When I made this quilt I had some requests that i show the steps to placing it in my floor frame and getting it ready to quilt. So, yesterday I got off my b### and moved all the Den furniture around and set up my frame and today I finally have it ready to start quilting.

Here are the steps I have taken so far. You will notice that the frame has 3 poles,the back one and the middle one, the gears run to the back. the front one, the gears run to the front.

here are pictures of the gears. Now that it is pinned to both the front and the middle, you set the gears on the middle pole, and release the gears on the front pole. then you roll the backing all unto the back pole.

Now I set the gears on the front and middle and tighten the backing until it is smooth, and running straight.
Next is the batting. Since this is such an old pattern, from the late 1800's, I am using cotton batting, It is Hobbs, 80-20, which I really love to use, and it hand quilts beautifully. While laying it out on the frame, I discover that it is going to be too wide. So, I decide how much I need to trim . then I do the first cut, and then fold it over , and keep doing this until I have all of the side trimmed off.

Thanks for posting the pics.

Next I pin the batting to the front pole. then I will roll both it and the backing all on the front pole , sitting the gears in the front and releasing them in the back. One thing that happened, when I laid out the batting, i found a place that looked like it was stretched out of shape. Knowing that it was about a foot too long, I turned it around and placed the bad part in the back, where it won't be a problem. You will notice that the backing and the batting go on the same middle pole

keep going, I would love to see more

So now we have the batting and the backing all rolled up on the middle pole. Now comes the fun part!!!! Putting the top in. I measure the middle of my backing and mark it.

Then pinning the quilt top to the front pole. You will notice that it is pinned to the batting and the backing, and not to the frame. You can look down the line and tell if you are getting it in straight. I have marked the center of the border all the way around, so I will know I am centering the border patterns. then I will roll all 3 pieces onto the front pole

You're doing a fantastic job showing us how to put a quilt in a frame. Thank you for taking the time to do that and share it with us. :D

now I pin The Quilt Top to the last pole. making sure that it is also running straight. Right now we ahve all the layers rolled up, and the gears set on the front pole, so I can get it good and straight. Then I release the gears on the front, and set the gears on the middle and back poles. winding each of them one, and then the other until all of the quilt is on the back and middle poles. hen it is just tightening until you get it the right tension you want to quilt it. As I go along, I will sometimes have it looser than other times. Again you should be able to look down the length and see that it is straight.

So, now we just have to decide how to quilt it, which stencils to use. I have laid out some of the choices that i have. Also laid out all the things i will need while hand quilting. Different size needles, some mornings I will have to start with an 8 and then move to a smaller needle 10 or 12 as I go along. Also a needle puller for the seams, and my markers I use a fons and porter pencil, dark lead for the white and white lead for the dark blue. And the green tape is if i want to do some cross hatching, I will mark my lines with that.
I don't know it this is clear, but hope you enjoy seeing inside what a hand quilter does to get ready.
Thanks for looking into my world!

Well done! This would be a great tutorial for someone who has never done it before. Have fun with your stitching.

Thank YOU sooooo much this has been a wonderful tutorial. I have a frame and this has given me wonderful hints that I have not been using. Your quilt is beautiful, I would love to see some of the quilting as you go..

Thanks Again and have fun quilting.

Wowzers Ninnie! That is brilliant! I want one!!!!! :D :D :D

Only problem I can see is what happens if a large, furry object ie Barney Cat jumps up on there? I just KNOW he'd think it's a new bed just for him! :shock: :mrgreen:

Wow, that is quite a process! Thanks for showing us!

I can really appreciate all the work that goes into hand quilting, but I don't have the patience for it. :lol:

Thanks for posting this! I wish I could use a quilt frame...

Ninnie, you are a fantastic teacher! You so obviously know what you are doing...and you make it look so easy that I want to try! That pattern was one of my DGM's favorites and one I have on my "to do" lists...yours is beautiful!
Thanks so much for sharing with all of us!

Ninnie,
I just wanted to say that you have motivated me to go up to the attic ( actually have my daughter climb through the scuttle hole to the attic) and get a quilt frame down that my friend gave me a long time ago. Have never set it up. I will have a queen size quilt to do and that will make it so much easier than the hoop. Hope it works and has all it's pieces. I know it is not nearly as nice as yours. Thanks....
liblueeyes

WONDERFUL DEMO....Keep us posted.

Thank you so much for showing this. As soon as I get all the stuff back into my sewing room, I have a frame from my Mom, she upgraded, to set up on my sun porch. I know the cats will think it is their new bed. I hope I can just keep it covered well enough to keep from fading and collecting fur.

