One of the problems that many quilters have is how to free motion quilt their projects. If you are one of those quilters, I can reassure you that you don’t have to. What?! Yes, you do have to get your quilt sandwich stitched together, but you don’t have to do this with free motion quilting: you can
Create impressive geometric quilting patterns with these straight line quilting designs and foolproof walking foot quilting designs.
This post explains how to do orange peel (also called cathedral window) quilting using your walking foot. I used this quilting on my ...
Since I have begun hand quilting my first WIP finish for 2015, I thought it would be appropriate to post some vintage quilting designs. These were published in late 1930s newspapers by Florence LaGanke, using the Nancy Page pseudonym. Unlike the Nancy Page series quilts which were free patterns appe
Welcome back to the fifth and final post on using a walking foot, SCHMETZ needles and Gütermann thread to create a whole cloth quilt. Yesterday I talked about quilting in the ditch, practiced straight
Melissa Marginet took a quilting class to use up some fabric scraps and got hooked - now designing patterns, authoring books and teaching.
I'm teaching a Free Motion Quilting class starting in April at my LQS, Heartstrings and Heirlooms. I finished up the class sample over the weekend. In the class the students will do larger samples, but I needed a small book of designs to advertise the class. As you can see in the above end view, I used three different types of batting for my sample book - Quilter's Dream 100% Cotton, Hobbs 80/20 (80% cotton and 20% polyester), and a 100% wool. I used a tutorial from a recent Quilting Arts Magazine issue (the February/March 2014 issue) to make my little book. The instructions involved drawing some lines on a piece of fabric, then sewing on the lines with a walking foot to make a larger sheet and baste the layers together. Then you quilt your designs and cut the "pages" apart. The tutorial in the magazine was very good. If you are interested in making a book like mine, I suggest you get a copy of the magazine. Below is a collage of designs I plan to cover in the class. Along the top of each page I wrote the name of the design, the batting type and page number from the book I will be using for the class. In case you are interested, I'm using the book Free Motion Quilting with Angela Waters. It has become my go-to book for quilting ideas as of late.
Free Motion quilting block by block. Free tutorial on various free motion quilting motifs. In this post, you'll learn how to free motion quilt an allover square loops design and also a direction guide to free motion quilting half square triangles
A walking foot is used on sewing machines to help evenly feed fabric. Learn how to set up and use a walking foot in this tutorial.
Many-a-quilter would point to Amy Ellis as their go-to girl when it comes to teaching the beginning quilter how to approach their craft. She’s fun, smart, and a great instructor.
I'm finally "back in the saddle" again and able to start quilting. Boy does it feel good!!! My first priority was to get back on our boutis challenge and I'm excited to share some great progress this week! Since this fragile linen is so wiggly I wanted to make sure my straight lines stayed straight so I stitched thes
Have you ever purchased a walking foot for a Janome sewing machine? And looked at the rather scant instruction for installing the foot? The...
DEBORAH LOUIE - Lets Quilt: Theory of Walking Foot Quilting is a 60 pages full colour step by step guide to quilting your own quilts. Pattern for It’s Cool to be Square is included. Quilt size is 64 inches square. Come along with me in my studio in Sydney as I demonstrate step-by-step how to quilt your own quilts using the walking foot on your domestic sewing machine. Keep this book close at hand as a quick reference for choosing the correct tools and techniques when you are machine quilting. All techniques are demonstrated on my quilt titled It’s Cool To Be Square. You can follow along in exactly the same way that I prepare and quilt all of my quilts. You will learn about preparing the fabric, piecing, threads, battings, machine set-up, sandwiching the quilt, walking foot quilting, decorative stitch quilting, stabilisation, stitch-in- the-ditch quilting, speciality threads quilting and stopping and starting techniques. Then to finish, you will learn the all-important theory of how to quilt any quilt efficiently on a domestic sewing machine. I have also included a gallery of quilts to illustrate the different techniques contained in this book. So, make a cuppa, take a seat and enjoy. Another skill-building book by Deborah Louie.
Over the last month, I’ve been becoming acquainted with the Janome Memory Craft 9450QCP. I thought the best way to start with a new machine is to familiarize myself with the kind of sewing and quil…
I’ve been making quilted fabric postcards for more than two months now as part of my 100 Day Project! I wrote a post about my plans and process back in week 2, but now that I have 60+ days of…
Did you ever think a sewing machine foot could take your topstitching to a whole new level? Allow me to introduce quilting foot and show you how it works.
