How to Build a Quilting Frame

If you are looking for a new hobby, quilting is one that is both fun to do and rich with tradition. Quilting goes back to the medieval times where homemakers figured out a way to put small scraps of fabric to use. Initially starting out as a practical means of conserving pieces of cloth, this well developed method of patchwork is now considered a true form of art practiced by thousands of people all around the world.

Before you can start assembling your quilt, there a few things that you need to prepare. Quilting requires three layers: a patched piece, an old sheet, and a suitable material to be used as a filling to be placed between the two. To keep everything in place, you would need to have a good quilting frame. Stitching and tying everything together can get a little messy if you cannot hold all the materials still and aligned with each other. So before you get all excited about your patchwork, you first need to build a strong quilt frame.

1. Secure the materials for your quilt frame. The very first step of making a quilt frame is to gather all the materials that you need. You will need two strong boards that are longer than the width of the quilt you are planning to sew. Get the measurement of your quilt and then from there, cut the boards accordingly using a hand saw.

2. Staple the fabric in place. Once you are done cutting the boards, attach the fabric securely about half an inch apart from end to end. If do not have a stapler for your fabric, you can alternately sew a pocket into the ends of the fabric where you can slide the boards into. Just make sure that you spare a little space for the pockets when you take the measurements of the fabric.

3. Find two other boards to make the sides of the frame. To form the sides of the frame, you will need two more boards of about the same size as the previous two. To help you hold everything together, you can use four large C-clamps. It would also be better if your have something to set the frame on at about lap-height to make stitching more convenient.

4. Create your desired shape for your quilt frame. Once you have all the sides ready, create the shape of the quilt frame. Put the sides of the frames first, parallel to each other and then put the fabric-covered boards perpendicular to the sides to form a square. Using the C-clamps, carefully attach each overlapped board corner tightly in place.