# Anyone else enjoy quilting?



## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

I am a self taught quilter, with the help of Ealnor Burns. I have been quilting for about 12 yrs off and on. I have hand quilted but machine is my preference. I think homemade gifts are the best. Although fabric is going up, along with everything else. But there are really good deals online. Right now I am working on a BOM called Civil War Chronicles. I picked it up in a quilt store last year in Gettysburg. It has taken me this long to start it! I am on month 6. She just sent me the rest of the months, so I can finish them as soon as I can. 
My avatar is the beginning stages on this quilt.
Anyone else like to quilt?


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I used to do some quilting with my grandma, I enjoyed my time with her, learned lots but no where near enough. My grandpa made an adjustable wooden frame that helped my grandma (and me) make quilts. 

At home, I have a dozen quilts that grandma made - they are all very special to me.

I would love to have time to quilt again, maybe after hunting-season I'll be able to take up the needle and thread and scrap cloth to make some creations.

I would love to see lots of pictures of the quilts you have made and any progress pictures would be nice too :wave:


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## 1969cj-5 (Sep 14, 2011)

My wife and I work on them together. I made her a very basic quilting frame for Christmas a couple of years ago, and it has not been put away yet. We keep using it.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

1969cj-5 said:


> My wife and I work on them together. I made her a very basic quilting frame for Christmas a couple of years ago, and it has not been put away yet. We keep using it.


I would love to see pictures and dimensions of your frame. My grandma passed away years ago and the frame my grandpa built was given away. I'll try to see if grandpa still remembers how he built her frame long before my father was even a thought ..


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## DKRinAK (Nov 21, 2011)

*IT's fun, even for guys.*

Built my wife an adjustable frame, then we went to a break-down frame.

These days we mostly do the tie-the-edge type quilts with the quilting limited to pulling yarn and tying it to secure the batting. Fast and nice baby quilts.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

I love to hear how others learned to quilt. How cool is it that you have some of your grandmas quilts. My grandma was a crocheter, I have a few items she has made for me. I could never get the hang of that. Below are some pics of the quilts I have made, I would love to see pictures of everyones qulits also. Dont worry I wont post them all. 
Sorry, but some of the pics you cant see much quilting.


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## 1969cj-5 (Sep 14, 2011)

NaeKid said:


> I would love to see pictures and dimensions of your frame. My grandma passed away years ago and the frame my grandpa built was given away. I'll try to see if grandpa still remembers how he built her frame long before my father was even a thought ..


Used 1x2 8 foot lengths of white pine held together with clamps for the frame, and 2x4's for the legs. I will try and get some pictures later. Total expense including the clamps was 40 bucks.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

We have two frames. the first is 14 ft. long(sitting in the shed) no room in this tiny house for it. the other is (like mentioned above) held together with clamps however it is not on legs it hangs from the ceiling in our bedroom. When we want to work on the quilt we just let it down and when we get tired of working we raise it back up.

we(husband and I) hand quilt, machine quilt and tie. We made our first quilt about 22 years ago and just kept on going.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Freyadog, I like that idea. Our home is small also. When youa re working on a quilt on your frame, is it hard to hold it still?


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

I don't quilt.... yet. 

I've wanted to for a long time, have read how-to books and looked into it, but haven't started anything yet. However, I do buy materials. It's just one of those things that pushes my domestic prepping buttons - keeping people warm is right up there with feeding them. I've got a couple 'kits' in progress (for lack of a better term), using these mammoth sized ziplock bags, and I'll put the supplies for each quilt in them. Like when the batting goes on sale half price I'll pick up a queen size one and put it in the ziplock bag. Then when fabric I want is on sale I'll figure out what I need and buy that and put it in the bag - or if I find fabric at the thrift store, or being given away, etc. When I can spring for the backing I'll get that and put it in the bag. I've got several 'kits' in varying stages of completion. I hope to get started soon, but at least if the SHTF I'll have stuff to work with. 