In this week's Quilt Along, you will learn how to quilt your Simple Strips Quilt with decorative stitch machine quilting, and pick up a few tips and tricks along the way.
The following are the lectures, full day and half day classes I am currently teaching. I am happy to talk with you about customizing classes for your group. Please email me at [email protected] for information on rates and availability. My calendar of events is under the Schedule tab on the blog. Please read below for lecture and class descriptions and to see sample quilts. I am currently adapting all of these classes into a virtual format. All lectures are available virtually through Zoom as well. Lecture/Trunk Shows Intuitive and Outsider Design Join Jacquie as she shares her design philosophy, process and influences in this entertaining and informative lecture. Jacquie will share in detail how she translates inspiration into innovative quilt designs along with her insights and learnings as she has developed her artistic voice. Come for a peek into the creative process and enjoy seeing Jacquie’s quilts up close and personal. Finding My Voice: An Artist's Journey With a trunk show of quilts Jacquie will share how she continued her journey to find and develop her artistic voice and how she continues to grow and change as an artist. In this lecture Jacquie gives you a peek into her newest work and the inspirations and stories behind each quilt. Quilting: An Essential Design Element Jacquie will share her quilts in this special trunk show that focuses not only on the pieced design, but on how quilting can be used to support, enhance and complement the piecing to create a cohesive, effective composition. Jacquie will highlight walking foot quilting but the principles she shares will apply to whatever quilting method you prefer. Pucker Free Walking Foot Quilting Jacquie will share her tips and tricks for quilting with the walking foot and achieving satisfying results with no puckers! Along with the great advice, Jacquie will add a mini trunk show to show you what's new in the studio and what's she's been working on lately. WALK and So Much More: Let's take this baby out and see what it can really do! This lecture will not be available until after March 1, 2021. With the publication of WALK 2.0, Jacquie has expanded the possibilities of what the walking foot is traditionally expected to be able to do. Explore those new design categories, see how to apply them to your quilts and learn strategies for handling and quilting large quilts with intricate, challenging and fabulous walking foot quilting. Quilt as Desired: How Do I Know What I Desire? The phrase "quilt as desired" can strike fear and paralysis in many quilters. Our quilt is pieced and ready to quilt, but how do we decide on the quilting design? Jacquie will share design principles, explore the role of quilting, and explain and demonstrate the process she uses to determine quilting designs for her quilts. This lecture focuses on walking foot quilting, but the principles and process apply to all types of quilting techniques. Current Class Offerings (see detailed descriptions below) **new classes based on the new book, WALK 2.0 Creative Quilting With the Walking Foot (one and two day 6 hour classes) Learn the basics and a set of designs from WALK Mastering Machine Quilting with the Walking Foot Creative Quilting With the Walking Foot II (only scheduled after consultation) This is a follow up to Creative Quilting with the Walking Foot and participants will learn additional designs from the WALK book. This class is the same as the second day in the two day version of the Creative Quilting with the Walking Foot class **WALK 2.0 Expanding Your Quilting Design Toolbox (6 hour class) This class does NOT cover the basics that are taught in the CQWWF class. Students jump right into more advanced designs that are in the WALK 2.0 book. This class is NOT for beginning walking foot quilters. Designs include a sampling from each of the chapters in the new book including rotational designs, sashiko inspired designs, designs based on the 60 degree grid as well as variations of designs from WALK. Designs taught in this class are more complex, intricate and challenging. Quilt as Desired VIRTUAL CLASS IS LIMITED TO 15 STUDENTS (3 hour class with no sewing required) Explore the process of how to analyze your quilts to determine your quilting plan. Learn principles of design that apply to quilting designs as well as the role quilting can play in the composition of a quilt. This is a no sew, lecture, and group exploration class. Students