I'm having a hard time thinking that there are people out there that don't know what a quilting frame looks like. So here is mine. It's a homemade one that I bought at an auction about 10 years ago. I don't know how old it is. This picture is the quilt I made for my GGS for his graduation. I had the frame set up in the basement to work on his quilt. We've moved since then but I have the frame set up in the basement again. They take up a lot of space.
If you have a frame you don't have to sandwich the quilt. There is a piece of fabric on the roller board that you attach the backing, batting, and top to. Then you roll the quilt till you get to the other end. Then, you pin the opposite end to the piece of fabric on that board. I use pieces of elastic to pin the sides of the quilt while I'm hand quilting. Then, I have to take the side pieces off when I roll the quilt to the next spot. You don't ever have tucks on the back because there is a little tension on the fabrics keeping them straight and smooth. That's what I love about using the frame.... and I love the look of hand quilted quilts.
There are frames that have separate roller boards for the backing, batting and top. But mine is an old-fashioned one. Okay, any questions?