Thanks for starting this thread - it's great to read about/see what others are doing! :2thumb:


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

La la la la :dunno: I dunno what you all are talking about...


I don't have time...yet. :sssh:


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> I used to do some quilting with my grandma...


As a young boy I did some crocheting with my grandmother. Forgot all about it for years and years. She passed away a few years ago and just recently I was folding a blanket she had made and thought about trying it again. There was still bags of yarn and needles that were saved when her house was cleaned out. I got them and a few (how to) videos (on YouTube) later I was able to remember it again. I've now got half a blanket done. When I'm watching a movie with the wife I just grab the needle (hook) and yarn and go to town. Great way to still be productive even while having some down time.


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

lilmissy0740 said:


> Freyadog, I like that idea. Our home is small also. When youa re working on a quilt on your frame, is it hard to hold it still?


No we do not have a problem quilting this way. The weight helps it stay steady. I mean it does move but it does not swing everywhere. Back during the day most wives had a quilt frame hanging. It was lowered during quilting bees and then pulled back up in place.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

My aunt loves to quilt, she's made several masterpieces for me.do you use one of those long arm sewing machines?


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## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

Magus said:


> My aunt loves to quilt, she's made several masterpieces for me.do you use one of those long arm sewing machines?


In my dreams only.


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## Chelsey (Feb 29, 2012)

My great grandfather won many awards for his Seminole quilts; they were very beautiful. Seminole patchwork is very interesting and looks very tricky. I wish he had passed that skill down :\


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

lilmissy0740 said:


> I am a self taught quilter, with the help of Ealnor Burns. I have been quilting for about 12 yrs off and on. I have hand quilted but machine is my preference. I think homemade gifts are the best. Although fabric is going up, along with everything else. But there are really good deals online. Right now I am working on a BOM called Civil War Chronicles. I picked it up in a quilt store last year in Gettysburg. It has taken me this long to start it! I am on month 6. She just sent me the rest of the months, so I can finish them as soon as I can.
> My avatar is the beginning stages on this quilt.
> Anyone else like to quilt?


I am working on a BOM and so is DD. It is a "Buck A Block" sampler. I have only made 3 full size quilts although I have been sewing for 45 years. Those quilts were given to family members. Taking care of the Rooster has been so demanding this winter that I lost interest, but a BOM has brought me out of it. Now I'm rooting around in my stash for other things to sew while waiting on my next block. I usually sew in the winter or rainy days.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

I am with you lilrebhen. Cant sew in the summer, to much to do and who wants to be inside? Cant wait to see your BOM, make sure you post pics.
I have made a quilt that used up a lot of my stash. I am sure there is a name, but couldnt tell you what it is. I picked out as much fabric that I thought went together, I would just sew pieces together no matter how small, then cut it to make a straight edge and sew more pieces. Once I got a block big enough for what I wanted, I think mine were 8x8. I would cut that block out, take the pieces that were left over from what I just cut and sew some more to it, cut 8x8 again and sew more to the remaining. Enough to get however many sq I wanted. Put in a shashing and called it done. I think it turned out really nice.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

I have been trying to avoid this thread. It mocks me. :gaah::gaah:

I have been cutting squares of fabric from family members clothes for my "patchwork" quilt for 26 years. I could probably make 10 King size quilts with all of my squares. How many have I made? NONE, nada, zippo! I am so ashamed!


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## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

I have the fabric cut for 3 or 4 quilts.....one sitting next to the sewing machine LOL Need to get busy. only thing I can say is hmmmm distracted by other things. I like using the quick methods. Need to get working on the rail fence for DD.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

how many of us that quilt have more than one in "progress". I have three of my own and one of my grandmothers and one big box of squares that she cut out for a quilt. one day I will work on all of them and finish them.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

gosh i have like a half dozen quilt tops that need to be backed and quilted.lol I like piecing a lot. those quilt pics are beautiful!!