will each bring a quilt top to share and discuss quilting options. In the virtual class students will send a jpeg of a quilt top and we will look at each person's top to discuss potential quilting designs. **Quilting Rotational Designs - (3 or 6 hour) This class focuses on learning to quilt rotational designs with the walking foot. Students will learn to use a beam compass and how to mark and quilt both linear and shape-based rotational designs. Students will also be introduced to and practice a quilt-as-you-go technique which can be quilting these designs easier on large quilts. **Sashiko-Inspired Walking Foot Quilting (6 hour class) - This class focuses on walking foot quilting designs inspired by traditional Sashiko. Quilters should be confident with their walking foot to take this class. We will do a short review of the basics and then get to quilting. Students must have a seam guide available to use on their walking foot. **Exploring the 60 Degree Grid (6 hour class) - This class focuses on walking foot quilting designs based on the 60 degree grid. Quilters should be confident with their walking foot to take this class. We will do a short review of the basics and then get to quilting. Students must have a seam guide available to use on their walking foot. WALK 2.0 Expanding Your Quilting Design Toolbox Students in this class will learn additional walking foot quilting designs that use all six basic walking foot techniques. This class does NOT cover the basics that are taught in the CQWWF class. Students jump right into more advanced designs that are featured in the WALK 2.0 book. This class is NOT for beginning walking foot quilters. Designs include rotational designs, sashiko-inspired designs, designs based in the 60 degree grid as well as variations of designs from WALK. Designs taught in this class are more complex, more intricate and more challenging. Quilting Rotational Designs - This is a full or half day class and focuses on learning to quilt rotational designs with the walking foot. Students will learn how to make templates, mark, quilt and utilize rotational walking foot quilting designs. Students in the full day class will also learn a quilt-as-you go technique that makes using these designs easier on large quilts. Creative Quilting With the Walking Foot (Based on designs and information in WALK: Mastering Machine Quilting With Your Walking Foot) Full Day Class or Two Day Class Class Description Want to quilt your quilts on your home machine and maybe free motion quilting isn't for you? Come discover the joy and creative possibilities of quilting with your walking foot. Straight-line quilting has a long history and is making a comeback in both modern and traditional quilts. Learn tips and tricks for successful quilting with your walking foot along with creative quilting designs that can be accomplished on your home machine. In the two day class we'll continue with additional walking foot designs. Creative Quilting With the Walking Foot II This is a full day class for quilters who have mastered the basic skills of walking foot quilting and want to push the envelope of what the walking foot can do. Be prepared for intense and intricate designs from the WALK book. This class is the same as day two of the Creative Quilting with the Walking Foot class. WALK 2.0 Expanding Your Design Toolbox This is a full day class for quilters who have mastered the basic skills of walking foot quilting and want to fill their quilting toolbox with a new set of challenging, intricate designs from the WALK 2.0 book.
Okay, I promise I won't be bugging you again about these shapes but I just HAD to share these with you too. I've finished the filler's portion of the Feathers Handbook and wanted to show a few more designs that were created with the Ultimate Stencil. Creating a perfect diamond in any size is very easy with the square Ultimate Stencil. I've shown three different ways to fill this shape with feathers. And here's melon shapes created using the circle Ultimate Stencil... Remember I'm adding designs to my Pinterest page if you need a quick inspirational fix. Hugs, Cindy :)
Curious about the different sewing machine presser feet? This friendly guide is all you need to navigate the choices with ease.It covers many types of presser feet, including the edge guide foot, fringe foot, side cutter presser foot, invisible zipper foot, walking foot, rotary even foot, buttonhole foot, overcast foot, blind hem foot, and cording foot. The guide explains the purpose of each foot, how it is used, and the benefits it offers for sewing projects.
I am back home from my wonderful time in Paducah at the National Quilt Museum and two classes for 39 terrific quilters. The weather was amazing, the best I've ever experienced there, cool at night, dry and sunny and 70's in the day with autumn color and deep blue skies. Lovely. We quilted and we learned. I always learn so much from those in class and we laughed a lot too. One of the techniques I stressed this time was curving parallel lines, and learning to echo quilt well so that anything is possible. Depending on the batt, thread used, fabrics, as well as design choice, switching to a smaller needle gave a better result unless one of those things wasn't quite right, and then we had problems. One problem can be skipped stitches, see sample in photo above. Everything was working fine for one student until she put in a #60 needle with a fine cotton thread. A combination of the thin batt and the small needle caused skipped stitches. Going back to the #70 needle solved the problem. Almost always skipped stitches are caused by one of the following: the needle being too small for the thread the batt being very thin and flat the presser foot pressure too low a defective needle threading done incorrectly hands too fast for the speed of the machine Sometimes it is a combination of things, so try one thing at a time. Re-thread, try a bigger needle, check the pressure on the foot for the thickness of the batt. The thicker and poufier the batt, the lower the pressure on the foot should be so the quilt will glide smoothly and easily. I switch mine to a lower pressure if I need to quilt over an island of puff without causing pleats, increase it for doing free motion straight lines for a bit more control. I usually decrease the pressure a bit for any free motion quilting for ease of movement, and to avoid the dreaded snowplowing of excess fabric, and the inevitable pleat that results. Also, slow down your hands to a smooth even consistent motion. If you want to move them faster, increase the speed of the machine to keep up with them. Needles stop breaking and skipped stitches will be a memory. By the way, in the photo, above, the thread tension is perfect. You want a softly curving stitch, no visible bobbin thread, that showcases the thread, that doesn't stretch it flat and tight. I usually recommend for all free motion quilting lowering the top tension one number. Some of the newer machines might need less, or some not any depending on the thread, but a little leeway for the stitches to go in all directions is a very good thing. And I didn't really have skipped stitches; I moved the needle over a bit and then continued to get a facsimile of a skipped stitch. Try some curving, echoed lines for an interesting new way of quilting. The bowl, above, should give you some ideas and a challenge! I will be teaching at the museum in Paducah, KY next October in 2011, an introductory class first for quilters with free motion experience, and an advanced class for returning students to continue the adventure. Check the museum's website for information; there are still openings in these classes, and I have not booked any more events after '11. http://www.quiltmuseum.org/ It's great to be home, Oliver really, really missed me and spent all day yesterday playing, attacking me, helping me unpack, scratching my suitcases, and having an ecstatic cat day. I wish I could take him along, but perhaps his adventures will have to remain sniffing my shoes and clothes and wondering where I have been. Keep quilting, your work gets better every day! Diane
I had a webinar this morning… the kind where you really only get to listen, but you don’t really get to participate. So I took my laptop back to my sewing room and sewed the curvy block…
It feels like summer has arrived! The weather is getting warmer and warmer. The national exams of our senior high school students have passed and the grading has begun. While the seniors are waitin…
As I alluded last week in my Tips for Squaring a Quilt post, I have been busy with some secret sewing recently. For various reasons, I chose to use my domestic machine to do walking foot quilting o…
Hello everyone! A special welcome to all the new followers! It was quite a suprise to see about 50 quilters signing up this last weekend to receive my blogpost by email. I was wondering how you new…
After finishing the Hot Green quilt top last weekend, I am happy to return to the 100 Days Project with my Free Motion Quilting patterns. This post starts the second half of the 100 patterns. BUT F…
Here is a digital file of the template for those of you who can't find a compass big enough to draft your own. (I couldn't find one anywhere!) Just head on over to my blog to download the full size block template and the petal template
In Block 3 we will start using the Arc ruler. During the summer, when I was preparing for this series, I jotted down designs I liked and was surprised at how many used an arc pattern. So much so, t…
Original, ooak, one-of-a-kind anthropomorphic artist dolls, paperclay figurines, handmade stuffed animal banana slug, cat, rabbit, and monster plush art toys with personalized tags, quilts, art prints, greeting cards, and paintings
Rahna Summerlin, Blooming in Chintz, Bernina 710, blue and white quilts, cable quilting, feather quilting, free motion, Free-Motion Quilting, Hobb's Batting, Invisafil thread, machine quilting, ocean waves quilt, Rahna's bedroom, traditional quilts, walking foot quilting
I promised you some Ruler Quilting, and it starts today. Previously, I had posts about why you might want to quilt with rulers, what to look for in rulers, preparation & set-up, and even design…
Off we continue on an exploration of the projects in my new book! I’m very excited to share these quilts with you all and I hope you will stick with me through the week to see all of the different quilts I’ve created. I really believe that there is something for everyone in this book ...
This was one of the first blocks I designed. It takes a more modern approach – ignoring lines that define the border and corner blocks. It is not difficult, just a little more involved so the…
Because it's Fall - or late-summer and will it ever really be fall here in Dallas? - we're enjoying anything that makes us think of the season. These are Tammy's Blockhead Blocks No. 1 through 28. She's using a big mix of scraps and pieces in fall colors. As an Indiana girl, she knows of such things. Juneau! Alaska. Is there a fall season in Juneau? (Enquiring minds want to know.) Block 29 from Lisa Bongean.
