling up in Quilt Fantastic! Sign up for either the morning longarm quilting session or the afternoon home machine quilting session. Click Here to contact Bob Bolton, my partner in crime for tickets and more information!
A Few Things I Still Agree With:
In the podcast, I read through the original post, 7 Reasons Why I DON’T Want or Need a Longarm. A lot of points from this post I still agree with:
#1 – Spending a lot of money on a machine will not make you a better quilter.
#2 – Practice is the key to mastery, no matter what machine you quilt on.
#3 – There is no reason to be snobby or elitist or emotional about machine choice, space, or how you create your quilts. I don’t berate myself for “cheating” when I use a power saw! A longarm is a machine and it’s designed to make your life easier. Period.
A Few Things I was Flat Wrong About:
My original post was largely based on Feels, not on Facts. I had never quilted an entire quilt on a longarm when I shared that post. That means I got a few details flat out wrong:
#1 – Quilting on a longarm IS easier. Moving the machine over a quilt that’s held tight and flat in a frame is much easier than squishing and pushing a quilt through the arm of a home machine.
#2 – Quilting on a longarm IS faster. It’s easier to make big movements with a longarm and quilt open, simple designs over the whole quilt. And it’s faster because you don’t have to stop and reposition the quilt every 4 inches.
#3 – Longarms are too expensive – Yes, back in 2011, longarm machines and frames were very expensive ($15,000 – 30,000). In the 8 years since I shared that post, the price of longarm machines and frames has come down considerably. I sell two longarm and frame combos that cost less than $5000.
At the same time, home machines have gotten bigger and way more expensive than they were in 2011. These days you have a choice to spend $5000 on a home machine with an 11 inch harp space (Janome Horizon) or a longarm on a small frame. This wasn’t the case back in 2011 and with the excellent competition within the longarm market, the prices will only continue to fall.
7 Reasons Why I DO Want and Need a Longarm
At the end of the podcast, I shared the 7 new reasons why I love having not just one, but two longarm machines in my home:
#1 – I’m finishing so many more quilts! – Last week I quilted a throw quilt for my son’s bus driver in 1 hour. It took more time to bind the quilt than it did to quilt it! I couldn’t have done this on my home machine because it would have taken at least 4 times longer to quilt this spiral design over the surface.
#2 – NO BASTING! – I hate basting. Really, really, really hate it. I never want to baste another quilt in my life, and with a longarm frame, I don’t have to. I pin my backing fabric to my leader cloth and using the tensioning of the frame, the layers of the quilt are held flat and smooth. All the issues I had with the backing getting wrinkled and pleated when quilting on my home machine is a thing of the past.
#3 – This Feels Easier – I can move the longarm machine around with my fingertips. I no longer have to pull, push, scrunch, or smoosh the quilt through the arm of a home machine. This feels easier and I can get more done in a shorter amount of time. Win win!
#4 – Less Wear on my Body – I struggled with neck and shoulder pain along with painful headaches for years. Like so many of us quilters, I was chronically sitting slumped over my home sewing machine. Sitting in a contorted position for hours on end wasn’t sustainable. An experienced quilter also warned me in 2014 that I could ruin my back and shoulders if I didn’t change what I was doing. I trusted her advice and I’m very glad I did because I physically feel better today than I did 5 years ago.
#5 – It is More Affordable (At least it’s not $30,000!) – As I said before, you can get a nice longarm machine and frame for $5000, which is far more affordable than the $30,000 price tag that was typical a few years ago. This of course is entirely dependent on your perspective and how much you want to invest in your quilting hobby. Again, this is up to you, your family, your budget, and what you want to do with your money. It is not something to feel guilty or jealous about.
How you spend your money is entirely up to you.
And one last note about money – you’re allowed to want this. Yes, even if it’s just for your hobby and just for fun. If you love quilting and you want to quilt your quilts faster and easier, then it’s okay to want a longarm. If you can’t afford one right now or fit it into your home, consider renting time on a longarm in your local area. That’s a service that’s much more commonly available now than it was in 2011.