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## Gypsyshome (Apr 21, 2011)

*Just making it up as I go quilts!*

I have my first one almost finished. I used all colors (that i could find) of denim plus some colorful extra squares I only have to finish the hem. I am not going to "quilt" the top, just tied it, but i like the results. I pick up old jeans at thrift stores and cut them up, next i want to buy old wool mens suits and wash them before cutting. really masculine and warm:2thumb: no frame for me I am going to do a lap quilt...not a good project for summer. I have started to collect the suits. :gaah: WE NEED MORE TIME! yes?


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

gypsy, you need to make a rag quilt with those jeans.


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## Gypsyshome (Apr 21, 2011)

lilmiss, I think i know what that rag quilt is....I will check it out online, thanks for the idea.


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## kilagal (Nov 8, 2011)

Rather than mens suits I have used wool skirts. I have 2 of them done and we use them all the time here in MT. After all it gets cold in the winter.


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## Rain23 (Jul 18, 2011)

You all are inspirational! 

After years of giving up projects halfway through, I made my MIL a lap quilt for Mother's Day. I was able to buy 2 yards of broadcloth on sale, a handful of fat quarters for binding and a thrift store blanket for the batting. Using the microfiber blanket batting made it cheaper and warmer with less weight. If you bind it into the edges it doesn't shift when washed and tumbled dry, and you can hand quilt around motifs on your main fabric without having to get the spacing even. With the money that I saved on the other things I got 2 yards of ridiculously expensive Japanese cotton in a bird and flower print for the top. It went together nicely once a kind soul showed me how to miter corners (my attempt to follow written instructions was hilarious but not very helpful). 

Thank you for showing the beautiful quilts; even when I can't sew, I get happy thinking about such beautiful things that are practical also.


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## Ahnemesis (May 29, 2012)

Elenor Burns is great for learning all the tricks to piecing material together. I record her series on my dvr. But my grandmother taught me most of what I know about sewing a long time ago. Even darning socks!
I've recently picked sewing back up, due to boredom, but it also showed me that in a situation where there's no electricity, I'll have something constructive to do. (yeah, I sew the old way, by hand  )
Since material is so high most of mine comes from discarded clothing that my kids no longer wear or from items my extended family members don't want anymore. They don't understand my love of getting their old stuff and chopping away at them for bits of material, but I at least help them clear out their closets and dressers.
It's nice to meet some quilters on here. :wave:


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## PamsPride (Dec 21, 2010)

I have started a couple of quilts...never finished them.

I have an Accuquilt now and I have been saving up plaid shirts to make a couple quilts with. A friend of mine said she would sew them together for me so they should get done then!


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

lilmissy, beautiful work!! Can I tell you all something about myself? My husband manages the Receiving Department for the largest supplier of quilting fabrics here in the West Coast, but also big nationwide (maker of Shadowplay, Maywood, Cara Collection....), and guess what? I can't quilt for the life of me!!! LOL I am not kidding. I have tried and no matter how good my cuts are, I somehow get things started and they start going askew, I don't know why...it's just awful.

I limit myself to projects that do not involve perfection, and small odd sized pieces of fabric. I am the odd woman (well, there are some guy quilt makers there too) out, lots of the female workers there and some of the guys wives, are fantastic quilt makers...


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

HoppEL: If my hubby worked in a place like that I would have to build a garage just to hold fabric! Maybe you are to critical of your own work? None of mine ar eperfect. My theory, it will look better in the morning or else if you see a mistake maybe you should just make your own.  Keep practicing. As long as all your pieces are cut correctly, keep the same seam allowance on all pieces and you will be fine.
Thanks for the compliment.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

Yeah, I have tried and tried on that, make nice markings for it, even put a piece of masking tape on my machine for my seam allowance (my mothers way of doing it) and yet somehow, they start to warp and go sideways....One of my aunts does the landscape quilts and they are so beautiful, I am amazed at the work and how it all fits together so nicely. 

