The Clare Embroiderer's Assistant: Ergonomic, Economical, and Easy to Use

Introducing the Clare Embroiderer's Assistant!

The Clare table stand is your third hand, giving you the fine adjustability of a handheld hoop while leaving both of your hands free to stitch. From her place clamped to the table, she brings your hoop to where you are. You can adjust the height and angle of your work to best suit your posture, and bring your frame closer to minimize hunching over your stitching. Plus, you never have to unclamp or pick up your frame to reach the back of your work -- the clamp rotates a full 360 degrees for access at a moment's notice! It is smooth enough to effortlessly flip your work, but firm enough to stay exactly where you put it.

The Clare is designed to be simple to build. Her plastic parts are easy to print. Her metal components are common off-the-shelf parts available at most hardware stores. Assembly requires no power tools, no wood- or metal-working skills, and no obscure custom parts that you can only get from one manufacturer on Earth. All you need is a screwdriver, a wrench, and maybe a pipe cutter if you can't get your hardware store to cut copper pipe for you.

Oh, and did I mention economical? As of this writing, she takes about 35 USD of off-the-shelf hardware store parts (US big box retailer) and 300g of filament – which is 6 USD of plastic if you're paying 20/kilo. You can get other cheap stands for 41 USD, but you won't find one with all the best features of the Clare: adjustability, maneuverability, stability, and sheer ease of maintenance.

Plus, you can print it in your favorite color. ;)

The Clare is ideal for…

• embroidery hoops and stretcher bar frames up to about 12"/30cm
• putting your feet up while you stitch
• cats who like to sit on your lap while you stitch
• traveling light with quick assembly and disassembly
• frequently accessing the back of your work (it looks just fine!)
• designing your own add-ons
• inexpensive and easy maintenance
• keeping your essential tools within easy reach

The Clare also works for…

• smaller slate and scroll frames (they may “bounce” a little bit due to weight)
• larger hoops and stretcher bar frames (may not be able to rotate all the way)
• whatever else you need to hold steady at a particular position

You'll need to print…

• …with PLA, PLA+, or something with comparable stiffness. PETG and some PLA blends like Inland Tough PLA are not stiff enough to hold the work steady.
• 1 of each model from the Universal folder
• 1 of each model from the Imperial or Metric folder depending on what screws and bolts you are using

You'll also need…

Check the bom-printing PDF included in the files for a complete bill of materials and printing notes.

Assembly instructions

See the included PDF for detailed assembly instructions with photos.

Q&A

• Can I use Q-snaps with this stand?
  • I don't recommend it with this clamp, as it is not designed to hold round bars. I daresay someone might design a special clamp in the future.
• Can I use PVC pipe or wood instead of metal?
  • I don't recommend it for stability purposes. The stand should be as rigid as reasonably possible, and the metal pipes are important for that.

Background

The Clare is named for Saint Clare of Assisi, one of the patron saints of embroidery. I designed the Clare after I was diagnosed with a chronic energy-limiting disease and could no longer pursue my career. I had much more time for embroidery, but my neck and shoulders quickly became tense and painful. I needed a stand that would adapt to my physical needs. I was also broke, after losing my ability to work, but I had a 3D printer and some miscellaneous parts in the garage...

The Clare was born. My dream is to make embroidery easier and more comfortable for everyone. I hope that, by making the Clare's models and instructions freely available, more people than ever will be able to use an embroidery stand that truly works for them.

Happy stitching! <3

-Heather