Roselady,

I have two personal floor frames. The first is 30"round and I beleive made by Hintenburg. I bought it at a quilt shop. You have to baste the quilt to use this frame. It has a single leg in the middle and rotates. I find that I tend to overextend my arms when using it unless I force myself to rotate more often. I sit in a wing chair to use it.
My second one I ordered at a national quitl show from Grace. It is 24" and square with rounded corners. It has a single base that has an arm that extends sideways from the base and then the hoop rotates. I find I have a problem with the bulk of the quilt that is not in the hoop getting caught on the arm when I go to rotate. It does have a built in extension light that is nice and was free since I purchased it at the show. Both hoops have their advantages and disadvantages. I usually have a dozen or more needles going at the same time. I stitch as far as I can reach with the first one and then go on to the next until the whole hooped surface is quilted. Then I unhoop and move the quilt to where I continue the lines I started.

Both hoops were in the $100 range and I have had them both for a while.

Good luck

There is no brand on it, I looked. It is very old and I got it at a thrift shop probably 20 years ago. All it is is two uprights with notches on the top. The inner hoop has a wing nut and a bolt that slips into the notch, that's how I tilt it to whatever angle and tighten the nuts.

The base is just two pieces of wood for the feet with a crossbar between them and more bolts and wing nuts to hold the uprights.

I bet any do-it-yourselfer or carpenter could make this stand for a purchased wooden hoop in any size. It could fit multiple sizes by using different sized crossbars.

If you are able to quilt in all directions without moving the quilt around, go for the frame (and as long as you have space for it, too).

I have a hoop. I can move it from room to room (keeping it away from kids and I don't have the space for a frame - yet), and since I can't quite quilt in all directions (still figuring some of that out) this is what I prefer. I also like to keep the quilt loose in the hoop instead of tight, don't know if I can do that in a frame). I find I don't prick my fingers as often.

This probably wasn't much help...
Good luck with your decision, it's a tough one.

lynette, what kind of floor frame do you have?

pittsburgpam has the same frame as I have. I have the original box it came in, all it says is BEACHWOOD LTD. I paid 20.00 for it from a friend. I've had it for years. I quilted two quilts on it and now use a pvc frame.
I do think I will get it out and use it again!!

Have a great day,
simple quilter

I have an old hoop my grandmother gave me its is a large oval probably 12" by 24". That is the only thing I have ever used to hand quilt and like it just fine. It can take my project with me if I want to - I quilt in the car when I know I will be a passenger. I did have to baste my whole quilt but that wasn't that big of a pain in the a**. With the hoop I can turn my work cause I can only quilt right to left :)

I only do hand quilting and bought a frame that sits on the floor and is made of pvc pipe. I bought mine at a flea market for 60 dollars some time back. I would highly recommend this type frame. My mother has one also and we are both well pleased with them. I'm sure someone must have a patten on this type and maybe you could find it on the net.

I also have a floor model Q-Snap frame and find it works very well. :lol:
Very easy to adjust the tension! :lol: