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Old 07-11-2009, 11:09 AM
  #3  
butterflywing
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: currently central new jersey
Posts: 8,623
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i have the tin lizzie 18 and it came with the winder, so i can't help you there.

but i can give you a great idea for clamps from sharon schamber. let's see if i can describe it right.

cut a piece of strong fabric the depth of you work area front to back and twice the length of the distance from the side of the frame to the side of your work plus whatever extra you think you'd need for future projects. (i just cut mine looong). slide a rod of some kind through the fold (she stitches here but i don't bother - you'll see why). you can use a dowel, a skinny pvc, anything. PIN the other two ends of the fabric (the loose or open ends) to the sides of your work. Now... you should have a pinned piece of fabric that looks like a loop, with a rod at the fold, flopping down from pins from the side of the work. okay so far?

now, using the clamps that came with the frame, or any other cheap clamps ( i use alligator clamps. make sure the jaws are big enough to go around your rod), attach the clamps to the frame the way they were supposed to go, and and attach the biting end around the rod. the clamps cannot slip away. if the clamps are the right size to go around the rod it is impossible. the rod keeps them in place. the best part is that the rod distributes the tension evenly on your quilt as you work.

as you roll the quilt up, you have to unpin and repin those side fabrics, but you had to unclamp and reclamp anyway. sharon schambers goes into a little more detail like stitching where the rod will go, but i simplified the process.

i believe the whole thing is on youtube. i tried every clamp i could find and was never satisfied. with this process it doesn't matter what clamps you use, as long as they fit around whatever rod you use. i do it with two clamps. maybe 4" in from each end. let me know if it works for you.

oh, i use plain old straight pins. heavy duty.

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