I will book mark this so when I need it I can find it.

Go for it! It is a fun pattern, and one of my favorites also.I love the old ones.

Oh, my gosh, it's wonderful. Love your stencils.

Hugs

Ninnie, can I come over and watch you hand quilt? That is going to be gorgeous!!! How long will it take you? It will take me a couple of days to get there!!!!

Thanks Ninnie!
You are a great teacher with awesome photos!

I have wondered how this would work. You have done a great job in a show and tell. Thank you. As I live in a 5th wheel and travel full time, I won't be trying this. But love seeing how it works.

Where did you find the pattern - I have been looking for the pattern and I cannot find one.

Suzy, Do you mean the quilt pattern? Or did you mean the frame?
Here is the link to my making it. The name of the book is n there somewhere. If you don't find it, let me know and I will look here at home. I am moving my sewing room and everything is in boxes, but I will find it for you.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-25353-1.htm.

Please come on!! We can sit 4 at the frame, so the more the better! I can use all the help I can get quilting it. :-D :-D And I will still be sitting here quilting in 2 days, so no problem there :lol:

I am thinking 2 months, but could be longer with having to stop and work on other things.

You know you are close enough to drive over and help me Sharon!!

And I love stencils, can't say no to one when I find it.

Here is the pattern I have settled on for the border. I have the middle one done, and will now measure out to the edge from the center, and decide where to place the others. Not really happy with my stitches, but not taking them out :roll: I will get better as I get into the rhythm of sewing, I hope :lol: :lol:

Now why on earth would you NOT be happy with those stitches? I'D be THRILLED if mine looked like that! :-D

Love that stencil. What did you use to mark it? Ninnie, your stitches are waaaaaay good enough for me just as they are, and you know that they will only get better as the work progresses. I'm curious about starting on a border...is there a something about that decision that you can share with me/us? This is so inspiring...I think I'm catchin' a bug...maybe the hqn3pf bug? I may have to clear some room to assemble that frame I've had for a couple of years! Carry on...we're lovin' this!

Hi Ninnie I am a Ninnie too! Anyway How much do you charge to do a quilt like that or smaller with the large heart stencil or the large twist??

When quilting in a frame, you always start on the end. and then as I go along, I will roll it towards me to the next area I want to quilt. It sorta goes in rows lol. That's why I always mark the centers on the borders, so i will know I am centering the patterns.

I use a Fons and Porter Mechanical pencil. It comes with white lead , and marks just great on the Navy. I will post a picture of the next one, before i quilt it.
here is a picture of the pencil

Thanks so much, Ninnie, for posting a progression of getting a quilt ready to stitch.

Wow!---what a lot of work.

Your stitches are beautiful---don't think I would ever have the patience to hand quilt something this size. I have great respect for anyone who does!

Okay...that's one of the parts that I slept through...I didn't know that the quilting started at the end when done in this type of frame...I'm really going to learn alot here, Ninnie, and I'll be forever grateful...I promise. I love that marker...it has such a smooth lead...marks easily..I haven't had to remove it yet, have you? Wonder how that is going to work out? Will you wait and wash the quilt when it is all done? I need to let you get some stitchin' done...sorry to be such a pest...

Wow, good job. I was wondering do you use the chair that was sitting next to the frame? I noticed it has arms. I found I had to take the arms off my chair, when I use my floor frame. Do they get in your way?

Also what type of floor frame, is it a Gracie or Hinterberg? I have a frame that my husband made years ago, I still have to baste, it only has two poles and no gears. But since I don't make many bed size quilts I have not thought about getting another frame until I saw how easy it was to use yours. Mine is about 30 years old. Since I normally make something smaller, I use my PVC frame or a large hoop.

You are not being a pest! I have learned so much from all of the members on this board, it is nice to be able to give something back. :-D Most of the markings will be gone, by the time I finish, but I will wash it as soon as I get the binder on. That's what i love about this pencil. When using the dark lead, i alwyas try to mark as light as I can though.

So hear are the next steps. Once the middle pattern is quilted, I then measure from the edge of it, to the end of the quilt. It is 36 in to the edge, so I know the area i have to work with. then I measure the pattern. It is 11 inches long. So, that will take up 33 in. then I decide to leave 1 inch between each pattern, and that should work, leaving plenty or room at the edge for the binder to go on, and not loose any of the pattern.
Also, I tape my stencil down, making sure that it will not slip, and I also make sure it is in far enough from the edge that the pattern is not in the seam allowance. Each stencil will have a little hole in the end of it. For hanging I suppose, but I always mark it also, as a starting point if I have to go back and remark a line.