I am determined to learn how to hand-quilt in a frame. I have watched many you-tube videos, emailed many questions to a couple of quilters who I know quilt in a frame and read a few books. Now, it’s time to do it! I spent Saturday morning putting my Q-snap frame together and put my Circle of Tulips quilt in it. I spent 2 or 3 hours just doing some cross-hatching. Even that feels really different than cross-hatching in a hoop. Next I tried figuring how to quilt away from myself. My first instinct is to pick up the frame and move it, but I don’t think that will work. I planned to spend today doing a bit more practicing, but I see it is nap time!
So,,,instead I starting prepping and stitching the bottom border of Civil War Bride. I chose not to include the owls. I tried different colours and different fabrics, but they just did not look like owls. So I just enlarged the love-birds in the top border and placed them on the branches. And, of course, I added a butterfly.
Then changed my mind and added a gold butterfly. Of all the fabrics I chose to fussy-cut my butterflies, I think this one is my favorite!
Til next time…
Kerry
Simple Bird Applique 
As with anything, quilting in a frame just takes time. I have never used a Q-snap so I don’t know how taut you can get the quilt. I use 4 boards, 4 C-clamps and I have stands that the boards sit on. I prefer it even for quilting a baby quilt. I don’t have to move anything, nothing is on my lap and once I have quilted as far as I can reach comfortably, I start rolling it. I can see at a glance how much I have left to quilt. Also, I can work on all 4 sides before rolling. Getting the sides done cuts down the time and work later. The other thing is that I don’t have to baste the quilt beforehand as it all gets stretched first.
Yes, definitely make sure it’s not too taut. When I worked with my floor frame I also felt free to work at the frame from every direction. Why not?:) Mostly it just takes up too much of my living room so I went back to the hand held hoop. Good luck getting it figured out! And btw, your love birds are perfect!
you seem to have sucessfully made a cat hammock, if nothing else
I love that instead of moving the cat, you got out something else! That’s how it works here, too. 🙂 Beautiful quilt — I look forward to seeing it get quilted.
Ooh, I’ll be interested to hear about your quilt frame progress, Kerry. I too have tried……unsuccessfully! – any tips gratefully received!!
You made a kitty hammock! Love the birds and butterflies.
I have a q-snap frame and love it. The positives are: not too large; lightweight; tension is easily adjusted; larger quilting area vs a hoop; bulk of quilt is off your lap; easily moved around a room. Oh yes, my cat also loves it as a hammock until his weight brought him to the floor. Oh well, he had a soft landing. If interested, I can give you tips on how I adjusted to using a q-snap over a large wood frame. Very pretty applique bird fabrics!
I just never could get comfortable quilting in a frame. I can’t quilt away from myself, and I can only quilt from right to left. It hurt my back and neck, and I spend the whole time running around the frame from chair to chair. I love the concept of it…
I tried quilting in a frame for a few weeks last year and finally stopped…hurt my back and neck too much! 🙂