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So, I have a few days off work and so am going to make a start on this ridiculously big kit I have. It's to go with the birds and blossom one I have nearly finished.

Anyway, the material (14ct beigey aida) is a scary 54" wide and 30" deep. The pic is landscape (and totally gorgeous) which makes it awkward to do on my scroll frame as I have to hold it the other way round as it were. Also, I cannot get the tensaion right as there is so much material wrapped round the bars it won't stay tight.

Any ideas for a better frame to allow me to work on this? Gonna take long enough as it is and don't want to get annoyed with it along the way!

PS Pics later.

Wow! That IS big. Have you considered plastic-snap / Q-snap frames, which hold the area you are stitching on, leaving the rest of the fabric free. You can move the frame around depending on which area you are working on.

54" wide, wow Im dying to see it

I use snap frames and like Slinky said keep moving it around..

Brave girl !

If ever I were to attempt anything that size (as if ) I think Q-snaps/snap frames would be definitely the way to go -- I use them for the BoInk (which is pretty much the biggest thing I've done so far) and find it very useful.

I also would put my vote in for the q-snap as I find them fabulous.

If you have space in your house where you can leave the WIP, there is another possibility. I am working on a tapestry which is about 48in wide and maybe 30in long. I had an old-fashioned wooden tapestry floor stand which was revamped to take the length of the design.

Two long 1in diameter dowls (or broom handles ) with holes drilled in the ends make up the upper and lower frame. The holes allow screws and nuts to be attached to the original side pieces of the tapestry frame. To make the whole structure secure, a piece of wood was secured at the bottom between the "feet" of the original frame. It ain't purty, but it do wurk.

There are several possible ways to attach the fabric to the dowling: simply wrap it around and stitch it (making a sort of tube into which the dowling will slide) ; or staple it to the wood, having first secured the edges with masking tape. In either case, you will be able to roll the fabric around the dowling as work on the design progresses.

When I'm not working on the tapestry (more often than I can to confess), I cover the whole thing up with an old curtain. (Which also says more about me than I care to confess.)

The fabric for my catch a falling star is 30" by 36" so not quite as large as yours but still huge! I use an 8"x8" qsnap which is just right for working one page at a time and then I just move it when I move on to a new area. They do make qsnaps up to 11"x17" and even then you can buy extensions so you can really get one as large or as small as you like. The only downside would be that you have to get used to holding it or you can buy a stand that holds a qsnap frame.

My vote is for Q-Snaps or wooden hoop that you can move around!

qsnaps. that's my vote. you'll have to move the fabric around as you stitch..but the tension will be perfect!

I'd vote for the qsnap frame as well. I find mine great.

Am really looking forward to seeing the picture of this, it sounds lovely!

Thanks all.

The only thing I think wpoukld annoy me is the factthat the rest of the fabric would just be hanging around, especially as there is so much of it!

Will get hold of one and give it a go though. Pics going up now ...

what you do is put it in the qsnap then roll the extra fabric up to the sides of the qsnap and use either clamps or hair clips to hold the roll..lol..hard to explain

or they do have these snap wraps..which i will one day make..lol

http://www.nordicneedle.com/PROD/E27-00-00/6575.html" target="_blank

I use the paper clips and roll the sides up like this



I don't bother with the top as it is not in my way at all.

Of course! Thsanks again.

that's what i was trying to say Rose..ty for the photo explanation..lol