Originally Posted by brewsa
It is just so hard to manage in a small hand held frame. I am considering buying a hand quilting frame, but which one is the best and is it worth it? I have been looking at the Grace EZ3 frame.
I have a floor frame and I love it. It's a 3 pole frame so I don't have to baste before I start. But there is a learning curve with it because you need to learn to quilt away from yourself as well as towards yourself, and it is as big as some living room couches.
So my advice would be to figure out how to make the hand held hoop work better for you. You might try propping it up on a table and letting the table support the quilt, or even using a pillow to help support the hoop. There are hoops that come on stands - the one that Andrea (Borntohandquilt) uses is pricey, but there are cheaper ones - Grace makes a hoop on a stand that can be bought for around $250, and others that start around $50 that sit on your lap.
If you decide that a floor frame is what you want, I have heard good things about the EZ3 frame. One of my friends has one, and she likes it because she could put it together by herself, and it was lightweight.
Good luck with your decision!