When is a long arm really a long arm...??

I posted this on a yahoo board that asked if the Bailey home quilter was a long arm, a stretched machine or just what was it.. Which category did it belong. Low and behold I got some positive feedback on my creative writing!



That is a loaded question...

The Bailey is a quilting machine constructed by Mr. Bailey from new parts that he has obtained in order to give us a machine that is larger than a Domestic Sewing Machine. The "Bailey" , well it can be argued is a mid arm as opposed to a long arm, (.as some define a longarm starting with a harp of 18") provides the user with a largequilting area equal and greater than a midarm.This is dependent of course on the course on the model purchased- The 17E being on the verge of being called a longarm quilter

One can imagine that there are many arguments to what makes a long arm a long arm . Is it simply the added length of the harp or does it go beyond the threshold into the area of computerize equipment, stitch regulators built in or on board. For argument sake I would say that the Bailey 17 is a long arm quilting machine that has it's own stitch regulator and stitch speed control, It is compatible with at least one computerized longarm software ( sorry the name escapes me but it has been mentioned on the yahoo boards)

Of course this statement is all my own and I guess I also wonder why we have to justify whether we are the proud owners of a long arm, or simply a great quilting machine with a long harp that works for us.

And you are right we would not trade it for the more expensive machines, especially when we have trained ourselves and our machines. Besides what is in a definition, The real story is that it works for us and that we are happy and even happier we did not spend $6k getting there.

Now it will be interesting to see what the others add to the flavor of the definition, Next we might have to write some ditty's and construct you tube video as a contest. and maybe CHUCK will use it in his advertising!!

Whatever you have in a Bailey just know that you are accompanied by a number of people who are proud owners and willing to share in their trials and tribulations of owning such an instrument!!