older Little Grace quilting frame
 

Hi all, I need some advise. I have an opportunity to purchase an older Little Grace Queen quilting frame from a friend's estate sale but not certain if my sewing machine will fit on it. I have a Singer 8060. Does anyone know if my machine would work. I know it is not a long arm quilting machine but I have been advised that it might work since it has a removable tray for FMQing. Let me know your thoughts and any experience you have with the Little Grace quilting frame

I have an older Grace SR2 frame with my Janome 1600P on it. My machine measures 7" wide x 18" long and the moving tray it sits on is 20" long. I manage to do baby quilts and large throw quilts on it, but find that a full bed quilt or larger won't fit because the rails aren't long enough to accommodate.

I think you would only be able to quilt about a 3" or 4" swatch at a time. Less when you roll the quilt. I don't think it would be very efficient.

Hi Lindaschipper, how long is the throat on your Janome 1600P? My concern is that I would not be able use my current Singer 8060 machine with it as the throat is short, maybe 7 in. Maybe that is OK for baby and lap quilts, which is all I do right now. Then if I like the Grace frame, I could invest in a machine that fits better. Just not sure. Welcome everyone wisdom, as I am a new quilter, only 2 years in but I really enjoy it.

Thank you quilted sunshine for the feedback, you might be right. Would it be worth the investment for baby and lap quilts? Then upgrade to a long arm style machine later? Welcome your thoughts.

Hi again....my Janome 1600P has an 11 inch throat...not really that big compared to long arm machines. Yes, I can only do small meanders (stipples) or loop de loops in about the 4 inch range, but for Project Linus Quilts this works for me. Until you can get a machine with a larger throat it just doesn't justify the money for a Grace frame. sorry......

Agree. Anyone considering putting a DSM on a longarm frame should first put a section of 4" diameter pool noodle or pipe insulation against the throat of the machine. That represents the rolled up quilt that's already been quilted (with not super-puffy batting). Measure that distance to the other side of the throat (not all the way to the needle, since the needle isn't at the edge of the throat). That remaining distance is how wide of a stripe you can quilt with a machine on a frame.

You would basically be able to do a simple edge-to-edge, but you won't be able to FMQ a design in a block without a lot of starting and stopping to roll back a forth a few inches.

Thank you all for the advise, I think I will pass on the quilt frame unless I plan to get a larger throat/long arm machine soon. The frame might be a good investment if I already had one but I don't right now. Maybe I will just keep saving my money and get a long arm set up down the road. Thank you again