Yesterday, my husband helped me set up a Free-motion Quilt Suspension System, designed to reduce the drag of quilting a bed-size quilt on a domestic sewing machine.
This lady even used dog grooming arms to pick up the quilt and stop the drag. I also like her idea of using muslin clamps from the world of photography.
This lady used PVC pipe to build a frame around her work space. Although, I didn't really have room for the frame, I liked the idea of the canvas leaders and the flexibility to clip the quilt anywhere along the lead ...
Everyone has some good ideas, and in the end, mine in a hybrid of all those, with some modifications to take advantage of the materials and tools available to me.
* The wooden bar was the simplest and most elegant solution for my given space. I wanted it to be more of an angle against the corner, rather that even with the window--which would have made it more like a curtain/window shade.
* The black walnut stick was in the scrap wood stash in the basement (= FREE).
* I've had the clamps for a while now. I used to use them for layering and pin basting quilts ... but now I have a new and easier method (See Board Basting) for that task. So the clamps were re-purposed (=FREE).
* The only thing I purchased was the bungee cords -- 6 of them in a bundle for $7 in varying lengths.
Such a cheap solution, which makes me wonder why I haven't
done this sooner. I guess I should wait to say that until I've tried
it out ...
I currently have 2 quilts waiting to be free-motion quilted. A few years ago, my husband made me a sewing table custom-built for my sewing machine and the space I have to work with. It made the job of quilting a whole quilt much easier. That was when I started doing them at home, and not taking those projects to Quilt Camp or renting time on a long-arm.
Using a teflon oven sheet to help the quilt slide more easily under the needle. It covers a lot of space and $8 is such a reasonable price, too! I taped it down with blue painter's tape, and cut a small hole for the needle and thread to pass through.
Now the hardest part is deciding just what to quilt into these quilts ...
3 comments:
Great ideas!
That is so cool! The advantages of having a handy husband, although I know there are women out there who could pull something like this together too. I first saw this sort of floater system around 2000 in conjunction with one of those first sit-down long arm machines set in a table. (The brand notorious for catching on fire). As I hopefully get around to tackling that lap quilt that has been pinned ready to go for months, I'll be thinking of this and envying you. :-)
If my husband wasn't around, or able to help, I'd probably just ask my friend, Vicki. She moonlights in a hardware store because she likes to fix things and DIY. Very handy--and she has her own tools, and she knows what to do with them, too!
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