Two handed stitching with EZ Stitch Scroll Frames

Join Donnett as she demo's how she stitches two handed with the EZ Stitch Scroll Frames.  We all know how I love the EZ Stitch Scroll Frames and stitching two handed is just one more reason I love them.

I am going to show you what it is like to stitch two handed with a 8” Scroll Frame, 12” Scroll Frame, 18” Scroll Frame, 20” Scroll Frame, 30” Scroll Frame all in hand. Then the 30” Scroll Frame on the legs along with 24” Scroll Frame on the EZ Stitch Floor Stand.

First up is our 8” Scroll Frame... You can stitch two handed on any size of scroll frame from out 6” all the way up to our 48'. Now I will hold the frame up against by stomach and support the frame with my right arm with is under the frame.

Now as many of you know I have Fibromyalgia so a stick-n-stab method of stitching would be hard on my are and I would only be able to stitch for maybe 5 to 10 minute before I needed to stop. By stitching with both of my hands I can stitch much longer.

One of the best benefits of the EZ Stitch Scroll Frames, besides the great fabric tension, is that now that I am not holding a hoop with my fabric all scrunched up my fabric is going to be kept clean. What gets your fabric dirty is the oils in your hands. Now my hands are no longer touching the fabric it is kept all wrinkle free and clean wrapped around the scroll rods. This is perfect if you love hand-dyed fabrics like I do.

When using a hoop you will usually have to wash your project once you are done to not only get out all of the hand oils but the hoop burn and wrinkles as well. With hand-dyed fabric they are not supposed to be washed as that will make the color bleed. So with the scroll frames you can use all of the amazing hand-dyed fabrics that are out there. I think they add so much to your stitching.

While stitching two handed one hand will stitch while the other holds the frame. Also I fell like my floss goes up and down at a much straighter angle so there is less wear on the floss. Also, my stitches are neater as it is easier to railroad my stitches as I go. Two handed stitching is much faster than the stick-n-stab method, as there are no wasted movements.

For lighting I will clip the Hammerhead Mighty Bright Light right to my scroll frame. The light is pretty light weight so he doesn't weigh down the frame and is easy to hold.

Next is our 12” Scroll Frame ... I will hold it pretty much the same way. I am using 6” Sidebars which make it easy for me to hold the frame.

18” Scroll Frame... Now I recommend that you use scroll rods that are at least 2” longer then your fabric. For example if you have 20” wide fabric you would want to use 22” scroll rods. This gives you space for your fingers to scroll up the rods. The fabric has room and it is not hitting the side bars. This also allows for better fabric tension. Of course you can always put smaller projects on longer rods.

As I hold the 18” Scroll Frame you can see that it is resting on my right arm. I also have put some pillows behind me and to support my left arm.

Awhile ago we were in a LIVE Sit N Stitch and we were talking two handed stitching, Someone said they put their dominate hand on bottom because it doesn't need to be supervised it knows what to do. The non-dominant hand needs to be on top to be supervised. I thought that was hilarious.

20” Scroll Rods... These are the size that come with our Tomorrow Treasure Lap Stand. It also includes the 12” Side Bars and all the other components to create the Tomorrow Treasure Lap Stand.

Again I am going to put the pillows under my arms to help take the tension out of them. I would recommend anything longer then the 20” Scroll Rods to use the legs. When the Scroll Frames is on the legs all you have to worry about is stitching, instead of holding the frame as well.

I place the EZ Stitch Tape for Fabric on the front of my fabric. I do this so when I scroll it up the front is now protected. After all the front is what we are all going to be looking at and we want to be as clean and fuzz free as we can get it. By scrolling my fabric this way if anything gets dirty or has some wear on it, it will be the backside. I also use the Scroll Rod covers to help eliminate any dirt or wear that might happen. But by placing the tape of the front of my fabric I ensure that the front is kept clean and protected.

30” Scroll Frame... it is deferentially heavier then 20” Scroll Frame. I am working on the far right side so I will need a couple pillows to prop up the frame on the other end. Because I am holding the frame I feel like my attention is on that and not my stitching. Also most of my movement is about holding the frame and not stitching as well. I feel like each stitch is taking longer because I am moving my hands to hold the frame.

