I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

ProsperityStuff Quilts - the quilting, sewing, and patchwork of a regular mom who makes regular quilts

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

Do you have problems rolling up keeping the tension on your quilt? The John Flynn quilting system could be just the thing! A low-cost solution for a quil...

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

So, I mentioned my new "toy" in my last post ... a quilt frame to use with my regular sewing machine! This week, I quilted TWO baby ...

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

What I like about the Flynn Quilt Frame is being able to do a whole quilt without getting sore shoulders and finishing a project with energy left over.

The Bernina Aurora 440 QE is a great machine for quilters and well worth the investment. Throughout my testing the Aurora 440QE performed flawlessly.

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

Note to Pinners: THIS FRAME DOES NOT WORK!!!! Please read my comments at the bottom of this article. If you've seen or heard of the Flynn Multi Quilting Frame, you'll know that it costs about $180.00. After careful study, I came up with my own version that is much cheaper. Ask your local lumber yard or hardware store if they have any scraps close to the size you need and have them cut for you. You may want to start with 24" pipes instead of 48" for small projects until you get the hang of using this frame. The longer the rods are, the more flexible they become. For anything longer than 48", you will want furniture grade PVC or wooden dowels which are more rigid. PVC clamps are available from flexpvc.com. (1) 3/4x4x24" Solid pine shelving (3) 48" lengths 1" I.D. Charlotte pipe (2) 18" lengths 3" I.D. Sewer PVC (6) 1" PVC End caps (6) 1" PVC Clamps (4) 24" strips of 1/2" ribbon (8) Small safety pins (6) 1/4 x 2" Carriage bolts (6) 1/4" Wing nuts (6) 1/4" Machine nuts (12) 5/8" washers 1/4" Open end wrench PVC glue Vise clamps, large and small Shop vise (optional) Skill saw Jig saw Drill 1/4" drill bit 1/4" cutting bit Sheet of poster board Pencil Ruler Soda can Scissors Craft Bond spray adhesive Use the poster board to make two templates. Measure and mark two rectangles 18" long x 2-1/2" wide. Use the top of a soda can to round off the ends inside the marks. Erase the pencil marks outside the round ends. From one end, measure 1-1/2" and mark with an X. Measure 2-1/2" from that mark and make another X. Measure 1-1/2" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line. From the opposite end, measure 2" and mark with an X. Measure 1-3/4" from that mark and draw a 1-1/2" line 3/8" from the edge. Do the same on the other template. Cut out the templates and glue them beside each other on the wood board. Position them so each edge is flush with the edge of the board on either side leaving space between them for cutting. Use a jig saw to cut the rounded ends first. Then, cut the straight lines with the skill saw. You'll never make a cutting mistake using paper templates. Use a small vise clamp to secure the end caps. Make sure the clamp is holding the bottom of the cap, not the top so you don't crush it. Sit in a solid chair with the clamp between your legs. Hold the clamp steady and drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the cap. Repeat for all the others. It's best to use a drill press for this, if you have one. Lay the boards on top of one another, making sure the hole marks are lined up. Clamp them to a bench and drill the holes. Drill holes just inside the marks at each end of the straight lines. Change to the cutting bit and bore out from hole to hole. Assembly Place a washer and bolt in each end cap hole. Place a washer and nut onto the bolt and tighten with a wrench. Get it as tight as you can. Swirl a bit of pvc glue around the inside of the pipe. Insert the end cap. Let the glue cure. Place a washer on the bolt. Slide the bolt through a hole in the board. Place another washer on the bolt. Place a wing nut on the bolt and tighten. Repeat for the other two pipes. Tension Bands Cut a slit through one end of the ribbon. Slip the cut end through the slit in the wood. Slide the other end through the cut and pull it tight. Make sure the ribbon is under the board edge and not over it. Repeat with the other three ribbons. Different projects may require different lengths of ribbon. It's better to have them too long than too short. Mounting Center the backing fabric on the rod. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The backing is wound around the first of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The wrong side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the backing fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Roll up the batting making sure there is enough on the end to wrap around the top rod. Move the batting back out of the way. Secure the fabric to the rods with the PVC clamps. The top is wound around the second of the two rods on the end. Notice how the fabric is oriented. The right side faces up and wraps around the rod from the bottom. Loosen the wing nuts. Roll the top fabric onto the rod, keeping it straight and tight. Make sure there is enough fabric on the end to wrap around the top rod. Tighten the wing nuts and move this fabric out of the way. Replace the backing fabric. Attach a safety pin close to the edge of the fabric. Slide the ribbon through the closed pin and tighten. The pin will pop open if you pull too much. Secure the ribbon with another pin. Repeat for the other three ribbons. The backing fabric and batting are wound around from the bottom. The top is placed over the ends of the batting and backing. Clamp the ends to the rod. Loosen the wing nuts on the top rod and roll the quilt to create tension. Tighten the wing nuts. The rolled batting rests between the first and second rods. The finished quilting is wound around the top rod that goes under the machine throat. Using the Frame Leave the extension table on your sewing machine if it has one. Turn your sewing machine so the throat is behind you rather than to the right. This orientation will take some getting used to. Place the 3" PVC pipes on either side of the machine. They balance the frame and allow freedom of movement in all directions. Remove the foot attachment from the machine. Remove the board and tension bands from one side. Slide the quilt under the foot arm. Don't try to slide the rod under the foot arm; it won't fit. Replace the board and tension bands. Replace the foot attachment and you're ready to stitch your quilt. Roll up the quilt on the top rod as you finish each area. This frame can also be used as a stretching frame and for hand quilting. It may be expanded and used for long arm quilting with your home machine as well. Assessment I tried it out and the only thing I like about it is being able to roll my quilt and not have any wrinkles on the back. The tension bands weren't necessary. The rods provide enough tension to keep the backing tight. It's heavy. There is so much weight on the 3" pipes that it renders them useless, even though they are required for supporting the frame. The frame has to be lifted while stitching to prevent drag. That leads to the other problem of the frame not having enough support. It lacks balance. When the needle is on one end or the other of the quilt, the frame tilts in the opposite direction. The machine and frame has to rest on a long table for adequate support. The 3" pipes do not roll smoothly which causes skips and uneven stitches that lack uniformity. It needs stability. Lastly, it isn't fair to call this a free motion frame because the movement is so limited. There is only 3-1/4" of space between the pipe and the needle on my machine. It is best used for narrow continuous line stitching. I recommend that you skip this one and move on to my Rolling Quilt Frame.

