Originally Posted by kathy
Debbie, can you explain the part on top that holds the quilt on the frame, I asked my husband to build one before but could not figure out the top part. Maybe a close-up picture
the "clamps" in the commercial model are just PVC pipes with enough cut away to help you slip them over the quilt and whole pipe, yet hold it all together at loosely or tightly as you like.
another way that would work would be to drill holes through the T-connectors, roll the quilt up on the pipes, and use a screw that goes through the connector and pipe (one at each end of each pipe) to hold it in place. the more holes you drilled around the connector, the more finely you could fine-tune the tightness of the roll.
since i live right across the street from a lumber/building supply store, i thought about building my own from PVC. couldn't figure out how to keep it stable and still be able to roll it up for a big quilt.
i'm not a fan of the clamp method. i'd worry about stretching the quilt out of shape as i moved it around. that's why i don't use hoops, either. not even for embroidery. they both work for many people, i know. it's just not a method i like to use myself.