TLDR: Want to make your quilting a little easier? Get yourself some of these guards.
I have an older model Horn of America sewing and quilt table. I bought it when I was pregnant with my first 20 years ago. It’s held up well, has some storage and gives me ample space to piece my quilts. I love that I can lower my machine and use an acrylic insert to create a large, flat workspace. It’s been one of the best investments I’ve made for myself.
However, my sewing and quilting table is in the middle of my studio. I put my table there because I’m looking into the room instead of having my back to it. This layout allows me to have a window next (ish) to me, keeps my fabric behind me and mostly out of my workspace (when my studio is actually clean) and it means I can see the television if I wanted to watch something mindless.
BUT…there’s always a but…because my table is in the middle of the room, that means when I quilt I don’t have anything to keep my quilt from falling off the back edge of my table while I am quilting. It’s a problem I have struggled with for years. Y E A R S, y’all! I know I am not the only quilter to struggle with this. I know it’s why many quilters keep their tables against a wall. I get it, but I don’t have wall space in the right spot to fix my problem so here we are. A studio with great space, a fabulous table and bulky quilts that fall off said table when I’m quilting them.
My easy fix was to lower my ironing board to *JUST* above the top edge of the table and place it along the backside to keep my quilts from falling. It worked. It wasn’t glamorous but it worked.
The challenge I had with that is the ironing board was in the way of other things. I had to move it if I wanted to floor baste. I had to wrangle things if I actually needed it and I don’t need the ironing board all that often. I have a wool mat for pressing next to my machine and, truthfully, I just don’t want it out all the time.
I have looked at some solutions offered online but I didn’t want to pay the hefty price for quilt catchers. I shared my frustration with my husband and he helped me find a $20 solution. Um, yes, please!
Enter the sneeze guard.
It’s exactly what you’d think it is: a table clamp that has an opening to hold a piece of acrylic or, in my case, a piece of wood! Bravo!
I tried to find the clamps at my local hardware stores – both big and small – but wasn’t able so I ordered them online.
The clamps arrived within a few days. My husband cut a piece of scrap wood he had in his workshop to use in the clamps. We used three clamps for my table – one in the center and two on each end.
How the clamps work
The clamps are simple to use. Use the knob to open the clamp and fit it on the edge of your table or sewing surface, then tighten the knob. These clamps came with an Allen wrench to open the guard. Once the guard is open you can insert wood (acrylic, whatever) into it then tighten to secure.
I think it took Mike 20 minutes start to finish – and that included finding the scrap of wood, getting his saw and sawhorses out, cutting and assembling.
Verdict
This is an easy and affordable solution to keep quilts from falling off the end of your quilting surface while you are working. It’s easy to assemble and disassemble, when needed, though I think these clamps will remain where they are for a long time.
I have a little concern about the gap between the clamps and my table but we’ll see how that shakes out in the coming months.
I’ve only needed it once but it was brilliant. My quilt bunched up along the catcher and did not fall onto the floor. I was quilting a small quilt so we’ll see how it goes from here but right now, things are looking up.
LINKY LOVE:
BUY: Horn Of America Sewing and Quilt Tables
BUY: Joy In Stitches Wool Mat
BUY: Sneeze Guards to Catch Your Quilts