Machine Quilting Frame Lives Up To Its Name

A review of Easy Quilter from Sew Much Better

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With the introduction of short-arm machine quilting systems, quilters in large numbers are getting help with their free-motion machine quilting. But large systems like Handi Quilter and SuperQuilter are not the answer for everyone.

Read my reviews of other short-arm machine quilting systems

Sew Much Better makes a small machine-quilting aid called the Easy Quilter. Easy Quilter provides help for space-challenged or budget-conscious quilters. The small machine-quilting frame sells for less than $80.

The Easy Quilter looks like three sides of a wooden frame. It has four wheels and four metal quilt holders attached. The frame itself measures 22" by 12-1/2". If you measure the distance from quilt holder to quilt holder, it's 22" by 20". Because it is so compact, it is also very light and easy to handle.

And because it is so small, it's quick to assemble. It took me less than 15 minutes to check the parts in the box against the parts list and completely assemble the pieces. It has pre-drilled holes for its 16 screws, and the screws are color-coded so you won't have any trouble.

Get The Height Right

The instructions explain methods to increase the height of your sewing machine or the Easy Quilter so the sewing machine's bed is at the same level as the Easy Quilter frame. But the two sides of the frame are higher than the front rail of the frame, so I wasn't sure which of the two heights I was trying to get level with my sewing machine bed.

At first, I set it up with my sewing machine bed level with the front rail of the Easy Quilter. After looking at it, I decided it made more sense to make the bed of the sewing machine level with the two sides of the frame, not with the front rail. The two sides carry the quilt under the needle, so they are the parts that should be even with the bed of the sewing machine.

The Easy Quilter works on the same principle as John Flynn's Multi-Frame. Both products let the sewing machine sit in one place, with the needle end pointing at the quilter. The frame moves the quilt underneath the needle.

Read my review of John Flynn's Multi-Frame System

But unlike the Flynn frame, which uses large poles for winding the top and backing, the Easy Quilter requires that you baste your quilt sandwich before quilting. I'm not much of a basting fan, so I used my favorite method, the basting gun, for my test quilt. But you can use any method of basting you like.

Read my review of the Quilter's Basting Gun

The Easy Quilter uses six metal clamps to hold the quilt sandwich to the frame. I didn't run into any problems with the basting tacks interfering with the frame clamps. I could have chosen to use safety pins. If a pin fell where I wanted to put a clamp, I would have to move the clamp a little forward or back along the legs.

Inserting The Quilt

I spread out my basted quilt and rolled each end toward the middle, making my quilt look like a scroll. I put one rolled end into the quilt holders on the front rail of the frame, the part closest to me that runs parallel to the edge of the sewing table. Then I slipped the other roll under the needle of the machine and positioned it in the quilt holders at the back of the frame.

I was surprised how easy that was. I thought I'd have to wrestle with the rolled section of my quilt to get it under the needle of the machine. But if I were quilting a king-size quilt, I would slip the sandwich under the needle from the unrolled edge of the "scroll."

I put two clamps on each side of the frame to hold the sandwich in place. They slip right on without having to unhook or unscrew anything. That only takes a few seconds until you are ready to machine quilt.

Smooth And Easy

The Easy Quilter is very easy to manage with its small size and great wheels. When I started, my stitches were quite big because I wasn't used to how easily the frame moves. But it only took me a few inches of quilting before I was able to coordinate my hand movement with the Easy Quilter movement.

I felt like I had great control of my stitches. I placed my hands on the quilt just inside the frame, which let me control the tension on the quilt. I moved the frame around by moving my arms around. It was very easy to do, and I didn't get any puckers on the back of my work.

I found it easy to make small stipples or designs like circles, stars, and words. Then I changed to a large meandering. That's when I realized that I could quilt the entire 6-1/2" by 12" framed area in a few seconds. So depending on the size of your quilt, it could require a lot of rehooping.

At first, I was trying to figure out how to make the frame bigger so I wouldn't have to rehoop so often. But I thought more about it and decided rehooping only takes a few seconds. And if the frame were any bigger, my sewing room and work table would have to be bigger, too.

Just The Right Size

Easy Quilter's small frame is what makes it so easy to manage and store, so enlarging the frame would spoil the product. You can slip it under the bed or behind a piece of furniture without redesigning your living space or adding on a new room.

I tried using Easy Quilter for some free-motion machine embroidery using the zigzag stitch. I found it as easy to do as the machine quilting.

The Easy Quilter isn't the perfect machine quilting aid, but none of the machine quilting systems are. Easy Quilter does a good job for a reasonable price and not much overhead for working space or storage. It makes machine quilting easier on the hands and shoulders. And it eliminates wrestling the quilt under the arm of the machine.

By basting before putting your work on the frame, you have the freedom and flexibility to set it up and take it down quickly. I routinely combine hand quilting and machine quilting on my work. Using the Easy Quilter would make that easy to do.

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