I know it's possible to buy frames of 40 inches and more, but I haven't seen any online in the UK and it just didn't seem worth buying that sort of thing from overseas. After seeing a post on a message board, I decided to make one myself.
At home I have a table/lap frame (an ebay win) which I didn't really use as the frame part of it hasn't been a good enough size for the pieces I've been working on recently. If I could make myself some long scroll rods for it, then it would be perfect to use for St Pete.
So, first I checked the diameter of the rods currently in the frame (19mm) to work out roughly what I'm after. Then off to my nearest B&Q where I bought a 2.4 metre long piece of 18mm pine doweling.
On the way home from B&Q, I popped into Dunelm and bought 3m of 1 inch curtain header type of tape.
On the living room floor, I measured the rod and marked the middle. Next, out to the garden and a rummage in the garage (with advice from husband) to find a small saw and cut the dowel into two pieces.
Back inside again, I dug out a box of coloured drawing pins, cut the curtain tape into convenient sized lengths, fastened the tape to the rods with the drawing pins. Hammer required I realised after my thumbs got rather sore pressing the drawing pins into the first rod!
Things were looking good and I was starting to get excited!
Out with the sides and legs of the frame. I'd suspected that the rods might be slightly loose fitting in the frame, and I was right. They were so loose, they wouldn't stay in! So, out with the masking tape and a few layers round the ends of the rods had them fitting perfectly!
Finally, out with St Pete and some thread and I stitched the fabric to the curtain tape.
What do you think of the end result? Personally, I'm dead chuffed! 
And I can't believe I have a scroll frame almost as big as my couch! Oh, and St Pete now has significantly more stitching on it than in the picture! 
7 comments:
wow that's an amazing piece of work. I can't believe how big it is lol. Looking forward to seeing the stitching coming on now ... well done :)
Oh, I *love* this! I would never have thought of curtain-rod scrolls!!
I purchased a scroll from a needlework supplier in my home state (NH), and am still waiting for it to come. Grrrr. Wish I'd seen your solution first! However, what I really can't wait to see is your progress on this cross-stitch.
That's one big scroll rod. I'm working on White Nights as well, just using a Q-Snap so all the beads will require a 13th month LOL. Does your scroll rod keep the fabric tight? or do you like to work on it loosely? I loved all your other projects as well and your thoughts on how to kit these Chatelaines. I ordered the whole kit for White Nights from European Cross Stitch (minus the fabric) as I didn't have any silks at all and really wanted to try them. I may never go back to cotton - YIKES. Good luck and cheers, Trish
It's huge!!! I love the different coloured pins in the curtain tape - adds a festive touch!!
what a clever girl you are, and at a fraction of the cost too
well done, looking forward to watching your stitching grow as well !!
Perfect mother of invention! I love it!! Just goes to show stitchers will go to any extreme to get things done! You're amazing.
:))
Deb in FL
http://lavenroseramblings.blogspot.com/
PS: I'm just happy to be stitching with Q-snaps right now!!
Oh well done!! I didn't have that kind of inventive mind so I bought mine from Siesta. My DH did have to do some inventive carpentry work on the stretcher bars so I could clamp them in my Lowery, though.
Mind you, no one can sit on the sofa while I am stitching!!
I have decided to stitch with the fabric quite loose, as I have observed that Chatelaines can be pulled out of square if the fabric is too tight. Mind you, it's just as well as I can't get a really tight tension on these huge scrolls!!
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