I just bought a Qsnap frame and for the most part I love it! But I noticed that it's flattening out my stitches.
I put a layer of paper towels between the snap part of the frame and the top of my work but it still flattened them out.
It's also leaving dents in my fabric like a hoop does. From what I've read on here, it doesn't seem like people really have an issue with that. Since I'm working on a linen it's distorting the holes in the fabric.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks to keep this from happening?
Michelle
2016 FINISHES: All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears
This is one of the reasons I don't like QSnaps ... but to be fair I've never personally tried using them (I base my opinion on observation of others).
The other reason I don't like them is they don't seem to hold great tension - I know it's easy to retension them but when I've seen them in action it always looks a bit loose to me ... again this is a personal observation not experience.
I use all sorts of hoops, scroll frames, art frames, and qSnaps. The latter have been invaluable for the Tapestry project because I can keep everything really taut, although they do pop off occasionally -- I blame the chain stitch. Whatever is the most sensible alternative is what I use.
Have you tried the spring tension hoops. I like these better than other hoops. I have only used Q snaps on projects that don't have to be moved whilst stitching. I have never had a problem with tension hoops and they are so easy to use. Yes the floss will spring back up, especially if you wash the finished item carefully.
Spring tension hoops for small things and scroll bars (but you have to get good ones) for big things.
My scroll bars are antiques they use a screw and wing nut to do up and they have an impression in the side bars that the cross bar fits snuggly into. I bought and tried the split type scroll bars and some other wing nut ones but they were hopeless because they wouldn't tighten very well. My dad suggested rubber washers and this helped a lot but I still ended up making my own cross bars to fit my antique frames. I have since found wing nut types that I felt tighten and hold adequately but I no longer need them.
I am VERY tempted by the millenium frame ... I love the concept and think it would work exceptionally well.
On my stitched areas that have to be clamped I put a peice of flannel or felt between the clamp and my done work. So far it has worked for me. I have also bought the extension kit so that I don't have to clamp on the completed work. I have had some little "dents" on my work from the clamps as well but after washing and ironing they go away.
I tried a cheap scroll frame once but I couldn't figure out how to get the fabric to stay on the frame at all.
What are the millennium frame and spring tension hoops...I've never heard of them. I also wasn't aware that there were extension kits for q snap frames.....Oh the things I'm learning.....This could be dangerous for my wallet!
Michelle
2016 FINISHES: All Hallows Eve (Glendon Place)
Delightful Fruits - Grapes (CSN 3/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Apples
Delightful Fruits - Berries (CSN 5/2013)
Delightful Fruits - Pears
Google the Millenium frame- its a scroll type.. with adjustable sides. But others can do a much better job explaining, with photos.
I have a small spring hoop, 4" I think- maybe 5"
I LOVE it for this towel project I am working on. I also like it when traveling. Quick on/ off. Holds fabric tight. Google that one as well.
There is a solid outside plastic ring. Then the inside ring is metal, but its not a complete ring, and it wants to be bigger than the outside plastic ring. There are metal handles that push together. Metal ring + fabric fits into a grove in the plastic ring. The tension of the inside hoop pushing against the outside hoop keeps your fabric in place.
As for Q Snap extenders, these are just 3" lengths of pipe. My set of 11" legs is actually an 8" piece + a 3" extender. (I have an old set.. maybe newer sets are a solid 11" leg)
Happy shopping
(You were warned when joining this forum that we can be detrimental to a budget right??.. If not.. well, now you know. We can be terrible stash enhancers)
MaggieM1750 wrote:Yes, they will flatten stitches.. but floss is cotton. They will bounce back.
Just catching up with this thread. I can vouch for what MaggieM1750 said. I started HAED Mini Time IV months ago in a wooden hoop and when I removed the hoop I saw it had flattened the stitches quite severely. I wasn't too upset though, as it was a test project to see what fabric etc I wanted to do my BAPs on. I put it in the UFO box and when I was having a tidy up not so long ago I had a look at it and was pleasantly surprised to see that all the stitches had bounced back and I couldn't tell where they'd been flattened.
If you 'stitch in the well' using the Q-Snaps, it'll be less noticeable while you're stitching since you're not putting the clamps on the front side of the work -- you're putting the clamps on the back side. I feel like the flattening isn't a problem. The stitches will rebound once you wash it. My girlfriend uses Q-Snaps and at first, I was put off by the way the clamps flattened the stitches. When she pulled the project out of the Q-Snaps, I could see in the finished piece every place she put the clamps because of the flattened stitches; but after she washed it, I couldn't even tell where the clamps had been. Honest....and I looked very hard.
I just posted about a related issue - my suggestion is to find some scrap fleece and use it between the frame and the snaps. I just started doing that today and not only will it protect the stitches as well as the linen, but it also helps the fabric stay tighter while you stitch. WIthout the fleece I was constantly tugging and adjusting to try to get it tight and I know that was distorting my linen.
