Very old wooden quilting frame ?
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 390
I have one somewhat like it. The boards sit on stands and held together with C-clamps. I don't use leaders but pin thumb tacks to attach the backing on to the boards then add the batting and finally the top. I pin the two opposite side first then adjust the board making it taut then repeat with the other two sides, it is not an easy process but I learned it at the Mennonite Quilt Center. I use mine when I tie a quilt. You quilt or tie all four sides and when you can't reach anymore you the unpin a portion of the board that are on the bottom and roll the boards that are on top with the quilt ( this is a two person job) until you reach the place that needs quilting. Repeat the process until you are finished.
#13
Thanks very much for all the great information. It is so helpful and I know I can do this now.
This frame is not like any I have seen before but the basic idea and method should be similar.
I appreciate the help from everyone so much. Thanks again.
This frame is not like any I have seen before but the basic idea and method should be similar.
I appreciate the help from everyone so much. Thanks again.
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,893
Only one of my grandmothers quilted (that I remember). Her frame hung from the ceiling in the living room, and was set up so that it could be raised to the ceiling when no one was quilting. (It was a winter activity.) I remember my aunts and older cousins all sitting around the frame quilting and talking. They used the Baptist fan on all quilts, as Grandmother's quilts were utilitarian. That was a really long time ago, though. So, even if you had a grandmother, you may not have seen this in action.
bkay
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Central Minnesota
Posts: 1,751
This is the way I quilt all the time and the way my mother quilted for years. Put the quilt on the frame with thumb tacks and quilt until you can't each anymore then roll and continue , I have my own set of clamps. I did not have a board in the center of the frame. You can put a card table in center to prevent the quilt from sagging a little.
Last edited by Iamquilter; 04-25-2018 at 05:23 AM.
#18
My mom had a frame like this. I used it for my first quilt, a king side sampler (35 years ago). I set it up in the yard, then used thumb tacks to get the backing on tight. Then laid the batting on and then the top. I was only basting, so I'd baste across and worked my way until I could not reach, then unclamped one bar and rolled and the basted quilt. Once I had it all basted, I took it off hand quilted it with a hoop, removing the basting stitches as I worked. I liked to sit in the big rocking chair and prop up one knee and braced the hoop so I had plenty of room underneath. I did the stab method, fully passing the needle back and forth between my hands (one on top and one underneath), but only pulling the thread tight on the upside. My cat loved to crawl in under the quilt and sleep on my lap. had to be careful so I didn't poke her with the needle!
Last edited by Macybaby; 04-25-2018 at 05:58 AM.
#19
i have one of those that i bought at farm auction in PA. mine doesn't have legs. elders at the auction said this style was meant to sit on chair backs or suspended from cieling. i use dining chairs and c-clamps to hold the corners. i replaced the original leaders that were so old they almost disentegrated when touched . the corners of each of the polsa are densely dimpled from many decades of quilting.
i cannot sit at a frame because of back problems, so i use the frame to hand baste quilts for hand or machine quilting. remove & put frame poles away until needed again. when basting i attach the back with even tension all four sides. i then slide the outer rails a bit if needs to be tighter. then lay out the batt ..then the top. if quilt no larger than double or queen size i reach as far toward center to start the basting, then work alternating sides until i'm out to edge. i learned the technique from book. they said to do giant cross from alternate corners across surface then horizontally & vertically. i used to do that but decided it keep it square like they said it would. i thread baste about every 3-4". if you want more on how i attach & set up pm me.
i cannot sit at a frame because of back problems, so i use the frame to hand baste quilts for hand or machine quilting. remove & put frame poles away until needed again. when basting i attach the back with even tension all four sides. i then slide the outer rails a bit if needs to be tighter. then lay out the batt ..then the top. if quilt no larger than double or queen size i reach as far toward center to start the basting, then work alternating sides until i'm out to edge. i learned the technique from book. they said to do giant cross from alternate corners across surface then horizontally & vertically. i used to do that but decided it keep it square like they said it would. i thread baste about every 3-4". if you want more on how i attach & set up pm me.
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