Looking for some quilting inspiration? Try these Nine Patch block ideas.
This week we will mix it up a bit, just in case you are tired of simply working with the Arc ruler. My intention was to use one ruler per block but the straight ruler is such a standard item, I dec…
This was one of the first blocks I designed. It takes a more modern approach – ignoring lines that define the border and corner blocks. It is not difficult, just a little more involved so the…
Guys, I seriously had just the most fun quilting this one. The gravity quilt is all solids, meaning that quilting can really show up well on it. And look awesome :D The circles and the basket weave I used on the outsides were designs I learned in Jodi Robinson's class "Well Worth The Tim
Re-entry back in to reality from a vacation, retreat, or conference never comes without that bittersweet flavor that only the real world delivers. I recently had the privilege to teach at QuiltCon in Pasadena, California. As a California native, I was delighted at the chance to visit a place I called home for the first 20 years of my life. My family and I drove from our home in Seattle down to the beautiful Central Coast of California where I grew up. Morro Bay never disappoints with beautiful beaches full of sand dollars, sand dunes, and clear skies at night with stars that make you never want to leave. This photo was my first glimpse of the ocean hiding behind the hills heading West from Paso Robles. It was a short but sweet visit for me, after only a couple days, I left my dog, husband and kids with my folks and got on a plane to LAX heading to teach in Pasadena. Always sad to say goodbye to my mom. I admire her for many reasons but especially her ability to stay in the present, with grace and calm. She also has mad skills at hiding and hoarding large quantities of chocolate, definitely note worthy accomplishments. Watching her with my children is always a pleasure but for some reason this time the reality of her being so present really hit home, more about that later. Quilt Con was a whirlwind of teaching, my schedule was very full and it wasn't until Sunday that I actually had some time to walk the floor and see the amazing quilts in the show. There was a special exhibit that I am extremely glad I didn't miss. The Quilts of Molly Upton left me speechless. I'd recommend looking her work up and if you ever get the chance to see the exhibit I wouldn't miss it. Pictured below are two detail shots from two quilts that hit me in a way I can't explain: I didn't take many photos while at Quilt Con but I did manage to get a few shots of some student work from my classes. Student work from hands on Compositional Quilting: More from Compositional Quilting: Student work from Broken Wreath: In class Demo from Compositional Quilting: Student work from Compositional Drawing Modern whole cloth design: And BOOM. Just like that I was headed back to the Pacific Northwest. On my flight home I noticed that the Earth had been doing its own Compositional Drawing. It's amazing what you see when you take the time to look a little closer. I ended up with one souvenir, that I picked up at the San Francisco airport. I do love you, California, with every part of my heart. Getting home involved unpacking a weeks worth of swag from my visit to the Central Coast as well as a few great finds at Quilt Con: Pictured below are my samples from my Piece as you Quilt class, I see some pouches, totes and pot holders in my future. So, back to what I touched on earlier about my mom being present. As some of you know, I recently deleted my Instagram account. Deleted, not just erased the app from my phone to reload a half hour later, but deleted from existence. All of my photos, all of my followers, all of my comments, all of my likes, all of my tags, basically my entire social media presence with the screen name, Lolablueocean, gone. My first emotions following my deletion were filled with, dread, regret, sadness, and a loneliness and empty place that hung like a dead weight on my back. Lucky for me most of those initial emotions faded quickly and were washed away with an overwhelming feeling of relief. Why did I do it? Simply, because IG became a place that I spent too much time. More complicated, because the time that I spent there was no longer time spent being inspired or energized, it was time spent judging myself, but not even my self, my edited self, against every one else's edited selves. I worried about offending people, I was aware when I lost a follower and I watched the number of people following me more than I am proud to admit. All in all these feelings never made me feel good, the wanting to be accepted, the wanting to be liked. I had moments of feeling super left out and lonely at quilt con because while I was eating hamburgers in my hotel room everyone else was having a super fab time taking Quiltcon selfies without me. Right? Yeah, well, truth be told I like watching trash TV eating hamburgers alone in my hotel room and I'm old enough to know that not everything is always as it seems. And so it is, the social media debate goes on and on. I am not judging IG or anyone who loves it, I just realized that it is no good for me, and I am no good to myself within the context of this kind of social media. I have a great big handful of people that I know in real life that are right in front of me that really really love me, I need to be present