I started out stitching in a frame in a floor stand. It’s the Rollaframe brand that I have. You can Google the name if you’re interested. The guy who makes them has a Facebook page. Various shops stock the parts/frame/stand but since it’s one guy doing all the work, they’re not always easy to get.
My preference for stitching is “in hand”, holding the linen with my left hand and stitching with my right hand using the sewing method but lately, especially with larger pieces, my left hand has been cramping so it’s time to switch back to a method that’s less taxing on my left hand.
While none of this is a big deal . . it’s a struggle to find that perfect spot/method for stitching.
A couple of nights ago, I got out the Lowery stand and was using it with a Rollaframe frame. The piece I was stitching on was about 36″ wide and I just didn’t have room where I was sitting for that to work out well. I was either leaning way over to my right to get the right edge or trying to move the stand farther left than I had space to go.
Yesterday I went upstairs and brought down the Rollaframe floor stand and set it up over by the window in the downstairs family room. As I suspected, because . . think about a plus sign – Vince is sitting at the bottom of the vertical piece, The TV is at the top of the vertical piece and about the only place for my chair and frame to be is on either end of the horizontal piece, so that makes the light kinda blinding to him while he’s watching TV.
I ended up moving my chair behind our recliners, put the frame back there, and the lamp so it isn’t blinding Vince. It would be so easy to stitch where I had the frame upstairs, or in the sewing room where I have a comfy chair but Oscar can’t hang out upstairs – I can’t block off the stairs; I can’t keep him off the furniture and I don’t want him on the wood floors. I can’t have Oscar in the sewing room . . way too much stuff for him to get into plus that would be invading Boots’ safe space
I may be able to move the two recliners closer over to the right and make room for the other stitching chair/lamp to the left of the recliners and maybe the light wouldn’t be so bright for Vince from there but . . that’s a project for another day.
Shelley says
https://www.vpotoky.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=140
Look at this portable mini frame. I think this might solve your problem
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’ve looked at those before and I think they’d be great for small projects but it’s the bigger projects that are giving me fits right now. Thanks for the link. Those frames are beautiful.
justquiltin says
Not sure what kind of light you are using that makes a glare for Vince but is it possible to tape or somehow attach something as a visor on the edge of it opposite from you to block the light from bothering him? Just a thought but not sure if it would work.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
When I was stitching upstairs in the living room, I would drape a hand towel over it and that helped but with Oscar, a hand towel hanging over a lamp doesn’t sound like a great idea.
Sandi says
I love the Rollaframes . I have never seen a stand for one. I’ll have to check that out. Probably the largest one I’ve used is 22 or 24 inches. It does tire my hand out balancing it. Hugs,
judy.blog@gmail.com says
You can also use the Lowery stand to hold the Rolaframe frames. They aren’t as sturdy, especially on the longer frames but they work. It does make my hands tired to try to balance it. If I’m stitching with both hands, it isn’t so bad but if I’m doing the sewing stitch, the left hand is doing about the same thing it does without a frame.
Val says
Judy I made a wooden support to go in my Lowery stand that makes it easier to hold and flip large projects. I am sure Vince could make one if you think it would work for you. I can email a photo if you like? I don’t think I can post a photo here.