What Are some Alternatives to Table and Floor Stands?

Updated July 9, 2021.
For many needlepointers table and floor stands can be a real problem. They are bulky and expensive and often require lots of work to use. However, there are a couple of alternatives which you should consider as lower cost and more compact solutions.

The first possibility is found at your local hardware store. It is called a handi-clamp, made by several companies. These clamps have the equivalent of a C-clamp (which you can also use) at one end, but they have a kind of trigger mechanism at the other end which makes them easier to open and shut. You put your frame and the table edge in between the jaws of the clamp and press to shut. The needlepoint stays secure next to the table so you can stitch. I see many people using these at guild events. They are certainly lighter and less clumsy than my table frame.

Another solution is a frame weight. Frame weights are heavy but flexible objects which are placed on one end of your mounted canvas. They act as a counterweight allowing you to work happily on the part of the canvas which is over the edge of the table.

Frame weights can be overgrown pincushions, stuffed animals, or just about anything else, as long as you can fill it will a pound or two of heavy, non-edible material. Craft stores sell plastic pellets for making bean bags which work. Pie weights also work as do pennies. But do not use anything edible as it will eventually attract bugs.

ANG often makes a souvenir frame weight for their seminar. There are also canvases by many hand-painted canvas designers that can be finished into frame weights. An easy way to make a frame weight is to use a small stitched but unfinished needlepoint. Stitch it up with a sturdy cloth for its back as if it will be a pincushion. Stuff it with weights. You have a frame weight and didn’t need to stitch a new project. Our recently finished stitch-along could also be finished as a frame weight. If you want your needlepoint protected, have thin, clear plastic stitched over the needlepoint first.

Another fast frame weight is to take a small stuffed animal such as a Beanie Baby. Look for these inexpensively at thrift shops. Use a seam ripper to open a seam. Put in a roll of pennies and sew it back up. This makes an effective frame weight.

There is one drawback to both these alternatives and it is one you should consider. The frame is connected directly to the table, not raised above it as is the case with table frames. If you have a bad back or if you like to be able to change the angle of your stitching, these will not work well. You are better off making the investment in a table or floor frame.