My Quilting Frame

Here is my Hinterberg 3 rail quilt frame. It was made from the The Easy-Build Quilting Frame Kit available from the Hinterberg Website, as well as Creative Quilting & Country Gifts

Quilt frames can be very expensive, usually starting in the neighborhood of $300 (US). But, if you or someone you know is handy with woodworking, then you can have a frame for a fraction of that price. In the case of my frame, I don't think it is going to win any beauty contests - it is very rectangular and not even finished with stain! But it is still very attractive once a quilt is on it, and it definitely gets the job done!

The frame is made of pine. The top arms, which support the rails, took a few tries. The third set finally came out right, and they happen to be made out of a wood called agathis. The wood choice was not what made the difference, that wood is actually a kind of pine I think. We had a hard time cutting the shapes, so what we did was to choose a slightly skinnier board (5/4" as opposed to 2"), and Tighe did not angle the wood as indicated in the directions. He simply cut the pole notch deeper, and then put in some spacers. If this makes no sense to you, don't worry, it won't unless you have the directions in front of you. I am just adding it in in case you are looking for tips on making it once you've bought it. In case you are wondering, I am justified in saying "we" when I talk about building this frame, because I helped a lot. We did not have a workshop, work table, or even clamps. We used TV trays as saw horses and I held the wood down with my hands in place of clamps while Tighe cut with a power saw. I do not recommend this unless you trust your husband!!!

It is a 3 rail frame, which means that the quilt top and batting are loaded separately from the quilt backing. This allows for good tension, and no sagging, so there is no need for basting. Do you see how the farthest back pole is lower than the front two poles? That also creates some tension in your work space. There are instructions with the kit on how to load a quilt onto the frame. I had to read them a few times through, and I spent a lot of time fidgeting with the quilt so it was straight and smooth, and it really was not very difficult to do. A little time spent doing this is worth it in the long run. The left and right sides of the quilt sandwich can get little droopy, so if it causes me any problems stitching, I can pin some strips and stretch them to the quilt sides. (instructions concerning this are also provided with the kit). I have not had to do that since I trimmed away a little of the heavy batting, which was what was weighing down the sides. Note that I have still left extra batting though.

The ratchets are not showing in this picture, but they are on the left side of my frame. I have heard that ratchets are not desirable because they force you to use their increments when you are setting your tension. I have not had a problem! I like my top nice and loose and floppy, because I do the rocking stitch, as opposed to the stab stitch which requires almost a drum-tight top.

By the way, that is my Buckeye Beauty Quilt in the frame. Hey, can you see my markings? It only shows on the green border - the white diagonal chalk lines that alternate left and right. As of mid June, I have done the bottom green border and I am working on the cable quilting in the pink border. What is ingenius of me (if I may say so myself) is that I managed to have a interesting quilting design that has no vertical or horizontal lines, so I do not have to quilt away from myself if I don't want to, since at this time I am still a beginner. As you may or may not know, You can't turn the frame like you can a hoop, so there are times when you have to quilt away from you (unless you stop, knot and start in another spot, which can be inefficient). With a quilt frame, you can quilt with your thumb. I can do this for short bursts if necessary, I am still practicing. It is just the reverse of the usual rocking stitch with a finger, a good thumb thimble is necessary! But, as I said, in this case, I have planned the quilting so I have long diagonal lines so I can efficiently quilt without having to reverse direction.