I'll just stick to single piece projects and admire other peoples work, it's my sanity saver.

As for the fabric...I have to watch myself, I love going there and just browsing and get too many ideas at one time, then I have to remind myself I have plenty of unfinished projects at home (in my defense, I refinish furniture, Shabby Chic/Cottage style).


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

when I have that problem of the pieces "warping" or pulling it is most of the time a tension problem.. your foot is too tight or the top or bottom thread tension may be off. Ihave a slower machine that I can not sew a straight line with but my faster machine I have no problems. 
look into the wonder under stuff and try some applique work.
here are a few pictures of one that I worked on with a bunch of other ladies. they didnt' know how to embroider so we did the appliques and I took each one home and embroidered them. they put them together and the quilt was sold for project graduation.
















and here it is laid out on the floor before putting it all together.. and of course not one of us took a picture of it once it was all done.. sheesh..


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

Really nice work. I have done appliquing, my machine does not have the nice finishing stitches yours obviously has, pretty basic, but I do know how to embroider, learned by copying stitches off a piece of one of my great-grandmothers crazy quilts (Victorian). The machine and I don't have a very symbiotic realtionship yet....my sister and niece are really good at this kind of thing and one aunt who does the landscape quilting, so I'll have them do that while I do the hand embroidery their machines cannot replicate :2thumb:.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Emerald, nice work! Love the color choice also.
Hoppe, if you ever get a chance to go hang out with others as they quilt, maybe you could just bring snacks


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

HoppeEL4 said:


> Really nice work. I have done appliquing, my machine does not have the nice finishing stitches yours obviously has, pretty basic, but I do know how to embroider, learned by copying stitches off a piece of one of my great-grandmothers crazy quilts (Victorian). The machine and I don't have a very symbiotic relationship yet....my sister and niece are really good at this kind of thing and one aunt who does the landscape quilting, so I'll have them do that while I do the hand embroidery their machines cannot replicate :2thumb:.


No machine stitching there.. I did all the blanket and back stitching by hand. 
I just wish I had a machine that could embroider. that was quite a few weeks of work. I just wish it would have gotten more bids.. the prices didn't go very high on any of the work we did..


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## wolven (Sep 7, 2011)

I love to quilt. started about 6 years ago when my son's quilt, his grandma made, started to fall apart. I have my grandma's quilting frame and that takes up a big spot in my house so don't quilt as much as I would like but since my son's quilt I have made 5 quilts and curently working on one for my grand-daughter that requires embroidery:sssh: Right now I have 6 grandkids under 8 so time is not available to do as many things as I would like.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

I think this is part of my problem, patience. Taking the time to slow down. I am one of those people who have too many projects and things to do, and quilting takes time and patience, maybe I just can't slow down enough to piece it together right?


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## Chickensittin (Jul 25, 2012)

HoppeEL4 said:


> I think this is part of my problem, patience. Taking the time to slow down. I am one of those people who have too many projects and things to do, and quilting takes time and patience, maybe I just can't slow down enough to piece it together right?


You might want to consider some kind of hand work. I know this seems counter-intuitive, since you were talking about patience, but I think you would be surprised at how much you can get done while waiting at the Drs. office, waiting in traffic, sitting in front of the tv, etc. Just get a project ready and take it with you. A lot of people are piecing hexagons in the English piecing style, which is popular right now. I recently pieced an apple core table topper by hand and have 
pieced 4-5 queen size quilts, all by hand. Try it & see if it works for you.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

I have this quilt top...it was given to me by this nice lady, decades ago, for doing some laundry and housework I did for her while her husband was ailing. She thought I needed one for my hope chest.

She had hand pieced this decades, probably, even before I was born. It is a star shape in graduating colors as it moves inward, with a white background. It is fragile and I am sure should be stabilized. I would love just to have it stabilized and framed as is. Not sure if it could withstand being put together as a quilt even just to hang. Would love to do it and show it off.

