Quilting Frames: Size, Floor Space and Which Machine Fits

Rolling frame or hoop frame?

On a rolling frame, the quilt layers are rolled onto rails and taken up as you quilt, while the machine rides on a carriage across the full width.⁶ A hoop frame works zone by zone: once you finish the area you can reach, you move the quilt in the hoop to the next zone. Grace’s manual suggests working “from left to right across the top of the quilt, then working downward from left to right, like reading a book.”⁷

Grace’s frames range from 4 to 12 ft, and accept many home sewing machines and longarms with a throat of up to 21 in.⁶

The three frames by size

Quilting frames: size and fit, as published

Frame	Footprint	Quilting area	Largest machine throat	Machine included?
Grace Q-Zone Hoop-Frame	54 in wide, 37 to 42 in deep2	About 36 in wide per zone, depth about throat minus 3 in2	19 in2	No2
Grace Q-Zone Queen	102 in wide, 34.5 to 42.5 in deep3	About 78 in wide; maximum quilt area 82 in3	19 in3	No3
JUKI Tabletop Fabric Frame	48 × 33-38 × 8.25-11.75 in4	Not published	12 in, listed for JUKI machines4	No, frame only4

Grace gives the Hoop-Frame a 19 in maximum machine throat; its information page adds that, with the extendable handles, it accommodates machines with up to 18 in.^2,5 If your machine sits near that limit, ask Grace before you buy.

Will your sewing machine work on a frame?

Grace’s checklist for its Hoop-Frame asks four questions: does your machine fit the carriage, does it have a foot pedal, can its feed dogs move down, and do you have 4.5 ft of space?⁵ The quilting depth follows your machine’s throat: about the throat length minus 3 in on both Grace frames.^2,3 Grace adds that with a short-arm machine on a frame, you can only stitch small patterns or blocks.¹

A straight-stitch quilting machine with a large table, such as the Brother PQ1600S, has 8.7 in of needle-to-arm space.⁸ On a Grace frame that would leave about 5.7 in of depth per pass (our arithmetic).

Frame stands, height and room

The frames adjust in height: Grace gives 32 to 42 in for the Hoop-Frame and 37 to 45 in for the Queen.^2,3 JUKI recommends a table about 29 in high and 23 to 26 in deep under its tabletop frame.⁴ Grace’s manual suggests setting the handlebars around elbow height.⁷

The three frames

Hoop frame, zone by zone

Grace Q-Zone Hoop-Frame

Footprint

54 in wide, 37-42 in deep

Quilting area

about 36 in per zone

Largest throat

19 in; extendable handles up to 18 in

In the box

carriage, quilt clips, bungee clamps

Strengths

• Takes about the space of a desk, per Grace
• Quilt size not limited by the frame width
• Takes domestic machines on its carriage

Drawbacks

• You move the quilt between zones
• With the extendable handles, machines up to 18 in, per Grace
• Machine not included

Good fit: you have the room of a desk, not a wall, and want to quilt large quilts in zones.
Skip it if: you want to quilt a whole width in one pass.

Rolling frame, crib or queen setting

Grace Q-Zone Queen

Footprint

102 in wide (queen), 52.5 in (crib)

Quilting area

about 78 in wide

Maximum quilt area

82 in (queen), 32.5 in (crib)

Largest throat

19 in

Rails

2 rails, quilt clips

Strengths

• Crib or queen setting
• Clips hold the quilt without rolling it onto the rail, per Grace
• Takes a domestic machine or a Grace machine

Drawbacks

• Needs 102 in of width in the queen setting
• Machine not included

Good fit: you have about 8.5 ft of wall and want to quilt the full width without moving the quilt.
Skip it if: your room cannot spare more than a desk's width.

Tabletop frame for JUKI machines

JUKI Tabletop Fabric Frame

Dimensions

48 × 33-38 × 8.25-11.75 in (unlabeled)

Listed for

JUKI machines up to 12 in throat, 11.5 in top plate

Table needed

about 29 in high, 23-26 in deep

Strengths

• Sits on a table
• Fits most JUKI machines, including the TL series, per JUKI

Drawbacks

• Listed for JUKI machines
• No quilting area or maximum quilt size published
• Frame only: machine sold separately

Good fit: you own a JUKI machine such as the TL-2010Q and want a small frame on a table.
Skip it if: you own another brand: JUKI lists only its own machines.

Buying in Canada

When we read Grace’s dealer locator, every dealer listed was in the US.⁹ JUKI’s worldwide dealer list puts Canada under JUKI America.¹⁰ Ask the maker about shipping to Canada before you order.