Little Gracie MQ

How cheap is cheap?

And what have you let go to make room for it? (eg, a knitting machine that you no longer use... )

I'd love one, you can be sure. And cheap is good.

I have the Little Gracie II and I am happy to have it. I would never spend the big bucks on a real long arm. Another option is renting time on a real long arm. I've done that too. I will never be great at MQing, but I can get my small pieces done that are for family or charity. I bought a Juki that stays with the frame, in the bonus room that otherwise doesn't get used. I also bought the metal upgrade platform which makes a real difference.

Thanks for your input. In the end the item (on ebay) wasn't cheap and I didn't even bother to bid. It finally went for =A3350 which seems to me a silly price. I think the new one isn't much more. never mind, there will be another one one day, if I ever decide to take the plunge.

Until then, I shall stick with HQ, which I love, and MQ with my machine as it is. Practice is worth a thousand gismos... I never thought I would ever say that!

Nel (Gadget Queen)

The one I liked the look of was a perspex table-top frame. Can't remember where I saw it or what it was called... It probably wasn't big enough for king sized quilts, but I don't remember that it was madly expensive, either. Might be worth looking into, if we can hunt one down.

You Bernina should cope fine. Just remember to do small areas at a time! And sometimes a frame can help, thoigh I usually just grab and steer! Not that I'm so much of an expert... Too long since I quilted anything!

I must complete that custion cover you started me on!

I think you mean this one:

I've looked at it, and think it's lovely. One day, perhaps.

But I've often wondered about the low-tech option of the Flynn quilting frame. makes all kinds of sense, and wouldn't need the storage.

Nel

Hm... That might be it, though the one I remember was clear perspex, which was one reason I liked it! See-through quilt frame! ;) Whatever you decide, let me know if you want an old front-loading Bernina to mount in the frame, and I'll bring you one. Got a 707 and an 807 with missing extension table going spare.

Yes, but it needs a lot more space to use, as you move the frame rather than the machine...

So many things to think about!

If you use a Flynn frame, you need a long table -- twice as long as the frame, because your machine is stationary and you move the frame. That gets unmanageable with a large quilt because you need a large frame. The disadvantage to any of the frames that use a standard machine is that you still don't have any more room under the arm -- in fact you have a bit less because you not only have the quilt, but you also have the frame.

With a frame, can you start in the center and work to one side, then re-mount on the frame to do the other half? If you have to start on one side and work to the other, you will end up with the entire quilt under the arm of your machine at one end or the other. That could be a lot of bulk.

Julia > I think you mean this one:

Buttons