Let’s just get more confused: Long-arm or mid-arm

I collected a bunch of questions from potential long-arm quilting machine buyers on reddit, so I don’t just ramble on and on. Because if there’s one thing I can ramble on about, it’s quilting.

Mid-arm is a relatively newer term, and quite confusing, depending on whether you are talking to a dealer or a consumer. From my understanding, it’s really more of a marketing term, not a specific type of machine, which is why it’s confusing.

A mid-arm machine can have feed dogs or not. So, what that means to you, is, a mid-arm is simply a more industrial, stripped down version of a home sewing machine, with a stronger, faster motor, OR, it’s a smaller longarm machine, that they are calling a mid-arm, which has no feed dogs, for lower budgets. So, are you more confused now? I kind of am, so don’t feel bad!

A longarm quilting machine, is designed to do one thing well; move over a quilt, whether manually or computerized, quickly. It has no feed-dogs, and the needle is in one position. It doesn’t even straight stitch, technically, because unless you or a computer is moving the machine around, it’ll stitch in the same spot forever and ever, amen. You can’t piece quilts with a longarm, although there are some fun projects that you can accomplish, other than quilts, but no one would ever invest in a longarm to piece quilts.

Let’s forget the terms, mid-arm and longarm for a second.

What are you hoping to do with this machine you are thinking about buying? Are you going to set up a quilting service as a home business and quilt for others? Do you want to finish your quilts more quickly or with less strain on your body? Maybe you want to do a little of both?

Here’s why I personally chose the longarm that I chose; I had the space, the budget, and I already had a regular sewing machine that I love. I was tired of basting my quilts with safety pins and adhesive spray. And moving and maneuvering a quilt under the needle can have some physical impact on your whole body, as you already have figured out, if you quilt on a domestic machine. Yes, standing at a longarm can also be physically exhausting, so I’ll cover that in another post.

The more I try and explain mid-arm, the more confusing it gets, because it’s not really a specific thing. With a mid-arm, you are going to move the quilt sandwich with your hands. If you are moving the machine, and it’s more petite, then it’s a smaller longarm.

Longarm quilting machines have one main job, quilting.
“Mid-arm” quilting machines can simply be a souped up domestic sewing machine, with a heavy-duty motor, with feed dogs and a wider throat. If it’s being called a “mid-arm” and it has no feed dogs, then it’s a longarm, but smaller and at a lower price-point.

No wonder there are 30 minute youtube videos explaining the difference! Gotta love marketing.

Do you want to stand and quilt, or sit? Do you want to move the quilt around, or move the machine? Do you want to pre-baste, or ditch the basting and load the backing, batting and top, directly onto a frame. You can probably guess my answer to that by how I phrased it!
Why do longarm machines cost so much? Can I recoup the cost of a longarm? How many hours does it take to finish a full-size quilt on a longarm? Is it really quilting if the computer runs the machine? (Oh, please…that’s a question? I’ll answer that now. YES. Sheesh.) Where do you learn how to use a longarm quilting machine? What are other options available if I don’t have the space for a longarm?

Those and many more questions, will be answered in the following posts. Or, I might change out of my Covid-19 quarantine daily outfit, you know what I’m talking about, get real clothes on and answer in a video.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter