The pieces are about 15" long. I pinned them to the sides of the quilt and attached the clamps to the other side which has a strip of wood sewn into to them. Normally you wouldn't attach them to the quilt top, just the backing, but my backing wasn't wide enough.This has got to be the ugliest quilt top ever. I bought it off of eBay really cheap for trying out my new set-up. I just bought a Pfaff Grand Quilter last week to replace my super small Singer machine that I had on the frame. I am saving my pennies for the Homesteader machine, but in the meantime I will use the PGQ and it will make a great piecing machine when that day comes. So far I am really pleased with the machine and my homemade frame. I added a long door mirror between the tracks on the frame so I could see the underside of my quilts. I also sewed up some fabric to use for my side tension. I sewed in a flat piece of wood on one end for the clamps to have something to grab on to which gives it even tension all the way down the side of the quilt. Normally I wouldn't have attached them to the quilt top, but my backing is the same size as the top and since I am only using this quilt to practice on, I don't really care how it turns out.
