Saturday, July 2, 2016

DIY Rolling Quilt Frame

This frame is an improvement on the DIY Flynn Multi Frame. I decided to use two extra pipes below the frame to keep the batting and backing off the floor. However, this caused a drag problem. I removed these extra pipes from the instructions even though my bottom photos show the original frame. All three layers can be rolled together on the top rail. You could also roll the backing only and float the top and batting. The clamps will keep them tight enough without rolling.

Furniture grade pvc is better than Charlotte pipe for this project, but I wanted to see if it was feasible before upgrading. This frame is not adaptable with Charlotte pipe because it isn't rigid enough. Pieces will come apart if you try to connect them with couplers. It can be made to 60" or 5 feet long with furniture grade pvc. Home Depot does not sale 10 foot pipes. Two pipes would have to be joined with couplers to accommodate anything larger than a throw size quilt. The minimum depth is 18" to prevent the quilt from dragging on the machine. The legs can be adapted to the height of your sewing machine. You can sit or stand while using it. 

I recommend a machine with a minimum throat space of 7". The back pipe will take up 1" of space without a quilt rolled on to it. You need an additional 1" of space for 360 degree movement around the needle. Whatever your throat space is, subtract 2" to get your working space. A 7" throat space will give you 5" of working space. That's usually enough for continuous line quilting, end to end. If all you have is a small domestic machine with a 5" throat space, you'll be limited to 2" wide continuous line quilting or channel/ditch quilting. A machine with 9" or more of throat space is necessary for block or negative space quilting.

(4) 60" 1-1/4" I.D. Furniture grade pvc (frame and support rails)
(2) 60" 1-1/4" I.D. Furniture grade pvc (legs)
(4) 29"-- Cut 2 lengths from two 60" pipes (legs)
(1) 60" 1-1/4" I.D. Furniture grade pvc (scrap pipe)
(4) 18" cuts from scrap pipe (frame and support rails)
(4) 2" cuts from scrap pipe (bottom tee spacers)
(4) 1-1/4" 3-way 90 degree elbows (frame top)
(4) 1-1/4" 4-way tees (bottom support rails)
(4) 1-1/4" Internal Dome Caps (for rails)
(24) 1-1/2" #8 Hex Washer Head screws (for stability)
(4) 3/8" dia. 3" Lag bolts (for rails)
(4) 3/8" dia. Wing nuts (for rails)
(8) 3/8" dia. Washers (for rails)
(4) 1-1/4" Caster Pipe Caps (for casters)
(4) 3/8" dia. Hex nuts (for casters)
(4) 3/8" dia. Washers (for casters)
(1) 1-1/4" x 4' Pipe Clamp
PVC glue
Drill
3/8" drill bit for bolts
3/16" drill bit for screws
Ratchet and 3/8" deep socket
Phillips screwdriver
Dremel with reinforced cut off wheel or hacksaw
Tape measure
Sharpie
Painter's tape

Using a dremel, cut (4) 29" lengths from two of the 60" pipes. Cut 18" pieces and 2" pieces from scrap pipe. The easiest way to keep your cuts straight is to wrap painter's tape around the pipe where the mark is. Double check pieces cut by a lumber yard. Most of mine were up to a 1/2" too long and one was a 1/4" too short.
Hold the dome caps steady on a hard surface and drill a 3/8" hole for the rails. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Drill 3/8" holes through the center of the elbows and tees as well. You only have to do this for the frame rails.

Slip a washer onto each bolt and slip the bolt through each cap. Swirl a bit of glue inside 2 of the 60" pipes and slide in the plugs. Let the glue cure. Slip another washer onto each bolt. Screw on a wing nut. You'll have to remove the wing nuts when you insert the pipes into the elbows and tees. This prevents the pipes from slipping out while allowing the frame to be dismantled easily for storage. The frame rails will still roll the quilt while bolted in.

Assembly

Slide two elbows onto a 60" pipe, making sure the bolt comes out the other end. Slide a washer onto the bolt and screw on a wing nut.

Slide the two 18" lengths of pipe into the 3-way elbows. These can't be bolted. The bolts can only go one way. However, they can be screwed into place with short screws for stability. Drill (2) 3/16" holes through the sides of the elbows and through the pipe. Secure with hex screws. Bolts and nuts can be used for this, but you have to use a drill press to get the holes perfectly straight.

Slip another 60" pipe into the other 3-way elbow, making sure the bolt comes out the other end. Slide a washer onto the bolt and screw on a wing nut. Slide the 3-way elbow onto the 18" pipe. Drill (2) 3/16" holes through the sides of the elbows and through the pipe. Secure with hex screws. This makes the top of the frame. 
Slide a caster into the hole of a caster pipe cap. Slide a washer onto the bolt. Screw on a hex nut and tighten with the ratchet. Repeat with the other three casters.

Slide 2" pipes into the caster pipe caps. Slide 4-way tees onto the 2" pipes. Slide 29" pipe into the tees. Repeat for the other 3 legs.

Slide a 60" pipe into the 4-way tees. Drill (2) 3/16" holes through the sides of the tees and through the pipe. Secure with hex screws. Do the same for the back. These are the bottom support rails.

Slide 18" pipes into the 4-way tees connecting the front and back legs. These can't be bolted. The bolts can only go one way. However, they can be screwed into place with short screws for stability. Drill (2) 3/16" holes through the sides of the tees and through the pipe. Secure with hex screws.

Slide the legs into the 3-way elbows in the top of the frame. Drill (2) 3/16" holes through the sides of the elbows and through the pipe. Secure with hex screws.
The frame is finished. Attach clamps.
The backing is rolled onto the bottom pipe. The batting is rolled onto the middle pipe. The top is rolled onto the first pipe. The finished quilting is rolled onto the back pipe. The pipes don't move. The layers wrap easily around the pipes with the clamps. This is a major improvement on the original frame.