#6 – A Longarm Machine is a Better Use of My Space – For years, my sewing room was filled a large home machine, and multiple tables around it so I could quilt big quilts easily in that area. When I thought of adding a longarm frame, I always thought of it as an addition, and didn’t see how I could have room for it. Then I realized it wasn’t an addition – it was a swap. I collapsed the tables, sold the home machine, and suddenly had room for the longarm frame which helped me quilt faster and easier. It’s a better use of my space.
These days I’m thinking about expanding my Continuum Frame using the 2 foot extension. This will require tearing out a table where I keep my embroidery machine. Which is more valuable? Adding length to my frame so I can quilt up to 103-inch quilts, or an embroidery machine I rarely use?
#7 – This has helped me change for the better – I wasn’t happy with what I was quilting for several years. I wanted to quilt more quilts, but the way I was quilting them (way too dense) was far too time consuming. Having a longarm machine has helped me change my quilting style. I’ve been able to make quilts to enjoy in my home, give as gifts, even give to charity. I couldn’t do this before.
No, a Longarm isn’t for Everyone
Owning a longarm machine has helped me understand this style of quilting much better. No, it’s not for everyone.
As I said in the video, if you like quilting giant Super Spirals on your quilts, the best method is walking foot quilting on a home machine.
If you like quilting dense, that style is easier to master on a home machine, though do be careful about the wear and tear on your shoulders and back.
If you only want to quilt 12-inch squares and put them together quilt-as-you-go style, that will be just as easy on a home machine too.
Longarm machines specialize in helping you quilt bigger quilts, with bigger designs. You can quilt faster and easier on a longarm and with better looking stitches because you’ll have a stitch regulator keeping your stitches the same size.
So understand this type of machine is a tool to use. It can help you quilt your quilts, but it’s certainly not the only way you can quilt. No, you don’t need a longarm to make show winning quilts. No, you don’t need a longarm to master free motion quilting. You can begin today with the machine you own right now.
That’s it for this week! I hope you’ve enjoyed this very long podcast and it helps you understand the upsides and downsides of owning a longarm machine. Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments below!
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
More Hello My Quilting Friends Podcast Episodes:
- #106 – Can I Become a 1 Project Person?
- #105 – Time Lapse Quilting with Todd DuBay
- #104 – Painting the Rabbit Hutch and Puttering Around
- #103 – Meet Laura Hendrickson, the National Quilt Museum Registrar!
- #102 – Do You Ever Sleep?
- #101 – Quit Gaming and Start Quilting with Luann Fischer
- #100 – Happy Episode 100!
- #99 – Overcome the Fear so You Can Create
- #98 – Permission to Make What You MOST Need to Create
- #97 – Running the National Quilt Museum with Frank Bennett
- #96 – Creative Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
- #95 – From Fire Fighter to Fiber Artist with Brandy Maslowski
- #94 – Cleaning Up to Be Creative
- #93 – Fixing Quilting Mistakes with Beth Collins
- #92 – Rising to Unexpected Challenges
- #91 – Quilt Blogging in 2019 with Vicki Holloway
- #90 – Tracing a New Goddess Quilt
- #89 – My Word of the Year for 2019
Es bueno reconocer un cambio de opinión. Muchas veces la falta de información nos hace pensar de una forma determinada. Yo empecé con máquina doméstica y sencilla y fui cambiando a mejores máquinas hasta que he llegado a una Bernina Q24. Se necesita mucha práctica para dominarla y si bien me encanta mi longarm también me gusta mi máquina de mesa. No quisiera tener que elegir. A cada trabajo su máquina!!
I have to admit I was far more concerned about reading about the bunnies than your thoughts on long arm quilting. That said, I couldn’t agree with you more about using a long arm. I will add that I will never regret having learned FMQ on my home machine. I like making pin cushions and mug rug size art quilting every so often. Glad I bought that large throated Husqvarna! Even happier I purchased my 15R. I loving long arming!!
Thank you for sharing Dianne!