30” Scroll Frame with the EZ Stitch Lap Stand Leg Kit .... This is so comfortable I don't have to worry about holding the frame all of my attention and movement will be on the stitches. The legs have 5 holes in them so it really depends on your couch on where you would place the frame. If you have a really soft couch that sinks you may need to put the Scroll Frame at the top hole. You will need to play around with it till you find the position that is comfortable for you.

Now all of my attention is on stitching and I am stitching faster. My hands are staying right where I am stitching so no wasted movements. My hands are doing all of the work my arms are barley moving.

TIP... With the Tomorrow Treasure Lap Stand there is a screw , that screw goes through the Side Bar the Spacer then the Leg. Then a knob is attached and tightened to secure it in to place. That Knob needs to be loosened before you flip it over to get to the back of your work. If not loosened before you flip it over you could strip out that screw or even the knobs. Then once you flip it back use a screwdriver to tighten it back down and secure the frame into place.

I want you to notice the position of my neck and chest while I am using the Lap Stand. I am looking down... I have neck issues and the Doctor told me not to look down. How can I not look down I have to stitch... notice the difference when I use the EZ Stitch  Floor Stand.

24” Scroll Frame on the EZ Stitch Floor Stand ... Do you notice how I am sitting up and my neck is looking forward to the frame instead of looking down. I have the arms and elbows of the floor stand position in such a way that it lets me look forward instead of looking down. My left arm is completely resting right on the Scroll Frame but I will put a pillow under my arm so I have no strain on my shoulders. This makes stitching an enjoyable, relaxing process-- as it should be.

One of my favorite feature of The EZ Stitch Floor Stand is that the Scroll Frame is attached to the arm with two knobs instead of a screw, so no need for a screwdriver. To rotate the Scroll Frame just loosen both of those knobs flip it over to get to the back of your work. Then once you flip it back secure each knob to tighten it back down and secure the frame into place.

I make a working copy of my pattern and I clip it on the scroll frame by using my Hammerhead Might Bright Light. We will be coming out with a Chart Holder for the Floor Stand that will attach right to the Cross Bars.  I am using our Scroll Rod Covers and I attach my highlighter to the elastic along with a retractable scissor keeper. That way they are right at hand and don't get lost in the couch cushions.

We want to be able to stitch for hours and hours and need to be in not only a comfortable position but in a position that won't cause any strain on our back or neck. For myself working on the EZ Stitch Floor Stand is much easier and helps me stitch longer.

As may of you know I first cam across American Dream Products 28+ years ago when I got my first Tomorrow Treasure Lap Stand, and I just LOVE them!!! When we found out that they were going to go out of business I told Darin (Darin is the owner of Embroidery.com) and we purchased EZ Stitch. And I am so glad we did and are able to continue to bring this product to your.

We came out with the NEW EZ Stitch Floor Stand about a year and a half ago. My husband is the one who designed the Floor Stand based on all of the things I wanted. I wanted something stable so I could put the weight of my arm on while stitching and it would not lose tension. Some thing that is adjustable and can do large projects. This EZ Stitch Floor Stand is adjustable and uses Scroll Rods that are 24”, 26” 28” 30”, 36”, 42” and 48”.

While we were in the demo process every couple days he would come out with something new. He saw I was laying my bobbins on the fabric so he put a groove in the arm that the bobbins can fit in. The arms also have 2 holes in each for tweezers, scissor or even a highlighter. The response to the EZ Stitch Floor Stand has been amazing,  

I hope this has given you some tips on how to stitch two handed. It truly comes down to what is most comfortable for you and how you stitch. Play around with it and find the position that is right for you to stitch two handed.

We would love for you to join our EZ Stitch Scroll Frames Facebook Group and share your EZ Stitch Scroll Frame Set up. You can also become a member of our Embroidery.com Cross-Stitch + Hand Embroidery Group on Facebook and post your WIP'S and finished projects. You can post tips & techniques that you have found helpful or any questions you may have. Don't forget to follow us on our Facebook Page Embroidery.com Cross-Stitch + Hand Embroidery.

For Past EZ Stitch Video Demos and so much more check out my (Donnett's) Needlework Blog. Make sure your notifications are turned on as that’s how you will know when a new video is up.

As always, I love to hear your comments & suggestions so please feel free to send them to me at donnett@embroidery.com.

 

Enjoy & Happy Stitching – Donnett

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