I have quilted quite a few large quilts with my domestic sewing machines and am thankful for the nice table I purchased several years ago...

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

The New English Quilter has a new little sister called the Art Quilter! The Art Quilter, as the name suggests was created with the textile ...

After reviewing the plans, we made several modifications. Because of space constraints, we opted for an 8-foot table instead of 10- or 12-f...

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

Derek and Marge came up from Surrey When they're not backpacking in Asia and Africa, Derek and Marge are busy renovating their Victorian home. Marge fell in love with our New English Quilter frame when she saw it last year at the 2012 Festival of Quilts. This year she had another look and placed the order. We created a custom 9 foot 10 inch frame for Marge so she could take advantage of every bit of space in her new sewing room. I'm so looking forward to the photos! Derek enjoyed the home made brownies so here's the recipe. I think he earned some 'brownie points' for all that travelling! Things you'll need Brownies are an American favourite. But we Americans usually make them from a box! This recipe is from my English husband's father. They're made from scratch but really easy and only use one pan. I think that they taste just as good as the box! So here's an American favourite made in the UK. Milne Family Brownie Recipe Melt a half a slab of butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Take the pan off the heat then add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder Stir together with a wooden spoon. Add one cup of sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla. If you don't have the 'proper' measuring cups, don't panic, just use a tea cup and guess. This isn't a fussy recipe! Add 2 eggs one at a time and mix with a wooden spoon Add 3/4 cup of self rising flour and stir together Put into a greased 8 X 8 pan and bake at 200 c for about 15 minutes. For best results the brownies should be slightly underdone. Cool and slice into 12 or 16 squares. Enjoy!

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Thank you for all your comments on my last post. Your ideas for other markers are great. I have so far tried the SewLine retractable pencil with the ceramic pencil leads. I have worked with them fo…

Are you looking for an affordable option for longarm quilting? Follow my journey as I look for the best budget options for purchasing a quilting longarm.

The countdown to Summer vacation is on; just two more weeks of school! 14 Days until Summer and 16 patterns left on my set of 100 patterns. 3…2…1… let’s get to it! Number 84…

As you're unpacking your new Machine Quilter frame, you'll find some mysterious metal bits. They're bubble wrapped to the underneath of...

Now that you've had a week to practice the basic heart shaped leaf, lets try something new. The easiest way to increase your stitch repertoire is to make slight changes to a particular stitch. Adding what I call an "element" changes the personality and appears totally different. This element is a simple spiral that is created instead to the vein. Spiral in the corner leaving enough room to spiral out.

Using a domestic Vintage Singer Sewing Machine on a longarm frame for free motion quilting

A quilting creative block is a real thing! you get all the way finished with your quilt top and just draw a blank on how to quilt it. Sometimes seeing the perfect design kick starts the creative juices and gets you back on track to finishing a project. Continue reading for 5 uncommon quilting designs that will be PERFECT for your next quilt.

After reviewing the plans, we made several modifications. Because of space constraints, we opted for an 8-foot table instead of 10- or 12-f...

It is time to revisit the orange peel pattern. For those of you who would like to know how to stitch the orange peel, there is a great video by Karen Miller on YouTube. She uses a square grid which…

Happy Monday Morning!! I have news.... both good and bad... first the good... I have finished my Double Wedding Ring quilt... the bad... the wind was howling - as in - we could not see the barns for the blowing dirt - and so... I didn't take my quilt outside - goodness! it might get dirty - so you will have to see it one more time... in all its glory ;-) Here are a few more photos of it during the quilting tho! I am a huge fan of Kimmy B owner of KimmyQuilt she is just one of the most amazing teachers - and she gets you to understand how to see things in your head. Anyways she sells these really cool MELON Rulers - and you use them to get looks like this! some of these blocks had too much fabrics - so you see how I kinda smushed some of it together? I tried to take a good photo, but once I pulled it off the frame - these puckers kinda just blend in... this was one of the better borders - so it made finding a straight line a little rough, but again - this is not someones family heirloom - it is becoming mine, so its all good, and I am glad to just have quilted it rather than fix it! A flat view another funky border - the cool thing here, is I could kinda gather up the fullness of this side and make it behave. When I first started I tried to make my Melon quilting all the same size - as I started working through it I had an epiphany moment! What if I made each melon go to the edge of the melon ( as best I could) would that help keep the bubbles down? and it DID!!!! So each melon is not exactly the same size of quilting, but it is the same pattern, and the same ratio within the melon... ya... I used math.. Okay - just kidding - I used my eye and made the feathers fit... didn't want you to think I was a genious or anything..... oh look .... squirrel..... In my blog reading I was reading Cluck Cluck Sew's blog and she talked about a block a day and then she had a little tutorial, and then on that tutorial is had a 5inch square size ... and you all know that I have 4 million batrillion 5 inch squares.... and ta da!! A new project was born.... oh sigh.... Not really - I love new projects - and you know... I have the fabric - so why not!! Happy Monday! Linking to: Design Wall Monday Monday Making MidWeek Makers