One of my quilting buddies, as a gift, gave me a frame that her father had made. It's very beautiful, but small. It'll be a good size to start with. The bottom portion (the whole thing is wood), is shaped like a coat of arms from the middle ages. Then it has 3 or 4 piece shooting upward to hold the hoop. Then it's attached permanently to the inner portion of the hoop and the outside part clips on.
I'm starting work on my sampler this weekend. When it's finished I hope to quilt on it so I can get the hang of it. I learned to handquilt 3 years ago, but this will be the first time I am not using a full room frame. I need to learn on a smaller area.
M