Some Assembly Required

Patty · August 29, 2011, 04:59:53 PM

I spent Sunday putting together my new quilting frame. 8) It took me about 6 or 7 hours to assemble while Norm hid outside. I had to fire him right off the bat when we couldn't even agree on whether or not to put a finish on the thing before assembling it. Actually he quit, before I could fire him!! We didn't even make through the first paragraph of the 20 page instruction manual. :D Our sons stopped over and wondered why Norm was out in the shop by himself, and after an explanation, the oldest said, "Oh yea, the wife and I fire each other pretty much every time we try to do a project together!"

Anyway, the frame is assembled, and now the fun begins.

Raider Bill · August 29, 2011, 05:06:59 PM

That Norms a pretty Smart Feller ;) ;D

SwampDonkey · August 29, 2011, 05:48:19 PM

That looks awesome from here Patty. Congratulations on putting your new frame together. My poor old grandmother did well to have a square frame up on chairs held by C-clamps. ;)

Mother was a little put out though, because she made quilts for all dad's brother's kids and none for us kids. I guess she figured we had enough bed'n. ;) Grandmother wasn't all that great the last few years of living because of bone cancer, so she didn't have the energy to make us quilts. That's what I figure anyway. ;)

Jeff · August 29, 2011, 05:49:10 PM

It looks like sculpture.

metalspinner · August 29, 2011, 06:00:08 PM

That's quite a contraption! Looks like an evil robot killing machine to me...

beenthere · August 29, 2011, 06:50:16 PM

Patty

Yup

beenthere

;D

WDH · August 29, 2011, 08:28:10 PM

It does look alive! Don't turn your back on it on a dark moonless night

Nice going ;D.

Larry · August 29, 2011, 09:26:02 PM

As much as I'm envious of your ~~thing~~ ~~machine~~ I mean quilting frame I just happened to notice that beautiful hardwood floor. 8) 8) 8)

Larry, headed to the shop to visit Norm. ;D

PC-Urban-Sawyer · August 29, 2011, 11:09:57 PM

Quote from: Patty on August 29, 2011, 04:59:53 PM
... I had to fire him right off the bat when we couldn't even agree on whether or not to put a finish on the thing before assembling it. ...

Anyway, the frame is assembled, and now the fun begins.

Patty,

And that fun would be putting a finish on the assembled frame, while cussing under your breath that you should of finished it first??? < BIG GRIN, Ducking to avoid the shoe thrown at me as I manage to make it out the door... >

But seriously, that's a Nice quilting frame and beautiful floor. Hope you get many years of enjoyment using it (the frame).

Herb

Mooseherder · August 29, 2011, 11:21:03 PM

How many parts went into that tarnation. :D
I'm with Norm. Run Norm, Run!

Norm · August 30, 2011, 07:53:51 AM

We only got to the first sentence in the manual where it said use tung oil. Now after 35 years of marriage you'd think I could keep my mouth shut but oh noooo. :D

I went out to change the oil in the gator right after that.

submarinesailor · August 30, 2011, 07:57:16 AM

Quote from: Norm on August 30, 2011, 07:53:51 AMNow after 35 years of marriage you'd think I could keep my mouth shut but oh noooo. :D

Norm - after 39 years, I still have the same problem. Just can't keep my BIG mouth shut.

Bruce

WH_Conley · August 30, 2011, 07:59:31 AM

37 years. Same problem.

Ianab · August 30, 2011, 08:09:53 AM

I had been thinking of building those things for the local market, or at least a smaller version for the embroidery / tapestry types.

Not sure how simple is would be after seeing that... :-\ If it takes all day to put together, how long did it take to design???

And don't connect it to the Internet, once Skynet gets control of it, we are all doomed :D

Ian

Patty · August 30, 2011, 10:11:52 AM

I was WANTING to put a finish on first......that lead to the discussion about the tung oil...and it went downhill from there very quickly. :

I decided I really didn't need a finish on the darn thing anyway.

