No More Basting - Here's a Quilting Frame Designed to Roll the Quilt onto the Rails!
The Grace Q-Zone Queen Frame is a simple 8-foot rolling rail style quilting frame that can fit quilt tops up to 82-inches wide. This is our most inexpensive rolling rail frame, designed for quilters with smaller quilt tops who want a faster loading and quilting experience.
The biggest advantage of the Q-Zone Queen is the rolling rail capability. With a frame like this, you can directly attach your quilts to the rails, starting with the backing, then basting on the batting, then the quilt top.
No more basting a quilt on the floor to attach to a hoop frame! No more layering, smoothing, or pinning!
How to Load the Q-Zone Queen Frame in 10 Minutes or Less
See how easy it is to load this quilting frame using Magnum Magnets in this video with Leah Day:
Click Here to find Magnum Magnets! You will need 30 magnets total (15 per rail) to load the maximum sized quilt on this frame. This is the only rolling rail frame we can load like this - just clicking the magnets to the groove on the rails of the Queen Frame.
How Big is the Q-Zone Queen Quilting Frame?
Let's discuss each element on this chart:
Frame length - You can set up the Q-Zone Queen Frame at full size (8 feet) or half-size (4 feet). If you set up at half-size, just be careful to store all of the extra pieces of your frame so you'll have them when you're ready to expand!
Actual Size - This is actual measurement of the Queen quilting frame set up and ready for quilting. Even if this measurement will fit in your quilting room, you must check out the Minimum Setup Space to ensure there's also space for you move around too.
Minimum Setup Space - This is the MINIMUM amount of space you'll need to set up the Q-Zone Queen frame and be able to walk around it on one narrow side and quilt from the long front side of the frame. If you want to quilt from both sides of the frame, such as for quilting pantographs, you'll need an additional 2 feet between the back of the frame and the wall.
Maximum Width of the Quilt - When set up full size, you'll be able to load quilt tops up to 82 inches wide. Why so narrow? Unlike hoop frames which can handle any size of quilt, rolling rail frames must be set up bigger than the quilt.
The backing, batting and quilt top are loaded onto the frame and rolled onto the rails. This allows you to quilt across the entire quilt top in one pass. But it also means that your top can only be as wide as the needle can reach.
Do you want to quilt bigger quilts? Click Here to find the Q-Zone Queen PRO - a 10 foot version of this simple rolling rail frame.
You can also begin with the Q-Zone Queen and expand to the Pro whenever you like. Click Here to check out this Extension kit!
Which Quilting Machines Work on the Q-Zone Queen?
The Q-Zone Queen Frame is compatible with the Little Rebel, Grace 16X, Grace 16X Elite, and 19X Elite Longarm Machines. I personally love using my Grace 16X Elite on this quilting frame!
If you have a large home sewing machine, you can use it on the Q-Zone Queen so long as it has at least a 9 inch harp space. This will give you enough space to quilt creatively, and you can use your foot pedal to control the speed as this frame can be set up for seated quilting.
Why is the size of your quilt top limited on this quilting frame?
On a rolling rail frame, the frame must be larger than the quilt top so you can attach the backing, batting, and quilt top and roll up the quilt sandwich onto the rails. Unlike a hoop frame, rolling rail frames are designed for you to quilt across the entire quilt in one pass.
You can also set up half of the the Q-Zone Queen frame to create a 5-foot long, crib quilting frame. Please note, the maximum quilt width is 30 inches wide. You'll need to save all the leftover parts carefully in case you decide to expand the frame later.
What is Included with the Q-Zone Queen Frame?
This quilting frame includes:
- Lightweight single track frame
- Bottom carriage to hold your longarm or home machine carriage
- Leveling feet
- 4 bungee cords
- Machine and bottom carriage channel locks
- Two height adjustable rolling rails
What Else Do I Need for the Q-Zone Queen Frame?
Leader Cloth is the traditional method of loading rolling rail quilting frames. You attach the leaders to the frame with Velcro and pin the backing fabric to the bottom edge with special longarm pins.
Click here to Leader Cloth. Grace Company no longer offers 8 and 10 foot leader cloth. For this frame, you'll need to purchase the 136 inch long leader cloth and cut it down to fit your frame.
Loading Alternative! The great news is this particular frame can be loaded very quickly using 30 Magnum Magnets (15 per rail). An even cheaper alternative is to use masking tape to attach the backing fabric to the rails (see instructions below).
It's also nice to be able to roll your frame out of the way or against a wall when you need more space. Grace Company now offers frame casters so you can easily reposition your quilting frame anytime. You'll need 6 of these for the Q-Zone Queen. Click Here to find frame casters.
How to Load a Quilt on the Q-Zone Queen Frame
Here's the steps to attach the backing fabric directly to your frame rails using either masking tape or Magnum Magnets:
- Cut your backing fabric 6 inches longer on all sides than the quilt top on all sides (12 inches bigger total)
- Find the midpoint of the top and bottom edges of the backing fabric and mark with a sharpie. It's just easier to see than trying to use a crease line.
- Align the midpoint with the center point of the back frame rail - where the two sections of the rail meet.
- Curl the fabric from the bottom of the rail up and around the back and tape or attach a Magnum Magnet to the rail. Use either the groove in the rail or the 1/2 inch channel as a guide to secure the backing fabric straight to the rail.
- Smooth out the backing fabric and place 3 inch wide pieces of tape every 2 inches, or space the Magnum Magnets 2-3 inches apart down the rail. Keep the backing fabric nice and straight, not stretched too tight, but not loosey goosey either.
- Roll up the backing fabric on the rail so the tape is concealed. The taped section is now secured by the rolled up fabric around it and will hold securely.
- Repeat with the front rail, but this time secure the fabric to the top edge of the rail.
- Roll up the backing fabric on the front rail until the fabric is bouncy tight within the frame. This is where the fabric no longer has wrinkles, but isn't super stretched like a drum. It has a little bounce to it.
- Place the batting on top of the backing, 2 inches from the back rail. Lock the machine channel lock. Baste stitch the batting to the backing in a straight line from left to right.
- Unlock the channel lock and roll down 2 inches. Lock the machine channel lock again. Place the quilt top on top of the batting and baste to the batting and backing fabric in a straight line.
Leah's Advice on Picking Your Quilting Frame
It can be really tough to know which size frame to buy, especially when you're first getting started with frame quilting. My best advice is to go with the maximum size your quilting space allows. When I set up my first frame, I couldn't imagine ever needing a frame longer than 8 feet. Within 2 years I'd expanded my frame twice to reach 12 feet!