An industrial-grade quilting machine mounted on a track system over a large frame. The machine head has a throat space typically ranging from 18 to 30 inches, allowing the operator to maneuver the needle freely over a quilt sandwich stretched on rollers. It drastically reduces the time and physical strain required to quilt bed-sized pieces compared to pushing fabric through a standard domestic machine.
Heard on the job
I finished piecing the top and sent it out to a longarm operator to do the final quilting.
Insider tip
When loading a longarm frame, ensure the backing fabric is loaded squarely and tightly on the rollers to prevent puckers on the underside.
Also heard as
- longarm quilter
- longarm machine