The floor is cherry, and is really very beautiful. We installed it one summer about 9 years ago, and it has really mellowed into a nice floor. No tung oil on it either! :D

isawlogs · August 30, 2011, 11:40:17 AM

I think you should take that thing apart and put a finish on it before you stain the darn thing . ;D

SwampDonkey · August 30, 2011, 03:24:00 PM

Well, I figured I would just say I'm here and call it quits. ;)

thecfarm · August 31, 2011, 07:32:54 AM

I want to see a quilt on that thing. Than it will really shine,just like the floor. Good thing you have room for it.

tcsmpsi · August 31, 2011, 07:40:37 AM

I don't know....looks like it bites, to me. :D

About 20 yrs ago, I got two hardwood framed futons, that will configure into different uses....so they say. They didn't get any finish on them either, Patty. :D

doctorb · August 31, 2011, 08:43:22 AM

I don't understand. Patty, that contraption looks already finished to me! ;)

Roxie · August 31, 2011, 10:24:10 AM

That couldn't have been easy. Way to go! 8)

Ah, the memories of past assemblies this brings to mind. Those were good ~~fights~~ times.

Patty · April 21, 2012, 02:26:25 PM

Last August I put my quilting frame together, as I mentioned in the above posts. Since then I have been assembling a quilt top to go on that frame. The frame helps to hold the quilt top, the batting in the middle and the quilt backing in place while you hand stitch beautiful patterns into the quilt to hold all three layers together.....or that is the theory anyway!

This week while home with a bad cold, I finished the quilt top and have mounted it onto the frame with the other two layers. This process was certainly no trouble at all. :

For two days I assembled, pinned, cussed, tore out, reassembled, pinned some more, cussed, scraped my knuckles all up, tore my fingernail off, put deep gashes into my poor finger (who knew those knife blades were so sharp?!), reassembled AGAIN, cussed a bunch ( you gotta cuss like a sailor to do this procedure I learned), pinned some more, and FINALLY today the quilt is ready to be quilted! 8)

Den Socling · April 21, 2012, 02:55:32 PM

Patty. You sound mildly aggravated.

SwampDonkey · April 21, 2012, 03:05:25 PM

I think you need a loom before that quilt rack eats you up. ;D

Looks like a nice quilt taking shape. ;D

Shotgun · April 21, 2012, 04:09:10 PM

Patty,

I think you have to pin the top, the batting, and the backing, "before" you put it on the frame. My wife is a prolific quilter, quilting most every day. Some times I help her pin the three layers together. We don't have a large frame. She does it with a small circle frame, or machine quilts it. She probably makes 6 or 8 a year.

Your quilt top looks really nice.

Good luck with your project.

Norm

Patty · April 21, 2012, 06:47:38 PM

Shotgun, yes normally when you make a quilt the three layers are basted or pinned together and then you can put it in a hoop and quilt the sections that way. The deal with this new fangled frame I bought has you put the three layers on separate spools so to speak and then all three come together as you quilt. You roll the three spools and the stitching joins them altogether. It is FM. (freaking magic :D )

I will attempt to show pics of this as I go along.

Den, mildly aggravated doesn't even come close! I have a hard time following directions (I know that is hard to believe!) so I try to "wing it" causing myself all sorts of grief. I need to learn to get a grip, slow down, and follow directions one step at a time......but what's the fun in that!!! :

Clam77 · April 21, 2012, 10:28:19 PM

Sounds like a nightmare turning into reality.. :D

WH_Conley · April 21, 2012, 11:04:31 PM

My grandmother had a set of "quilting frames" that was no more than a set of saw horses and a couple of long boards with a lot of nails. Sure wish I had the quilts that were made on that thing.

Red Pill · April 21, 2012, 11:27:50 PM

I bought that same frame for my wife last June. Putting it together wasn't too bad. My problem is it covers the fireplace in the living room, and we didn't get to have a fire all winter. But she's worth it.

SwampDonkey · April 22, 2012, 05:34:47 AM

Quote from: WH_Conley on April 21, 2012, 11:04:31 PM
My grandmother had a set of "quilting frames" that was no more than a set of saw horses and a couple of long boards with a lot of nails. Sure wish I had the quilts that were made on that thing.

They just used chairs here and I think mother has the old frame still and clamps. I haven't seen her make a quilt for years though. :-\

I guess I'll have to weave some blankets this coming winter. :D

thecfarm · April 22, 2012, 08:16:47 AM

Looks good from my hill.

Roxie · April 22, 2012, 12:09:15 PM

Just beautiful, Patty! I've never seen anyone use a quilting rack, so this is an education.

That quilting frame might seem like a lot of work to get going, but the alternative is to lay it all out on the floor, tack the four corners, then the center, and fill in the rest by making cross patterns with those big basting knots. Then after you finish that, the quilting begins and you have to go back and rip out all those knots. I would be willing to bet the effort to get those three pieces in your rack to square up is at least half the time.

No matter how you do it, it sure is a rewarding hobby.