Q Snap Tips?

[Laughin-Stitches]

Woooo hooooo my q snap arrived yesterday and I love it!!
I am used to using nothing so am finding I only need 2 snaps, one on each side and that is plenty of tension for me.
I was having a problem though when I finished with a thread and needed to run it under a few threads, if I was near the q snap frame I couldnt do it so I have put my aida on the other way and work like into it and when turn to run the threads under its on the top and the frame isnt in my way at all (hope Im making sense) anyone else do this??
Also I find the snaps really really hard to get off and am scared when I have to move it to stitched work when I take them off I will damage my stitched work. I have read some people put material between the stitched work and the snaps but that would make them even tighter to get off. Any tips for this??

[MaudL]

Heya,

What I do is buy cheap pillowcases, that I cut in strips 3-4 inches longer than the clamps, that I then sandwich between my stitching fabric and the clamps. The fabric on those pillowcases is thin enough that it does not overly tighten the whole thing.
When it's time to remove the clamp, I just pull on the strip and it makes it easy.
I've used it with regular DMC and with silks, cross stitches and specialty stitches and never had anything damaged. The only thing I wouldn't put under those clamps are beads.
Hope this helps!
Maud

[Oriettait]

I love q-snap because they give me the drum tight fabric feeling I had with the hoop but they don't leave any marks or stretch the fabric. I also noticed that at the beginning they where a little hard to take off but after a short time of usage they eventually softened up a little. I actually have a kind of fabric that tend to slide off and loose tension and I solved the problem putting a sheet of paper towel between the fabric and the clamps.
I usually leave about 10 centimeters of margin on my piece of fabric so i can secure it on the q-snap without having the stitching area too close to the clamps, it is still a lot less than I used to need with the hoop.
what size of q-snap are you using?

[Laughin-Stitches]

Thank you both for that info, very helpful.
I am using a 8 by 8, just got the little one to try out but am going to get the 11 by 11.

[Oriettait]

Thank you both for that info, very helpful.
I am using a 8 by 8, just got the little one to try out but am going to get the 11 by 11.

you will find the 11x11 very useful if you work on big pieces. it is about the perfect size for me. and remember you can always combine arms of different size to adapt to your cloth.

[Laughin-Stitches]

yes after trying this 8 by 8, I think the 11 by 11 will be good, yes is good they can be mixed and matched, so love it!

[Rose]

Well your questions have pretty much been answered but I just wanted to say that I have used q-snaps for at least 4 years or more and I have never had a stitch damaged from moving the clamps. I don't put anything between the clamp and fabric I just attach it direct.

[MaggieM1750]

To get the clamps off, I slide them to the side, not pry them off. Or I pull on the loose fabric and the clip pops off.

[geekishly]

I use a bit of felt between my snaps and the fabric. I have the loops & threads brand (Micheal's store brand) and I found that without the felt it was wearing my fabric thin where the snap edges met the fabric. But since I started using the felt it works just fine. A single piece of felt is big enough to cut up for all four sides of the frame and it only costs 25 cents.

[Heidi]

I got my first q-snap a couple of weeks ago. I absolutely love it!!! Its holds the tension so much better than the hoop that I was using.

I don't but anything between the clamp and the fabric. The clamps come off easily. I found the more that I used the clamps the easier is becomes.

[Reta]

Can just see Maud and Maggie Popping the clips off And flying across the room

[MaudL]

Can just see Maud and Maggie Popping the clips off And flying across the room

lol yep, it's definitely happened a couple times

[MaggieM1750]

Oh well, perhaps there may be some truth in that statement.

[Laughin-Stitches]

Thanks so much everyone! so much good tips and advice.
They are coming off much better for me now by sliding them off.
I love my q snap so much I have now ordered the 11 x 11 and the small extension frame.

[Oriettait]

Thanks so much everyone! so much good tips and advice.
They are coming off much better for me now by sliding them off.
I love my q snap so much I have now ordered the 11 x 11 and the small extension frame.

I am sure that for larger piece you will find the 11 or 14 the perfect size!
happy stitching in stitching land!

[stitchingmae]

So I have the one qsnap and am liking it better this go around, but i cut my fabric too short by mistake and i don't have any extra hanging over and it can be a pain to use "on the go" because it is a constant putting and taking it apart...maybe once it is a little more "used" it will get better. Mine are the hobby lobby store brand...and can be a bit hard to get together and apart, not just the clamp but the actual tubing as well.

[karen4bells]

So I have the one qsnap and am liking it better this go around, but i cut my fabric too short by mistake and i don't have any extra hanging over and it can be a pain to use "on the go" because it is a constant putting and taking it apart...maybe once it is a little more "used" it will get better. Mine are the hobby lobby store brand...and can be a bit hard to get together and apart, not just the clamp but the actual tubing as well.

I made the mistake of buying a similar store brand from JoAnn's and definitely do NOT like it nearly as much as the qsnap brand. In fact, to be honest, I can't even remember where I've stored the JoAnn's one away

[cristaltipps]

I am in the uk and I think our equivelant are called R and R frames, that is what I use anyway, when I first had mine I used to have to pull the fabric to get them off but with use they go a bit loose.

I did buy some 14 inch ones but find that far too large to work with in hand so stick to my 11 inch ones for most things and I sometimes stitch scrap material on the edges of the aida if it is not quite big enough to fit and then just cut it off at the end.

Sam

[dawn0621]

[/quote]


I made the mistake of buying a similar store brand from JoAnn's and definitely do NOT like it nearly as much as the qsnap brand. In fact, to be honest, I can't even remember where I've stored the JoAnn's one away [/quote]

I did the same thing and hated them immediately. They were heavy and thick just like plumbing pvc pipes. The real thing is definitely better and much easier to use. We got a new Hobby Lobby a few months ago and I'm even afraid to try their brand. The only real q-snap they have is 6x6.

[gparr]

Just bought my first Q Snap frame. Wow! Love that overall tight tension. Much better than a hoop. I'm really going to enjoy this product.
Gary