Assessment
It works better than the Flynn frame and it functions best on a smooth floor. It's still best suited for narrow continuous line quilting. The narrow throat space on my machine is the problem.

35 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your ideas posting the instructions in such detail. This is a great idea, and I can't wait to make one of my own and start quilting!

    My sewing machine also has a narrow throat space. I'm thinking of adding a crank handle to the PVC to allow me to wind/unwind the fabric and do deeper quilting. Of course, I'd be thrilled if you did it first so I could copy you!

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    1. I wanted to do that, but I couldn't find those ratcheting sprockets anywhere. I'll keep looking!

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    2. How long apart should the holes be

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    3. There is only one hole per plug and outlet. The bolts keep the frame together while allowing it to be disassembled. I ended up removing the bolts from mine because I didn't get the holes perfectly aligned. This is the reason I recommend a drill press.

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  2. You are an engineer! What a great solution to an expensive problem! Thank you for the very specific instructions and for sharing your very hard work.

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    1. You're quite welcome. Thank you for commenting.

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  3. Thank you for sharing this idea. Question. Would it be easier to quilt if the 3 layers were parallel to the floor rather than at an angle? Could this be solved by having the pipes that hold each (top, batting, and backing) level? Or at least the top and the batting with the back going over another pole (so all are level)?
    I've been trying hard to engineer a setup similar to this (but with a flynn frame and modifying it).

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  4. Or, just have another pipe before the top that all three fabrics go over to keep them level?

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  5. You can use only one rail on the top for all three layers. I used three rails to wind the individual layers without wrinkling. I attempted a diy version of the Flynn frame and it was terrible.
    DIY Free Motion Frame

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  6. This sure looks and sounds great!! I am wondering if you would recommend making it wider up to 60" to quilt a double to queen size quilt?

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    1. You can make this frame as wide as you want. I only recommend using furniture grade pvc and keep it all one piece, no couplers.

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  7. This is a great tutorial, I am going to be attempting this myself. As a mostly self taught sewer I am a bit confused in regard to the finished quilt rolling onto the back pipe. I too have a narrow throat machine, won't the finished quilt start to become too cumbersome to fit? I literally suck at basting and for years have had the good fortune to have my husbands grandmother who owned a long arm! I could piece my creations, mail it to her and she would send me back a beautifully quilted product to gift to friends and family. She has declined as of late and I have been given her creations to finish....I am hoping this is the solution to do her work justice!

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  8. I am looking to build an affordable frame, I have, until recently, had the luxury of sending my pieced quilt tops to my grandmother in law who would use her long arm for me. I have now inherited a number of pieced items of hers, her last work, that I would like to complete for our family....this tutorial looks pretty straight forward, I am definitely going to give it a try, but am curious as to any issues with the size of the finished product being rolled into the throat of the smaller machines on the back rail. Thanks for your help!

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    1. Small machines only have a 3" throat space, so the quilt will eventually fill up that space. I discovered the hard way that small machines weren't intended for use with frames.

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  9. Wow, this looks great! Sorry, I am a beginner & only have a standard sewing machine. Will this work with it? Thanks

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    1. It will work with a small machine for up to a crib size quilt, but the design size is limited to 2" wide.

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  10. I was just wondering I have a Bernina with a 10" throat, I am now on a fixed income & would love to start quilting, is it possible to make this in a queen size? Thank You

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    1. I live on a fixed income and quilt professionally with a machine smaller than yours without a frame. A 10" Bernina is perfect for this. You can make this frame any length you want using furniture grade pvc.

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  11. Updated March 9, 2019. When I first built this frame as an experiment, furniture grade pvc wasn't available locally. Now, it's available at Home Depot in 5 foot lengths. I've linked to the materials, re-written parts of the instructions and updated the graphics. I seriously need to re-build this frame and take new photos. I'm also working on a design for a wooden long arm frame.

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  12. Thank You so much I think even I can do this I can't wait to try.

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  13. Hi Vera,
    Are you using your updated rolling PVC quilt frame? How do you like it? Would you post some closeup photos? I'm thinking of making one.
    Thanks
    Jennifer

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    1. Sorry, I haven't worked on the upgrade. I have too many things to do and I'm really behind.

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  14. Hi Vera - love that you post and share your knowledge. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome and thank you for commenting.

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  15. What are the finished measurements? (l x w x h) Thanks in advance!!

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    1. Roughly 60x18x33 inches, +/- a few centimeters for the connecting pieces.

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  16. I am a female and love working with wood and sewing/quilting. I was thinking.....do you think the PVCcaps that you put in a shower to hold your spring rod would work instead of the system you use? seems like all you would have to do is put pressure on the so they slip out when loading or unloading your fabric.I might try and build my own using that system.let me know what you think.

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    1. I don't think those will work because they're rubber. Let me know how yours turns out.

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  17. Replies
    1. No and if I wanted to sell them already completed, I would not have written a tutorial instructing others to make one.

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  18. Hello Vera,

    This is so exciting. I am very new in the sewing/ quilting world and have been having much difficulties to quick my king size quilts.

    I am definitely going to build one in the next week or so. IN the mean time, do you have a DIY to build the platform to hold/ slide the sewing machine from left to right vice versa.

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    1. What you're referring to is called a carriage. The rolling quilt frame isn't heavy or sturdy enough to support the weight of a sewing machine. You would have to build the rolling sewing machine table and keep the frame stationary. I haven't built the sewing table yet. What I have posted is a design idea.

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  19. do you have a video ...showing on to do this

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