My Inexpensive Machine Quilt Frame

In the spring of 2011, my journey began to find a suitable quilt frame for my king-sized project, aptly named the Christmas Beast.

The goal was to encase my domestic sewing machine within a frame, making it easier to top-stitch without the hassle of maneuvering the heavy fabric.

After pouring hours into creating the quilt top, adorned with hundreds of 2×2 inch squares and several borders, it was crucial to find a frame that would do justice to my work.

Finding The Perfect Quilt Frame

The quest ended with Ken Lund’s Machine Quilt Solutions, which offered an affordable, homemade quilt frame solution that promised easy storage without consuming excessive space. Impressed by the quality and detail of the tutorials available on his website, I decided this frame was the winning choice.

Putting the frame together became a family affair, despite some minor distractions from the television.

Though I lack personal photos of my setup, Ken’s website provides ample tutorials to guide others interested in this frame.

My Experience With The Quilt Frame

Overall I love how the machine worked around the frame. As I tend to make queen and king frames this helped me see the big picture of my design better. I use a Kenmore and the neck is not very long. I think a long-arm machine will be not too far off in the future.

Some adjustments I’ll need to look at for my setup include:

Smoothing The Workspace Seam and Considering Tracks

I have a desk and a table to make up the ten feet I need for the workspace. There is a “bump” when the machine goes over the seam of the two tables that I need to make smoother somehow. I opted for no tracks but perhaps for future projects, I will have hubby make some. If the wheels sit on the tracks, there won’t be a bump as it moves over the seam.

Facilitating Fabric Rotation

I wish there were cranks of some sort to turn the fabric when I need to rotate the material as I complete an area. With wide rods, it is difficult, especially at the beginning or the end of the quilt, to roll it evenly and to get it to stay in place without shifting.

Fabric Tension

The ends get a little loose when working on one side or the other because I haven’t had the fabric taut enough. I used ribbons attached to the side of the frame ends with some safety pins on the fabric ends, and this helped it stay firmer.

Stabilizing The Quilt Frame

While quilting, I found that the front weight of the frames holding the three layers (top, batting, back) was a little tipsy. I was able to do a quick fix with some empty Ragu jars on either end to give additional support.

Innovating A Hand-Held Presser Foot Solution

The table I used was too high to put the presser foot on the floor comfortably. I looked into a stitch regulator but couldn’t find one in time for the deadline of this project. I finally got creative and added a strip of velcro to the handle and the bottom of the presser foot. This became my very own hand-held presser foot and works great. I’ll still look for a stitch regulator, but for now, it works well.

The Value Of A Good Quilt Frame

As with all new techniques and tools, I know there are solutions to be found as I continue to work with projects on the frames. I am also grateful for the tutorials provided by Ken. I plan to review them again to get more tips to improve future projects.

*Note: I was not paid or asked to review this product. I just wanted people to know it’s out there because I was happy to have found an affordable option.

Was this review helpful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

This post was originally published on August 3, 2012.