# Frame for hand quilting



## Dennis Davis (Nov 20, 2007)

My sweet wife has sewn all her life for other people. This morning she looked at me and said, "I want to sew something for me." What she wants to get into is hand quilting. I've been browsing Google for a suitable set of plans for a quilting frame, but have come up empty so far. Have any of you built one of these and, if so, would you be willing to share your plans and any tips or suggestions you may have for building one.

Thanks.

Dennis in Boise, ID


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Dennis

Here's just two plus a link to free plans web site 

http://www.moritzdesigns.com/quilting/frame.html
http://www.texasbob.com/q_frame.html

http://www.absolutelyfreeplans.com/HOW TO AND INFO/how_to_and_info.htm

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Dennis Davis said:


> My sweet wife has sewn all her life for other people. This morning she looked at me and said, "I want to sew something for me." What she wants to get into is hand quilting. I've been browsing Google for a suitable set of plans for a quilting frame, but have come up empty so far. Have any of you built one of these and, if so, would you be willing to share your plans and any tips or suggestions you may have for building one.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Dennis in Boise, ID


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Dennis, Having been this route let me caution you that most quilt stands are for _displaying_ quits as opposed to working on them. The stand must be wide enough to get a chair between the legs and there should be no obstructions on the bottom. Instead of dowels I suggest using 1x2" boards set at 45 degree angles to support the quilt in progress. Viewed from the side this would be an "X" pattern. Round over all the edges with a 1/4" round over bit. This will allow your wife to sit in comfort while quilting the materials together.


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## Dennis Davis (Nov 20, 2007)

Bob and Mike,
Thanks for your replies and suggestions. I hope to make something that my wife will use and appreciate.

Dennis in Boise


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Dennis

You're Welcome for my small part I do like the looks of the

*Moritz Designs*


It looks like a easy one to make , my BOSS saw it and she said how about making me one also...

Now I just need to round up some wood, I ask her if she wanted the lights also and see said yes, it would make it nice to see what I'm doing 
Now I just need to come up with a design that will fold up when she is not using it 



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Dennis Davis said:


> Bob and Mike,
> Thanks for your replies and suggestions. I hope to make something that my wife will use and appreciate.
> 
> Dennis in Boise


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## Thelt (Feb 3, 2009)

Bob I got the plans from Moritz Designs and it don't look like it's going to be hard to do. I plan on starting soon. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Gerard_sr (Dec 7, 2008)

*quilting sticks*



Dennis Davis said:


> My sweet wife has sewn all her life for other people. This morning she looked at me and said, "I want to sew something for me." What she wants to get into is hand quilting. I've been browsing Google for a suitable set of plans for a quilting frame, but have come up empty so far. Have any of you built one of these and, if so, would you be willing to share your plans and any tips or suggestions you may have for building one.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Dennis in Boise, ID


Hi Dennis,

Ya' know this is going to sound strangely simple...

When I was growing up, the winter saw at least five or six quilts being made in my house. My Mother, God rest her soul, and her lady friends would all get together in our front room and make quilts for family, friends, weddings, (in the spring), church raffles and for other reasons I don't remember.

Their set-up was very simple.
They had four very narrow saw horses, maybe one foot across the top, but at a height that when a woman was sitting in a chair they would be about elbow height.
The "quilting sticks" were some unknown wood, maybe poplar or knot free pine. ( 1x3s or 1x2s), On these they had a coarse cotton material. It was wrapped around the sticks and sewn so that a tail of one to two inches was sticking out towards the inside. This material was held in place with thumb tacks and carpet tacks.

They positioned the quilting sticks in a rough square and secured them with small, 3" C-clamps at the corners.

Then they got a piece of material, I assume made out of two pieces because I don't think it comes that wide, and attached it with straight-pins along first two edges then the second two edges. Atop this they unfurled cotton, and later some sort of synthetic, batting. Lastly they put another piece of material that was pre-marked in pencil with an intricate design done by who knows who, I vaguely remember someone that was referred to as "The Quilt Lady". This was then pinned atop the batting along the edges. 
They would reach in as far as they could and place a few more straight pins towards the middle to help it stay and not shift when they sewed.
They would use a a "Quilting" thread and follow the lines in a simple down and through and back up method. When they got as far as they could reach, they would un-pin the sides to that extent, un-do two C-clamps and roll the finished part under the end quilting stick. Then they would re-fasten the C-clamps to the quilting sticks, add more pins towards the center and continue sewing. Most times they would be doing this from two sides and rolling to meet in the center. 

When it was finished, they would unroll the ends, un-pin it and somehow put a binding on the edges of the quilt with a sewing machine.

So, this method involves "quilting sticks", (longer than the sides of the finished quilt and with a coarse cotton cover). Four quilting horses, they were made from something slightly smaller than 2x2s with a top made of a 1x6 stock on edge and end pieces of 1x6 wood and four small C-clamps.

That my friend, is how they made them.

What you need to find is clear 1x2s or 1x3s, four C-clamps and build some horses and let your wife make the covers for the sticks.

While you may not grasp this method immediately, show it to the wife and she, knowing something about sewing, may get it.

They also had a set of smaller "Quilting sticks" for making "Baby Quilts".

I hope this 50+ year old memory help you. I was about five years old and remember playing under the work in progress. I think the last ones were made when I was about in high school.

If this is what she's thinking about, I can probably dig up some other memories of other details. Drop me a PM and I'll get a few other tips to you and her.

Cordially,
Gerry

PS: Maybe I'm not a regular plethora of totally useless knowledge.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

*Right on Gerard*

Greetings and welcome Dennis to the forum. : Gerard (AKA: Gerry ) has it dead on. My wife is from a Mennonite back ground and several of her sisters still quilt, her mother would have a quilt going every week. We just had a reunion in August and the ladies set up a quilting frame and worked on a quilt. I have seen just what he is talking about many many times. It is a spindly contraption but is very portable and easy for the ladies to use. Gerard thank for explaining because while I have seen them in action it would have been hard for me to describe it as well as you have, Great Job man!!!


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## Thelt (Feb 3, 2009)

Thelt said:


> Bob I got the plans from Moritz Designs and it don't look like it's going to be hard to do. I plan on starting soon. I'll let you know how it goes.


My daughter has shown the picture of the Moritz frame to ladies in here quilting guild and I now have two orders for them. My daughter makes three. Guess it's going to be a production line on these.


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## Dennis Davis (Nov 20, 2007)

Gerry and Jerry...thank you for your comments. Isn't it interesting how those trips down memory lane can be so enjoyable. My mother was a crochet and sachet person. We had those big doilies, washed, starched, and laid out on drying racks, with T pins stuck all over to hold them in place. As a grade school youngster, she used to send my female teachers sachets filled with rose petals for special occasions.

Frank...maybe I should have you add me to your production schedule. You'd hardly miss a beat making one more...lol.


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## Bruceh (Feb 7, 2009)

Hi Dennis in Boise from Bruce in Boise.

On Bobj3's initial response he had the following link:

http://www.texasbob.com/q_frame.html

This is the exact design that my family uses. It is not a nice looking as the Moritz Design but very functional. It also comes apart and stores in a very small space. As we don't keep them up all the time - the nice wood work look isn't as important as storage.

Hope this helps
Bruce


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