Well, ain’t this snazzy! You’re looking at the newest addition to my studio: a handmade tilting gripper frame from Deanne Fitzpatrick’s Studio in Nova Scotia. I received it in the mail a few days ago and I’m completely in love!
The frame comes in two parts, the frame and base which attach together with a ball joint. This means the frame can tilt any which way. I like positioning it so it sits at about 70º (I’m guessing) so I can work with the surface pretty much eye level.
The frame itself is rounded, the gripper strips stapled along the edge. When I had contemplated making my own frame I became pretty discouraged by the fact that gripper strips aren’t the most available material and when I could find a distributor for it, it was pretty expensive. In the long run I figured it would just be easier to buy a readymade frame rather than attempt to gerry-rig something.
Anyway, the gripper strips grab onto the burlap a lot like velcro. I position the fabric over the frame, adjust it accordingly so it’s nice and taught, and the fabric totally stays put. I was a little worried at first that that gripper strips (essentially a mini bed of nails) would dig into my forearms as I was working but nope! I can’t even feel ‘em.
I am already noticing a huge difference in my hooking experience thanks to this frame. My posture is better, I’m working faster and can push the limits of the burlap right to the edge (little selvedge waste!).
The only tricky thing about this frame is not accidentally pulling out yarns when I remove the rug from the frame. Those little grippers sure do their job and if not done with care it’s pretty easy to get the yarn caught in the hooks. This going to make a few of my future ideas a little difficult–I plan on playing with the right and wrong side, making the rug completely reversible–but I’ll figure out a way around it.
All in all, this is a pretty great piece of equipment. If you’re into rug hooking and looking for a portable frame, I definitely recommend this. Ordering from Deanne quick and easy. Everything gets sent in Canada by expedited post so it arrives quite promptly. She also included a sweet hand sewn tote bag for the frame that’s perfect for travelling. I was really pleased with the bag because I wasn’t expecting it in the shipment. It’s definitely going to make travelling with this thing easier during the summer. (Although, somehow I doubt they will allow this frame as carry-on on Westjet).
The next time I’m in Nova Scotia visiting my family, I’m definitely going to make the trek to her studio in Amherst so I can see all her products (and rugs) in person. I really want to get my hands on one of those pencil-style hooks…they look pretty dreamy.