I was asked about my longarm last week only to discover I hadn’t written about it. So this is the LongArm post.
I quilt on a 26″ Innova longarm with stitch regulation, Lightning Stitch and AutoPiolot Mach3. It sits on a 12-foot table. Although a longarm was on my dream list, it was just that a dream. Where would I put it, how could I afford it? It was through a series of events (both good and bad) that this fully loaded machine came to live with me. Never in my dreams did I think I would own a machine with all the bells and whistles.
The architect calls this room the Den. It is 13′ x 18 1/2′. I think the room was used as a den for about a year. Then it was a bedroom for my nephews for a year, then my sewing room and office (I’ve worked from home for 20 years), and now it is just my quilting studio, my office desk moving to the spare bedroom when the long arm arrived. These pictures are from shortly after the machine was setup in December 2019. My room is no longer this clean.
Under the machine on the “back side” I have built a couple of PVC batting racks. The batting on the roll in the foreground is 120″ wide and the other roll is 96″ wide.
Since the machine moved in my cats are not happy. They are no longer allowed in the space. To assist with that, I’ve hung a screen door in the opening going into the kitchen. I now also keep the door going into the living room closed. It was hung when the room was used as a bedroom.
I started longarming in September 2010, renting time on an HandiQuitler a little over an hour away from me. In June 2012 I found a shop about 15 minutes from me which rented time on Noltings. I don’t think either shop rents time anymore. I started quilting on the Innova in August 2018.
Thanks Pam. I am similar as I’d love to have a long arm and also wonder where what and how not even thinking of the expense and practicality as I currently am doing the FMQ on my domestic!
I’ll be pining your info you so kindly shared, thank you. It always marvels me when I hear someone is quilting while they’re doing their piecing so your explanation is nice.
Happy quilting.