I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I am a hand quilter and thought about buying grace z44 large quilt frames but I work better with a hoop so I am asking for your suggestions on a good quilt hoop. I have a thin small wood one and want a bigger stronger one. Also what are your suggestions on long and short arm quilting. I want to start machine quilting but don't know where to begin.
Jesse,
The Grace Company makes hoops as well as the Z4 frame. Check those out.
Jesse
I have been thinking about one of the hoops on the floor stand. I don't do well with the hoops that you have to hold. So far I have just laid the quilt in my lap when I hand quilt. My biggest suggestion with machine quilting is to get a machine with the biggest throat . space that you can afford. Right now I have a Janine with an 11in throat and I am able to quilt an extra big king quilt.
Vinton, Virginia
Jesse, I have a Hinterburg quilt hoop on a stand, and I love it. You can pull it right up to you as you sit in your chair, I quilt in my recliner (not reclined, of course), and it swivels around. I bought the 29 inch hoop, and I find that it is too wide, I can't reach the middle, so I recently ordered the 22 inch hoop for the stand. I haven't put it on yet. These stands are very sturdy.
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i didn't know i could get a smaller hoop, i'll have to look into that.
gini in north idaho
Elaine and Gini, you should make Jesse aware that you are both vertically challenged. She may have long lithe arms in which case the 29" hoop might be perfect for her. (tee hee)
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
good point, nancy. perhaps, jesse, you should try out a hoop before you buy one. do you have any friends that might have one you could test drive?
Jesse, I am a hand quilter and I have a 14 inch round lap hoop made by Jasmine. I've had it for about 15 years and it is still in great shape. Jasmine was a family owned business and I don't know if they are still in business. I also have a Grace Z44 floor frame and a 14 inch square Grace floor hoop. I've had these about 10 years. I usually quilt small quilts on the floor hoop because there isn't enough bulk to prop the lap hoop, but I'm quilting a 90 x 90 quilt on the floor hoop now and it's working great. I like the floor hoop because I can sit in my comfy chair with the stand sliding underneath my chair and I'm not covered with the quilt. The Z44 is a great frame. I've used it more for basting my quilts because I've never mastered quilting with my thumb away from myself. I learned to quilt Roxanne McElroy's "The Perfect Stitch" way and she recommended a hoop no larger than the dimension from your elbow to your finger tips. And, that seems to work for me. I've been giving some thought to putting the Z44 back up and working on the thumb quilting. I've had some issues with keeping long lines straight on the quilt I'm working on now, and I'm thinking if I had it on the Z44 I would be better able to keep them straight. I would recommend that if you get a lap hoop, get a round one. You will be able to move it better in your lap than a square one. But, I do like the square hoop on my floor hoop because there is more area to quilt before rehooping. If you decide on a floor hoop, check out the braces underneath and make sure your arm and hand will fit comfortably.
Happy quilting!
I have the hinterberg I think its an older model maple color someday I will get around to using it.
As for a machine get the one with the biggest throat space you can afford. I have the Brother 1500pq and love it.
Quilting My Rainbow
We have huge I don't know how big old wood hoops, but now on the wall because it hurts to hold them with my various parts pain.
It's heck to get old, but beats the alternative, as they say.
I now use the very ugly Dritz No-Slip plastic hoops, reckon about 12' or 14', and a shelf-full of smaller ones to finish off the funky bits.
Last night after work I got two hoops-worth done on Sophie's quilt, so reckon I get along ok.