Why use trestles?
For anyone who has stitched with a slate frame, you will understand the ‘difficulties’ that can be posed if you don’t have something to help you balance it.
There are a few home made options out there that work well, but there is something ‘special’ about a set of trestle for home! And as I don’t have a handy hubby to make a set, I decided to buy some as a treat. And it really makes my new home feel like I have a ‘proper’ stitching area!
Whilst not a ‘cheap’ option (though cheaper than some), they are well worth the investment if you plan on stitching for many happy years to come on a set of trestles!
M.R.S. Embroidery Trestles - handmade with love
There are a couple of options for purchasing a set of trestles. Probably not surprisingly, not a large list of suppliers exist! But after a look through the options, I decided for a set of Magda’s, from M.R.S. Embroidery Trestles.
What was the appeal?
What appealed to me about these trestles, is that each one is made by hand. And there is a lot of thought and preparation that goes into them! And, any time I can support a small business, I think that is a positive to take into consideration!
The other appealing feature was the removable feet! What an ingenious thought and design! So not only can you store them away more easily if needed, but imagine how much easier it will be to transport ‘flat’ items, rather than another ‘oddly shaped’ item!
Made to order, great communication
Throughout the whole process, Magda was fantastic at communicating and answering all my questions!
I initially contacted her a year ago, and for a variety of reasons didn’t place my order. But she went to the effort of giving me an estimate of shipping, so I had the full picture when I did finally decide to purchase them.
Once you have paid your invoice, your trestles are made. And Magda will give you a time frame for when they will be completed, with the courier, and then (hopefully), with you!
I was lucky, as mine were finished a few days earlier than first predicted, and about six weeks after placing my order, my trestles were on my doorstep!
Beautiful wood, well finished, and well packaged for the journey!
The trestles are beautifully made using beech wood, and well finished with a lovely varnish
They were well wrapped up with lots of protection for their journey across the seas – lots of bubble wrap! It took a while to ‘discover’ my new trestles hiding underneath all that wrapping!
And easy to put together! I think it took longer to unwrap them than it did to put the feet on and have a standing set of trestles! My bigger problem was that I started this process late on a Sunday evening and couldn’t start stitching on them straight away!
Using the trestles
The trestles are larger than what those of us who have done any stitching at the RSN would be used to.
I found that my smaller slate frame needs to be rested a little differently than I was used to. The larger frames fit perfectly. And I imaging if you needed a huge frame to do some enormous work, they would be perfect!
As the trestle are that little bit larger, they are very sturdy and you can work comfortably on them without any worry of anything ‘going wrong’.
The perfect addition to my new stitching space!
I am so pleased I have these in my stitching room! They were well worth the purchase, and I will be using them for a long time into the future!
They look beautifully made 🙂
They are of very high quality, Margaret.
Thank you Catherine ☺
No, thank you, Magda!
They do look wonderfully sturdy!
Yes, and a joy to use! They certainly make life a lot easier.
They do look very substantial and well made – luckily my other half is very handy and so made mine as they are quite an investment. Love your sewing space and the display of all your work, Catherine.
You are lucky to have a handy other half! They are a significant investment, but I’m glad I’ve made it. They do make life a lot easier.
Hi Catherine,
Thank you for such a helpful review! I too am thinking of investing in some trestles and would be interested in hearing more about how/why the smaller slate frame didn’t fit as easily/in the same way as on the RSN ones in the classroom. Also, was there anything that made you choose these over the RSN shop ones?
Many thanks in advance,
Abbie
Hi Abbie, thanks so much for stopping by!
I think the smaller frame doesn’t fit so well as the trestles are a bulkier version than what you find in the RSN classroom. I had the same issue with the ones at SFSNAD, but it is very easily accommodated with a couple of ‘arms’ (with rubber bands to attach to your frame) to ensure you are comfortable. I also sit on a regular dining chair, which perhaps is a little wider than the chairs provided at the RSN.
Why I chose these ones over the ones in the RSN shop is more a personal choice than anything – I have a strong belief in supporting small businesses, I know they are made to high quality, and that the customer service will be superior. The ability to ‘pack down’ the trestles by removing the feet was one of the biggest selling points too. Whilst I haven’t as yet dismantled my trestles and they move about the house depending on where I’m stitching, I like the idea of having trestles that are easy to transport. Historically, we do rather large moves every few years, and space in a shipping container is in scarce supply!
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi Catherine, thanks so much for your detailed reply. They sound really great. I think I’m going to get myself a pair. Thanks again. Happy stitching! 🙂