Here is a photo of the blocks which are now attached the frames with thumb tacks:
I'm very fortunate that when I need a custom sized frame, I can ask my dad or my husband to make me them for me!
Cross Stitch Patterns inspired by nature, animals and the holidays by designer Pamela Kellogg of Kitty And Me Designs
Showing posts with label hoops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hoops. Show all posts
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Frames For Peacock Crazy Quilt
Yesterday, I shared photos of my Winter Crazy Quilt Project which will be a Peacock Quilt. Deb at Mosaic Magpie blog asked if I would post a photo of the frames that my dad made for me. Here are the frames:
Since I want to stitch on the side pieces simultaneously, I asked my dad to make me two frames.
Here is a photo of the blocks which are now attached the frames with thumb tacks:
I have never liked stitching without a hoop or frame to hold on to. I stitched my Lucky quilt entirely in hand with out a hoop and I will never do that again!
Hoops or frames will hold the piece taught so that it doesn't get askew and out of shape from the stitching. It helps to keep the stitching tension more even. However, with crazy quilting, due to the fancy fabrics and embellishments, a hoop or frame that fits the entire piece is necessary. Hoops will leave marks on fancy fabrics and it's too hard to move a hoop around once the embellishments start to go on.
I'm very fortunate that when I need a custom sized frame, I can ask my dad or my husband to make me them for me!
Here is a photo of the blocks which are now attached the frames with thumb tacks:
I'm very fortunate that when I need a custom sized frame, I can ask my dad or my husband to make me them for me!
Monday, January 21, 2008
To Hoop Or Not To Hoop
That is the question that was posed to me last week. I thought for today, I would discuss the pro's and con's of hooping.
The purpose of using a hoop is to keep your fabric tight while you stitch. This prevents bunching and buckling around your stitching.
Be it cross stitch, embroidery or crazy quilting, I always use a hoop, with only one exception in my almost 40 years of stitching. Yes, I am older than I look. Older than I behave too!
My Lucky Crazy Quilt is a 29 inch square whole cloth quilt meaning, it was pieced on one very large piece of fabric. I worked this quilt entirely in-hand and by the time the stitching and embellishing was complete, I was just as crazy as my stitching!
Now you're probably wondering why I didn't just hoop the area I was working on and then move the hoop. The reason for this is that certain fabrics will not recover from the tension of a hoop. Plush fabric such as velvet will be crushed by the hoop and it won't bounce back. Silk and satin will retain the hoop-mark as well. And certainly, once the beads, sequins and buttons start going on, well I'm sure you can imagine that moving a small hoop around on a large quilt would be impossible.
With cross stitch and embroidery, moving the hoop the around is certainly feasible although when possible, I do try to use a hoop that's large enough for the entire design. This isn't always possible but when it is, I see it as a time saver!
With crazy quilting, you most definitely want to use a hoop that your entire block will fit into:
My favorite hoop is a 12 inch Quilter's hoop. Nine inch blocks fit perfectly in this hoop. I've also found that the wooden Quilter's hoops are a better quality hoop than the wooden embroidery hoops.
For my cellphone pouches and ornaments I use a 7 inch round screw type plastic hoop. The one that you see in the photo of my redwork cat.
For projects larger than 9 inch blocks, I have some custom frames that my husband made for me. I think he used a good quality pine which a soft wood. When I attach my block to those, I simply use thumb tacks to hold the block in place. Blocks can be laced on to frames as well but in my opinion, that's a waste of perfectly good stitching time.
If custom needlework frames aren't an option, Michael's Craft Stores carry wooden snap together frames in sets of two and in a variety of sizes. You can mix and match them to create whatever size frame you need for your piece. I have several of these as well and my husband actually glued them together with wood glue which makes them quite sturdy.
Another way of supporting your stitched piece is a style of hoop called Q-Snaps. I have some of these and honestly, I don't care for them. They are so heavy to hold and I've found that they slide around a lot. Whenever I've used them, I was constantly taking my piece out and readjusting it. I don't recommend them but I know there are stitcher's out there who swear by them!
So, in answer to the question I mentioned at the beginning of this post, yes, I do recommend using a hoop. There are times when it isn't an option, as in the case with a large whole cloth quilt. When possible though, you'll be much happier with your final stitched piece if you use one.
The purpose of using a hoop is to keep your fabric tight while you stitch. This prevents bunching and buckling around your stitching.
Be it cross stitch, embroidery or crazy quilting, I always use a hoop, with only one exception in my almost 40 years of stitching. Yes, I am older than I look. Older than I behave too!
My Lucky Crazy Quilt is a 29 inch square whole cloth quilt meaning, it was pieced on one very large piece of fabric. I worked this quilt entirely in-hand and by the time the stitching and embellishing was complete, I was just as crazy as my stitching!
Now you're probably wondering why I didn't just hoop the area I was working on and then move the hoop. The reason for this is that certain fabrics will not recover from the tension of a hoop. Plush fabric such as velvet will be crushed by the hoop and it won't bounce back. Silk and satin will retain the hoop-mark as well. And certainly, once the beads, sequins and buttons start going on, well I'm sure you can imagine that moving a small hoop around on a large quilt would be impossible.
With cross stitch and embroidery, moving the hoop the around is certainly feasible although when possible, I do try to use a hoop that's large enough for the entire design. This isn't always possible but when it is, I see it as a time saver!
With crazy quilting, you most definitely want to use a hoop that your entire block will fit into:
My favorite hoop is a 12 inch Quilter's hoop. Nine inch blocks fit perfectly in this hoop. I've also found that the wooden Quilter's hoops are a better quality hoop than the wooden embroidery hoops.
For my cellphone pouches and ornaments I use a 7 inch round screw type plastic hoop. The one that you see in the photo of my redwork cat.
For projects larger than 9 inch blocks, I have some custom frames that my husband made for me. I think he used a good quality pine which a soft wood. When I attach my block to those, I simply use thumb tacks to hold the block in place. Blocks can be laced on to frames as well but in my opinion, that's a waste of perfectly good stitching time.
If custom needlework frames aren't an option, Michael's Craft Stores carry wooden snap together frames in sets of two and in a variety of sizes. You can mix and match them to create whatever size frame you need for your piece. I have several of these as well and my husband actually glued them together with wood glue which makes them quite sturdy.
Another way of supporting your stitched piece is a style of hoop called Q-Snaps. I have some of these and honestly, I don't care for them. They are so heavy to hold and I've found that they slide around a lot. Whenever I've used them, I was constantly taking my piece out and readjusting it. I don't recommend them but I know there are stitcher's out there who swear by them!
So, in answer to the question I mentioned at the beginning of this post, yes, I do recommend using a hoop. There are times when it isn't an option, as in the case with a large whole cloth quilt. When possible though, you'll be much happier with your final stitched piece if you use one.
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