I would like to know how to suspend quilt frames from the ceiling so they can be lifted up out of the way.

my mom's hangs from big eye hooks

I don't have a frame, but we bought a house near Asheville 3 yrs ago and the previous owner said that the hooks in the ceiling were put here for her mother to hang her quilt frame. The ceiling in this house is low so I doubt that they were able to raise it up out of the way. We don't know much about the house, except that it was built before they had electriciy and running water. It has a spring house attached to it(no spring anymore) and that was how they kept things cool in the days before electricity.

Maybe you can rig something up similar to window shades with the draw string, When not in use just pull the string and it should roll right up. Have'nt tried this but it might work.

Wait, wait, back up! What kind of quilting frame could you rig to the ceiling? I doubt my doublewide manufactured home ceiling would hold a quilt frame.......but it sounds very interesting to me. Anyone have a picture?

I thought about building one with bolting ends for different size quilts out of one X twos or bigger. I also thought about building one out of closet rods and holders for the walls of my bedroom. (You know two closet rods and 4 of those wooden or metal holders that you could leave up as decoration but take the quilt attached to the rods off and put them in a corner) AM I making any sense or am I rambling in my insanity??? sheesh

Sharon the insane grandma

How about something that would function similar to a fold up stairway. or a pull down ironing board, only larger of course. It would need sufficient space without a light fixture in the way.

stored on the wall instead of the ceiling.

Now that is a very interesting idea. except i'd use at least 6 of the pole holders. 4 would line up to hold it flat against the wall when you aren't working on it. the other 2 would line up perpendicular to the bottom set so you could just release it from the top set, pull it out and put it into the extra set, thus making a "table" for working. or place the extra holders so you could work from both sides if you needed to. use screws to hold it in place during each stage of rolling/unrolling.

the poles come 16' uncut, so your room couldn't be any wider than that. and to preserve your sanity, install the holders so you'd be looking out a window (or at the TV, or at anything except just a wall).

and omigosh!!! couldn't you use the same concept for a table top? who wouldn't love a table that ran the length of the room, was at exactly the right height for the user, was easily kept out of the way when not in use, and doesn't cost a gabillion dollars? (2 hollow core doors, 2 poles, 8 holders. gotta be under $150. and EZ to install.)

you are not insane. you are a genius!!!

I'm lost now. What was the original question?

I dunno but the answer is 42.

tim in san jose

Since when have we ever stuck to the original topic in any thread on this board? LOL

original question was how to suspend a quilting frame from the ceiling so it can be pulled up out of the way when not being used.

and, for Tim Dearest, the accurate answer is 42.75633333825

Paris01,
I would think some pulley's attached to the ceiling would allow you to raise and lower a frame.
I used a large quilt frame to tie a yo-yo quilt many years ago. It was a one time thing and we just leaned it against the wall at night and then laid it down during the day. It worked fine for a one time useage.
I googled *quilt frames that hang from the ceiling* and got quite a list of articles. One

http://hartcottagequilts.com/his9.htm

was very interesting. It talks about the histroy of quilt frames, etc.

Design your very own system and then share it with the rest of us. :wink:
Most of all, have fun!

In our old farm house, there are four eye bolts screwed into the ceiling. The frame consisted of four rails and hung from the ceiling on sash cord--like what is used in old windows. The quilt hung down from the rope or sash cord and when not in use was raised up to the ceiling.

Yes, will work on a tabletop. My parents did it for our huge train set - they put an ornate border on a piece of nice plywood, hinged at what would be the top when against the wall. The border was loose along the sides and bottom.

So, when not in use, the surface looked nice - they attached some kind of picture in the middle so it would look like a framed picture (can't recall what, though).

Then, when we would lower the surface, the border would open up and become the legs of the surface. I've used this concept for sewing tables in several houses.

This is even more fun than MyFamily.com
Thanks to you all.

We had friends who used their train set as a headboard for their bed. When it came down, it was supported by the bed. The "bottom" was finished like a piece of furniture, and the trees and tunnels were between it and the wall. I'd forgotten. ANOTHER great idea! Thanks.

do you intend to fold it first, is there a quilt on it?
Hook to celing and suspend from rope or chain; use a winch like they have on boat trailors and crank it up and fold it up againt the wall.

yeah maybe, I can see it duck your head :lol: 8) :roll: :roll: :thumbup:

check these out http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/bittersweet/sp74j.htm

Ok, brain in gear and whirrrrrring away. I have to do the wall thing, if I do a frame. (Two windows, three doors in the room and ceiling slopes) {I'm so jealous of the Farm house, I could just spit BTW] The one wall that I could likely rig a frame is the one with the three doors. but if I'm careful and find fold up rod holders..........or if I throw the husband out and take over the whole end of the house! Yep, that's the answer.

FOR TRADE: One 68 yowm, redneck, with own guns/gunsafe, will hunt and fish daily. I'll deliver! TRADE NEEDED: One queen size adjustable quilting frame. I'll do the destruction/construction myself.

:mrgreen:
Sharon

good luck Sharon, let me know if you get any bites, i have one i could let go if the price is right! LOL
kathy

Thanks, but I need further instruction. Does she tie them up with cord? How are they suspended safely? Is this a 4-sided frame connected with "C" clamps? What does she do when the sides are rolled? How does this do in the winter when there is ash in the air? Or in summer when the cooler breeze circulates? Please clarify when you have time. Thanks, again.

picture of frame it didn't say much about ash and breeze. I imagine it was rope. pulled up and tied.......might take two people

this question has been burning a hole in my brain since the beginning of this thread. how in heck do you reach the middle of a bed sized (double or larger) using one of those things?

Open that door a little wider, Patrice!

See your avatar? THAT's how you reach the middle!!

No seriously, I was thinking more of a roll type, that I could let the cords down on, AND roll the different parts of the quilt to get to with needle and eyes, I'm not good at reaching overhead. THAT would be for getting it up and out of the way when not quilting...right???

I made mine out of 4 pieces of wood. 2 are 6 feet long and 2 are 3 feet long and I joined them together with 4 c clamps. I lay one side on my ironing board and one side on my sewing table while quilting. When I am finished quilting for the night or day I just lean it against the wall. And that's all. Oh and it cost about 20 dollars to make.
Misty

Ruth's picture is exactly like my mom's. as you finish what you can reach, you take out some of the basting on the two ends and roll the finished part up on the side board, you can do it all from one side or go back and forth. you finish in the middle. When you're not working on it you wind the ropes around the ends of the boards and that takes it up out of the way.

I tried downloading it, but it won't let me. Could you please copy and paste the web address? Thanks.

click on the WORD download

I did, it didn't.

go to the top of this page, Ruthie has the address there, just click on it and you're off.
kathy

I have the same question. I have inherited an antique quilting frame from before the depression. My Grandmother always had a twinkle in her eye telling my how they would hang it from the ceiling. My husband said he would do the work, but neither of us can envision what it would look like. I really need a picture. Does anyone have one?

I would need to see a picture also.My grandmother had a set of these but I was very young .Am dying for a set of these.

before my grandmother moved to the nursing home, there was a set of quilting frames like this in her attic. (I should have taken it then) Someone went in and stole it while she went for a walk and forgot to lock the door. She had alzheimers and forgot lots of things. The quilting frame belonged to my great great grandmother so I hope that who ever has it...their ears are burning while I'm talking about them.

my friends has one, but I have no idea how to put it together.

My mom found one in a book. I'll have to ask her. It was great.