“Quilted the snot out of it!” made me laugh so loud! But yes – we grow but still there are times when I go back to your videos to play and learn, or even being reminded how to do whatever. My first machine quilted large laptop had feathers in the sashing – or lollipops that I pulled the thread out until I thought there wouldn’t be much fabric left to quilt and all the time I was hearing you say not to pull it – leave it in! So I did even though I hated it and by the time I had finished they were looking much better and I liked it. The last quilt was echo hearts on a curved log cabin – but the centre piece was all feathers and I just got lost in the moment doing it. I loved making it. But the shoulders suffered. I also felt that by sitting down so long I forgot to get up and move around and ended up quite stiff. Not really healthy! So bobbin change and get up and walk around! The Janome also didn’t like moving in some directions, so thread broke all too often when I was in the zone and forgot about that!
I have been going to shows and researching the longarms. I know what I’d like now – mainly because the people have a great back up service even living in the back of beyond. Other dealers not so impressed with who would rather play and not let people try, or chat on their phones instead of talking to prospective customers (when it is the sole dealership in the country they are not doing the manufacturer any justice) and another company just doesn’t have the repair and service staff to cover. They still are expensive machines but pain free is first and foremost as I like to make big bed quilts.
So saying that I do love my treadles and I have yet to try on the Singer 201K from the 1930’s. Sad that I am I have just bought a Singer 66K which is a treadle – also 1930’s and will be picking her up on Monday. I need to do some more work on the 15K as she needs adjusting – the presser gauge is not moving despite oiling, and she does skip stitches from time to time – and I do love tinkering with the old machines.
As for the chicken area – I would love to see Josh’s set up, however imperfect – it works and the birds are safe. Also had chickens over 10 years and I never tire of seeing how people make something from wood, wire etc and make a masterpiece – even if it is wonky or scruffy! Next podcast “now for something completely different!” LOL!
All the best xxx
Thank you Kerry! Yes, take your time and keep researching to find the right dealer in your area. It always amazes me that people willing to spend thousands of dollars to travel to a show and set up a booth end up playing with their phone instead of using the opportunity! GAH!
That’s a great suggestion for a future podcast. I’ll have to get over my squeamishness about showing Josh’s setup. We’re getting 12 or more eggs a day so he’s obviously doing something right!
Leah,
Thank you for your tireless drive to educate and encourage others who quilt. I watched a lot of your earlier videos over the past 4 years when my interest in quilting exploded. I have learned so much from you and others and I appreciate it. I love your self-expression about trying to be creative and economical with machines. Your promotion of the Grace Quilting products is so in tune with my own thinking. If I buy one, it will be because of you. I, too, had struggles with the hunched-up efforts to quilt big quilts on a domestic machine which resulted in neck and back pain. I think the idea of basting on the longarm is great and more efficient. Also, the softer quilts that come from less dense quilting seems to confirm the reason for quilting in the first place! When I save up enough money, I’ll come calling.
Thank you for sharing Pat! I really appreciate your kindness. I was kind of scared of sharing this post simply because of my 180-degree change in attitude. But it’s been 8 years and a lot has changed and I absolutely love Grace Company. I wouldn’t work with a brand I didn’t love or products that didn’t work. Thank you for watching!
I would like your opinion on the sit down long arm machines, my space at home really doesn’t permit me to use even the shortest frame that you sell. My sewing machine which I cannot afford to replace at the moment has a fairly short harp space. I have quilted a couple of king quilts on the home machine with a lot of body pain and determination. I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this!
I had a sit down longarm for awhile and it honestly didn’t make much of a difference in the feel or ease of quilting. While certainly having more space helped, it was still pushing the quilt over the table, which put pressure down on my hands and shoulders. It still took a lot of time to get something done. So my best advice would be to rent time on a longarm instead, if that’s something available in your area. That way you can build the skill, but you don’t have to take on the cost or rearrange your house!
Hi Leah! Thanks for sharing all the great information that you do. I was wondering if you could clarify why quilting on a domestic sewing machine means that you quilt more densely. What is the reason why you can’t quilt less densely on a domestic machine?