Yesterday several of my readers asked me why I don’t use my big 3 roller quilting frame for all of my quilts. I guess like a lot of machine quilters who have numerous sewing machines they use for quilting I have numerous frames for quilting 
My big frame I think most of you have seen photos of. It has 3 rollers, it is about 12 feet long because of the size I only have one place in my house for it. It takes up a good portion of the sewing room. But because of the size of it the only way to really quilt at it is with a secretary chair or a straight back chair. I don’t know about the rest of you but sometimes I like to just kick back and be in the big easy chair or the couch with my feet up. Quilting on the big frame I can’t do that. So I put my big quilt on the big frame because it makes the most sense to do so. But I get bored easily so a quilt on the big frame is usually there for 8 months or so. I only sit at it for about 45 minutes before I have to take a break. Sometimes I will quilt at it off and on all day and put in 2 to 3 hours of quilting, but I can’t sit for more than that every day. A big quilt like this (100 x 100) with as much quilting as I am putting in to it takes me about 150 to 200 hours of quilting. Some days I only put in 30 minutes at it and sometimes I take 2 or 3 days break while I am working on something else or taking a break completely from quilting. I don’t work at it every day so you can see why it is usually on my frame for 8 months or longer. I think the fastest I got one off of this frame was about 3 months and it was a couch size quilt. I don’t know about you but I have a pile of tops waiting to be quilted.
The big frame. I could hook clamp on lights to the top of the frame on the over head bar but I don’t really care for them so I use this standing lamp instead and just move it as I go down the line of quilting. My chair also – on wheels goes with me. Because of the 3 rollers it is ideal for large quilts because I don’t need to baste.
My Grace stand/square hoop is good for couch size quilts and smaller quilts. Yes you do need to baste them. But when I get tired of being in the sewing room sitting in my secretary chair and want to put my feet up I move to the living room and put the big tv on and get comfy with a smaller hoop. Earlier today I had the stand in the dining area and was sitting on one of the tall stools – just move the stand to a higher position and it works out at that height too. Lower it and I can sit at the couch or the easy chair. I general do not quilt many couch size quilts using this hoop or my smaller one once the weather gets warm as having all that quilt draping over me can get hot. But one thing about it is you can actually put a fan on the floor aimed right at you and all the air goes right to you
My 14 inch circle hoop is good for doing baby quilts on and wall hangings. Normally they are not so so hot to work with in the summer and I kind of roll them up so they aren’t draped over me. I tend to take this one off of the lap stand when I go to quilt groups and just bring the hoop with me so some of you that have seen this hoop might not recognize it.
Sometimes I am quilting at one frame for awhile and then move to a different quilt and work on that one for awhile too. Right now I am trying really hard not to start a new project but to work on quilting on the two quilts at the same time instead. I am also working on the Red and Green Applique quilt instead of starting another new top – which I really want to do but I am trying to control myself.
I must get caught up on some of this quilting!! I have 3 quilt tops waiting in line to be quilted and each one of them will take me about 8 months to quilt. Unless I actually sat at the quilting frame for 6 hours a day 7 days a week to get them done faster and worked on only one top at a time – now that doesn’t sound like fun to me and would start to feel like work instead 
so I think I will continue to do as I am right now – and maybe if I really feel like I will never get caught up I will finally have to resort to having someone machine quilt a top or two – which I might do someday just to get caught up!! I know several good machine quilters for the job so that won’t be a problem.
{ 9 comments }
Thank you so much for this post. I will soon be ready to learn to hand quilt. I sure would love one of those 12 foot frames but I don’t have room anywhere for that.
Yvette recently posted..Happy Valentines Day!
That definitely makes sense being able to quilt 2 different quilts at the same time. I would get bored with one too. For being mobile the small hoop is the only way to go.
Wanda recently posted..I have a confession
It’s good to have a variety of methods though I do all quilting with a 12″ hoop, even in the summer. We don’t get the humidity you do so it’s tolerable :0)
Crispy
I tried all of those except the large frame. I now hand quilt without a frame and finally I can get something done. Not as good as you yet but then I haven’t been at it very long……………..
Thanks for the information………
Karen, when you quilt with a hoop, how do you handle the edges of the quilt? Do you baste a piece of fabric along the sides of the top so you can quilt all the way to the edge?
I love to swap between projects too.
You have a great variety of quilting methods there!
Miriam recently posted..A finish and more progress
I’ve never had a large frame because I’ve had no place to put one but I did try quilting on my mother’s and thought it was more difficult than the hand hoops. blessings, marlene
Marlene recently posted..One Thousand Blessings – Day 21
I like the idea of quilting more than one quilt at the time. Perhaps I’ll do the same when I get the hang to hand quilting. I can’t sit over a longer period either – by back won’t allow that – even when I’m at the sewing machine, or even computer, I don’t know how many times I’m off the chair doing something else!
Astrid recently posted..Mug Rugs – Hand quilting
Well, I think you are like all of the rest of us. More than one thing going at a time keeps us from getting too awfully bored with any one project.
Your quilting is great. And I still believe you are pretty quick.
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