Comments on: Slate Frames

By: Slate Frames, again | The Embroiderers' Story

Slate Frames, again | The Embroiderers' Story — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:12:38 +0000

[...] I posted Tricia’s note about slate frames here in July, 2008. [...]

By: Debbie Hankin

Debbie Hankin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:30:17 +0000

I have just read the comments about where to get a slate frame - well I have the answer. My husband has manufactured traditional slate frames in England for the last 26 years. He supplied Access Commodities for a while ( with special inlays on the frames). We still manufacture frames without the inlay and supply people worldwide. We can be contacted directly by emailing blairhankin@hotmail.com, alternatively our products can be bought through Beth Russel at her website. Our company is BWH Designs, at present we do not have a website but will be developing one in the near future

By: Susan K.

Susan K. — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:08:07 +0000

FWIW, here is another source for slate frames:
http://www.spanishpeacock.com/sewingsupplies.htm
This is an SCA artisan/merchant who makes absolutely *gorgeous* tools from wood. His spindles and lucets are lovely. I have one of his draw-plates (for trichonopoly) and it is both beautiful and useful. I highly recommend him…

Also, my *guess* is that the name “slate frame” comes from its similarity to the frame around a piece of slate as used by students in the one-room-schoolhouse days. Just a guess, mind you!

By: Lois

Lois — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:09:49 +0000

I took a crewel needlework class from Barbara Jackson within the past two years. She also has slate frames through her company Tristan Brooks. The slate frames are not listed on the Tristan Brooks website but they are on the Needle Artworks website. Just google “Tristan Brooks” and both websites come up. Her frames are also made of birch and they are sized in thickness to work in a Lowery floor stand. I THINK she has them manufactured in the USA but I am not sure.

No affiliation, just a happy customer.

I haven’t posted before but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the blog and following the progress of the jacket.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:33:48 +0000

I have to admit that ever since I heard that Tricia had said that slate frames are impossible to have imported into this country, I’ve been puzzled. I assume that what she means is that she can’t have them imported at a wholesale price to be resold? I have a slate frame upstairs that I purchased by mail from England about the same time that Tricia was writing this story. It wasn’t any trouble to get at all — but it certainly wasn’t cheap. There seemed to be several other sources in addition to the one that I settled on.

So, if anyone reading the blog has a yen for a slate frame, don’t dispair. The wonders of charge cards, these days.

Carolyn

By: Mary Corbet

Mary Corbet — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:58:36 +0000

I had been looking for slate frames in the US for a couple years, when about a month ago, I received an e-mail from Evan Burroughs (located in Oregon), who makes the Evertite stretcher bar frames. He told me that he makes slate frames as well. At my request, he sent along photos of the frames he makes, and then - wonderful to behold! - he sent me one of his frames. So I tested it just last week - and I like it very much! I did a little write-up on the frame, including Evan’s contact information, here:

Slate Frames in the US

followed by a photo tutorial on dressing the slate frame.

I was glad to find a “local” person who makes these very fine frames right here in the US. Ordering from overseas and paying the shipping (and the middle man) on these frames can make them a little bit out of reach, budget-wise, for the average embroiderer.

Evan’s frames are hand-made out of birch. Instead of using wooden pegs to hold the bars in place, he uses cotter pins backed by a little rubber sleeve. They work great, and the tension achieved is really superb.

I was recently contacted as well by a lady in San Francisco who will be teaching the Royal School of Needlework certification courses out there, starting in September. (The new venue, replacing the old one that closed in Perry, Iowa…) She has frames from the UK available, and said they will also be “unveiling” a slate frame stand (trestles of a sort, I suppose) in September.

So it looks like slate frames are making a come-back in the US! I’m glad!

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:37:51 +0000

The issue of frames came up for me during a recent goldwork class. Several students had beautiful locally made slate frames but most had a square frame with roller bars and a screw tightening mechanism. The slate frames were definitely the best to work on as the fabric could be easily made drum tight and stayed that way. We have one small manufacturer in Australia who will definitely be getting extra business now.