in the moments with them. These are the moments I want to be in, these are the moments I don't want to miss, these moments are true and real and unedited. If I had better self control I would be happy to have stayed on IG, but I'll give you the unedited truth, I was totally addicted to it and I had to let it go. That is the personal side of deleting IG, the equally important side for me lies in being creative within the IG context. I found myself working on a project and posting a picture and suddenly the creative process became an edited process that relied on positive feedback, comments and likes to press forward. I started to feel like my work became less and less authentic as I began editing my work based on what more people would "like". Seriously, Krista? What the F*ck? That has never been me, and yet suddenly there I was, worried about what 3500 people (most of whom, I don't even know) think. And that's where it ended. This is also where I will stop discussing IG, I hope if you were curious about why I did it, you now get it. Below, is my last IG selfie that was supposed to be my #helloquiltcon hash tagged photo, ironically, I never posted it, because, you know, someone might not like it................ Getting back into my studio after a teaching gig is always very rewarding, I am amazed by what I learn from my students, I love processing the experience by creating with the experience in mind. I was sad to have missed the opportunity to take a class or see a lecture from Gwen Marston while I was at Quilt Con, but was very happy to find a pod cast with Gwen here. I know a little bit about her work, but have been particularly intrigued by her small studies or "sketches". Hearing her talk made me think about working on a smaller scale using only the longarm to create my own studies or sketches. Pictured below are the studies I have been working on since I got home, I started by working with a 10x11" and went smaller to a 6x6" size. I am not sure where these are going but the process has been a breath of fresh air for me and good to get out of my edited box. Looking forward to teaching at both MQX and MQS, I am working on some new samples. I will be doing hands on lecture/demos at both shows which is a new format for me that I am very excited about. Pictured below is a sample from my Ghost Shapes lecture/demo. Lastly, is a shot of my spastic and disorganized design wall. I hope that letting all the crazy out in my studio and on my wall keeps the crazy from taking over in my head. Or something like that. Thanks for reading, have a great week, stay inspired, stay real and stay you. xok
Want to make lovely feather motifs like this one? I decided to write a simple “how-to” for quilting basic feather types. This post is also for the students in my class yesterday who h…
Today is a doubly good day; my brother is celebrating a milestone birthday today (happy birthday, C!) and I have a quilt finish to share! I had a lot of fun adding the quilting detail to Meringue. …
The Sew Steady Quilt Suspension System takes the drag out of quilting! This easy to assemble clamping system will suspend your quilt around your sewing machine or sit down longarm, making it much easier to push your quilt over the table. This Quilt Suspension System is Ideal for Many Styles of Quilting Suspends your quilts so you can enjoy walking foot quilting, free motion quilting, ruler quilting without drag. Small and compact to easily take to classes and retreats Sets up in minutes and stores easily when not in use Quilt suspension systems lift your quilt and reduces friction and weight on your machine. Less fatigue and strain on your body because it's easier to push your quilt over the table Great for quilting and sewing projects of all sizes Use around your embroidery machine to support larger projects in the hoop Learn how to use the Sew Steady Quilt Suspension System In this quilting tutorial, I share how to assemble your quilting suspension system. I also answer a lot of questions about using a DIY quilt suspension system and how thick your sewing table can be for these clamps: I do consider this a quilting tool I can't live without! I've been suspending my quilts for years to make machine quilting easier. The rubber pads on the clamps makes this a no-damage quilting tool. The downside of my quilt suspension DIY method was it required drilling holes in the ceiling or walls to install hooks or bars. If that doesn't bother you, yes, you can save money by making a clamping system from bungee cords and clamps from your local hardware store. Finally a Quilt Suspension System that Doesn't Require Drilling! The first time I hung a quilt over my machine - suspended from the low ceilings in my basement - I knew this was something quilters needed to try. But when I shared my awesome DIY quilt suspension ideas, many quilters didn't like the idea of drilling holes in the ceiling or walls to hang hooks. Now we have a clamping quilt suspension system that connects to your table top or machine extension bed and gives you the same lift and weightless effect. The clamps on the Sew Steady Quilt Suspension System will clamp to any thickness of table from thin sewing machine extension tables to thick table tops up to 2 1/2 inches thick! The Sew Steady Quilt Suspension System includes: 2 Clamp Arms or 4 Clamp Arms depending on the pack you select, approximately 27″ in length 2 or 4 Fabric Spacer Tubes