Anyways, it amazed me when she handed it over to me, including tons of extra squares for pillow shams. I knew even then I could not put it together as a quilt due to its age, but also because my lack of skills.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Hopp, great gift!!! Please put a label on this gem for the next person who inherits it. How big is it?


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

It is about queen sized. She had to have worked on this forever. I am just hoping to eventually see it made into a nice big wall hanging, I have the shabby chic look going on, and think it would look great on this one wall, but since it needs stabilizing (tried to get my aunt to help...she's not interested, said it's a "h" of a job), I may have to recruit some fantastic person from my husbands work (one guy has his own quilting long arm machine, I wonder how much he'd charge to stabilize it and give it a backing?....


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Today was rainy and cool, so I thought it would be a good time to work on my BOM, since I was behind June, July, August and the one for this month. Each month I get a light and a dark strip of the same fabric and a new pattern for $1.00. The strips make two blocks, one a mirror of the other. In between everything else, including company, I finished 4 blocks today. I was afraid if I didn't jump in and work on them that I would not finish any more blocks. After supper, I think I will work on them again.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

It was chilly and rainy here also. I tried to sew, but knew I had tomatoes to can. I can not enjoy sewing if I know something has to be done. I think I got 30 mins in and quit. I have so many projects I want to do I need to lock myself in a room for about a year. Would love to see your BOM.

Hoppe, how goes the stabilizing?


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

It doesn't right now, been very busy. Husbands work has a show going on, he's working OT and I am picking up the slack on the "farm". Running him into town to do weekend commute, local transit he normally takes to connect has shorter schedule on weekend, so I am his transit.

I had decided to try my had at some piecing project that was small, and then make some fabric tote bags to sell in next summers farmers market, but need a while to build up enough. Figured I would not do the typical plain canvas bag, that I would make them fancy on the outside with some strip quilting, figured I can't mess long pieces up.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Quilted bags are the big thing around here also. There are a lot of free patterns on the web. I just got a pattern from Simplicity last week for my great niece that is going to college.I am going to make her a quilted back pack and matching shoulder bag, I think thats what it is called. She will probably gradute by the time I get around to it.


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## mcfay (Nov 7, 2011)

I have been quilting about 3 years. I have been sewing since I was 5, I just turned 69. I just didn't do quilts. Mainly because I've never been good with hand sewing. SO I bought a short arm quilting machine on a frame. I have done quite a few quilts now and the bug has bitten me.

Here is one I designed for a weight loss group I belong to. Every year we have a convention. It's for all the state of Texas, and each year has a different theme. Last year it was Black Gold and depicted the history of the Texas oil. So I designed this quilt and we sold raffle tickets for it. In the 3 days of the convention we sold 1380 $ worth of tickets.


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## mcfay (Nov 7, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> Yeah, I have tried and tried on that, make nice markings for it, even put a piece of masking tape on my machine for my seam allowance (my mothers way of doing it) and yet somehow, they start to warp and go sideways....One of my aunts does the landscape quilts and they are so beautiful, I am amazed at the work and how it all fits together so nicely.
> 
> I'll just stick to single piece projects and admire other peoples work, it's my sanity saver.
> As for the fabric...I have to watch myself, I love going there and just browsing and get too many ideas at one time, then I have to remind myself I have plenty of unfinished projects at home (in my defense, I refinish furniture, Shabby Chic/Cottage style).


Go to Amazon and look under 1/4 inch quilting foot for your machine. It has an edge made onto the foot your fabric will ride against and you will have the perfect 1/4 inch seam every time. I'm like you I could never keep my seams the right width until I got that foot. And it's cheap. Just make sure when you cut your blocks you cut them all the same size.


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## mcfay (Nov 7, 2011)

Here is my short arm, I would love to have a long arm but just not in the budget. I bought this one used from a friend who just didn't have room for it. So got it cheap.


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