Our local quilt guild, The Rain Country Quilters, used to bring nationally known quilt instructors to our little town once a year. They opened up the classes to everyone, quilt guild members and non-quilt guild members alike. The Rain Country Quilters hosted many wonderful quilters, Kim Dihl, Carol Doak, Elenore Burns and John Flynn to name a few. I attended a quilt class with instructor John Flynn. I am still working on the 'Storm At Sea' quilt we did in the class. It is a UFO I must finish. It was at this class that I learned about the quilt frame John Flynn had recently developed. One of the class members had purchased one and hadn't had a chance to use it because she wasn't quite sure how to put it together. She brought hers in and John gave us all a little instruction. For the past several years, I have been thinking about purchasing a John Flynn Quilt frame. This winter, at the Road To California quilt show, I bit the bullet and bought the frame. I walked by the box for 6 months before I could muster up the courage to take it out and put it together. There is a DVD and alsobpaper instructions for setting up the frame. I chose to go to the website to get my instructions. The instructions on the website are easy to follow and you can stop and replay them over and over. (John Flynn Website-CLICK HERE) I've accomplished step 1 of the process, the frame is put together and the quilt is on the frame. Now to figure out what to quilt. Linking To: A Round Tuit, Craftastic Monday, Sew Cute Tuesday, Linky Tuesday, Home Work, Fabric Tuesday, Treasure Box Tuesday, WIP Wednesday, Let's Bee Social, Show and Tell, A Little Bird Told Me,

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Enjoy the freedom and creativity of hand quilting without marking.

I love to float a quilt top on my frame. There are several ways to load your quilt onto your quilting frame. My favorite way to load a quilt on a frame is to float a quilt top. I have found this method to be quick and easy. Make sure to watch the video at...

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Do you have problems rolling up keeping the tension on your quilt? The John Flynn quilting system could be just the thing! A low-cost solution for a quil...

Build your own DIY quilting frames in an afternoon with this easy step-by-step guide. Free plans complete with a cut list and instructions.

Keep Your Quilt At The Proper Tension With The Flynn Multi-Frame Quilting System. Use This 3-Roll Quilt Frame With Your Sewing Machine For No-Baste Free Motion Machine Quilting, Or Hold It In Your Lap For Hand Quilting. Includes Two Roller Pipes Made Of Pvc, Three Fiberglass Rods For Rolling The Quilt Easily And Smoothly, Side Tension Ribbons, Three Muslin Leaders, Plus An Instructional Dvd.This Frame Accommodates Quilts Up To 38\" Wide - An Ideal Size For Wall Hangings And To Learn With. You Can Easily Modify It To Accept Any Quilt Width By Making New Rods - Simply Purchase 3 Pieces Of Metal Conduit (Emt) Of The Desired Length At Your Local Lumber Yard, And Move The Round Nylon Rod Ends From Your Original 48\" Rods To The New Rods Using A Phillips Screwdriver.Because The Frame Itself Does The Moving, It Can Be Used With Virtually Any Home Sewing Machine.|N SKU:ADIB0038R91ZC

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

Do you have problems rolling up keeping the tension on your quilt? The John Flynn quilting system could be just the thing! A low-cost solution for a quil...

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…

I had a request to show my frame setup, pursuant to the endless review of the Flynn Multi Frame Quilting frame from a few weeks ago. I unexpectedly had a quilt occur so rather than wait for my new quilting table to arrive in a couple weeks I decided to put the frame to use. Hm, should have taken…