Throat Space Calculator: How Much Throat Space Your Quilt Size Needs

Throat space is the distance from the needle to the body of the machine, the room the rolled-up quilt has to squeeze through. Enter how wide your quilts are and how you like to quilt them. The calculator gives a comfortable throat space range and counts how many machines in our comparison table meet it.

Machines that handle this quilt comfortably

Baby, crib and wall quilts fit through almost any machine. A good computerized machine with a walking foot and wide table is plenty.

Beginner

Brother

Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing and Quilting Machine

$279.99

Wide extension table, quilt guide and walking-foot friendly, at a beginner price.

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Intermediate

Janome

Janome 3160QDC-G Sewing and Quilting Machine

$749.00

Janome build quality in a compact computerized machine made with quilters in mind.

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Expert

Juki

Juki TL-2000Qi Long-Arm Sewing and Quilting Machine

$999.00

A straight-stitch workhorse that grows with you into bigger quilts.

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Prices change often, so confirm on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

How much throat space do you need for quilting?

When you quilt, the stitched part of the quilt has to sit somewhere, and on a sewing machine that is the harp: the open space between the needle and the machine body. For the center lines of a quilt, half its width or more ends up rolled or bunched in that space. The wider the quilt, the more fabric, batting and backing you are forcing through a fixed opening.

The calculator uses four bands based on quilt width, which is the dimension that has to pass through the harp when you quilt across the short way:

1. Up to 45 inches wide (baby, crib, wall): 7 inches or more. A standard domestic machine is fine.
2. 46 to 65 inches (lap, throw): 8 to 9 inches. Rolling works with some patience.
3. 66 to 90 inches (twin to queen): 9 to 12 inches. This is where extended arm quilting machines and midarms earn their price.
4. Over 90 inches (king, California king): 15 inches or more, or a frame. Sit-down longarms and frame systems take the weight off your shoulders.

For the default 90 inch queen, the result is 9 to 12 in, and 11 of the 12 machines with a listed throat space in our table meet at least 9 inches. For a 106 inch king the bar rises to 15 inches, and 8 of them clear it.

What throat space does each quilt size need?

Every row uses the same bands as the calculator. Quilt sizes follow our quilt size chart.

Which quilting machines have the most throat space?

This table lists every machine in our product registry with a published throat space figure, sorted from smallest to largest. Where a listing gives two numbers, the first is the length to the right of the needle and the second is the height. The last column applies the calculator's bands to each machine's listed length. Many domestic machines list "work space" or "needle-to-arm space" instead, measured differently, so they are left out rather than guessed.

Quilting machines by listed throat space

Product	Price	Throat space	Type	Comfortable for	Buy
Juki HZL-DX7	See price	8 in	Sewing machine	Throws and lap quilts	Price
Juki TL-15	$1,399.00	9 x 6.75 in	Midarm	Twin to queen quilts	Price
Janome MC6650	$2,099.00	10 in	Domestic quilting machine	Twin to queen quilts	Price
Grace Little Rebel	$2,799.00	13 x 8.5 in	Midarm	Twin to queen quilts	Price
Janome Quilt Maker 15	$4,995.00	15 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Handi Quilter Moxie + Loft	$5,495.00	15 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Grace 16X + Q-Zone Hoop	$4,599.00	16 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Grace 16X + Q-Zone Queen	$4,849.00	16 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Grace 16X Elite + Cutie	$5,499.00	16 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Handi Quilter Moxie XL + Loft	$8,495.00	18 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Grace 19X Elite + Cutie	$10,499.00	19 in	Longarm on frame	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price
Handi Quilter Amara ST 20	$9,495.00	20 in	Sit-down longarm	King quilts and edge to edge on a frame	Price

The range runs from 8 in to 20 in. Prices climb steeply with throat space, which is why the right answer is the smallest throat that handles the quilts you actually make, not the biggest you can afford. If you mostly make throws with the occasional queen, a mid-size machine plus patience beats a frame that fills a spare room.

Does quilting style change the throat space you need?

Yes, and the calculator adjusts its advice for each style:

• Straight line quilting. Straight line quilting with a walking foot rolls most of the quilt through the harp on the long center lines, which is where a small throat hurts most.
• Free motion quilting. Free motion quilting moves the quilt in every direction, so the fabric bunched in the harp drags on each stitch. Extra throat space and a large flat table reduce that drag.
• Edge to edge designs. Edge to edge designs on a quilt this wide are usually stitched on a frame, where the machine moves over a stretched quilt and the throat sets how deep each pass can be.

On a frame, throat space works differently. The quilt is stretched between rollers, and the throat depth sets how far each row of stitching can reach before you roll the quilt forward. The usable row is somewhat less than the full throat depth once the hopping foot and handles are accounted for, and exact figures depend on the frame, so check the maker's stated quilting area. A deeper throat means fewer advances, which matters most on large edge to edge quilts.

How do you measure the throat space on your machine?

Raise the presser foot and lower the needle into the needle plate. Lay a ruler flat on the machine bed and measure straight to the right, from the needle to the inside of the machine body where the arm meets the base. That is the throat length most listings quote. For throat height, measure from the bed up to the underside of the arm at its lowest point.

Measure at the bed, not at the edge of an extension table, since a table adds working surface but not harp space. Compare your number with the band for the quilts you want to make. If you are within an inch of the next band, better support and careful rolling may be all you need before buying a new machine.

Midarm, sit-down longarm or frame: which should you choose?

Once your quilts outgrow a domestic machine, there are three paths. A midarm, typically 9 to 13 inches of throat, sits on a table and suits throws to queens. A sit-down longarm, with 16 to 20 inches, stays still while you glide the quilt over a big table, ideal for free motion and custom work on bed quilts. A frame longarm rides over the stretched quilt, which suits edge to edge quilting, kings and higher volume, but needs a room long enough for the frame.

Before spending thousands, compare the cost of sending tops to a service with the longarm cost calculator. Then read our roundups of the best sewing machines with a large throat space and the best sit-down longarm quilting machines, and the sit-down vs frame longarm comparison.