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-   -   FLYNN QUILTING SYSTEM-HELP ME DECIDE (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/flynn-quilting-system-help-me-decide-t37164.html)

MAMMY6 02-17-2010 01:23 AM

I know this has been discussed before, but please help me decide. Tell me who has tried one and whether you liked it or not. He makes it look soooo easy. Is it worth the money?
Thanks

cheryl222 02-17-2010 05:07 AM

Had to have one... not impressed at all. Found it wasn't near as easy as it looked. Ended up selling it and bought a used Superquilter frame which I am very happy with, but considering upgrading from that when my new sewing room is complete!

azdesertrat 02-17-2010 05:11 AM

I have one still in the box untouched.never put it together,I have seen him work with it in person at a quilt show but I never got around to using it,I have herad lots of pros and cons

vjengels 02-17-2010 05:24 AM

I bought the Flynn system in the 90's when I first started quilting. I LOVED that thing, although it was heavy, and akward to use at first, I used 8foot 'rails' made from 2x2 pine so I could do a queen size quilt. It does take some practice, and you still have the same problem of ' throat size' if you use your home machine. I pieced and FMQ 12 quilts on that in a year. I bought a HandiQuilter in early 2001, I didn't like it near as much, since then I've found out the problem is me; I just can't stand to load the quilt on the rails...

Sharon321 02-17-2010 07:08 AM

Several of my friends bought one. They all said it was a complete waste of money.

crashnquilt 02-17-2010 07:21 AM

I had one and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. If you plan to do only baby size quilts I guess it's okay. What you have to remember is the amount of room you need. From your machine head, you need to be able to move the full size of the rails to each side of the machine. Such as, if you have 4ft rails, you need AT LEAST 4 feet of room on BOTH sides of the machine head. Also, you need to remember that as you take up the quilted part your quilting space becomes smaller and smaller with each roll.
Also, getting the quilt loaded on the frame and THEN getting it under your hopping foot is not an easy thing to do, especially if you are short.
If you have a machine that can run without your presser foot you do have to take that into consideration as well.

I am 5ft 1in tall and this frame just was not a good fit for me. You also have to buy your own rails. So, you may get 48" rails but you have a quilt that larger than that so you have to go back and buy new rails for the size you need. This puts you in a position of having to store different lengths of rails.

I really think you can spend your money better elsewhere. There are several frames developed for the home machine that you can explore.

LucyInTheSky 02-17-2010 08:03 AM

It took me about 6 months before I picked mine up (I like piecing so much more than quilting). I read the book, watched the DVD, the boyfriend helped me set it up... and I LOVE it. I can do a queen size quilt in 7 hours. And it's much easier on my back/neck/etc then when I would pin baste and try to fight with my quilt as I was FMQ, and pulling, and pushing and the bf holding up parts so I wouldn't have as much drag, and that was just painful. This one, not so much. After an hour or 2, I do take a break and stretch, but really, after an hour or 2 of anything, you should take a break :). I also have so many quilt tops that need to be quilts. I spent 3 years just making quilt tops since I hated the old way of quilting. Now I'm actually finishing them, so that alone for me is worth it, since otherwise they'd never get done.

Best $100 (or however much) I've spent.

quiltsRfun 02-17-2010 11:50 AM


I have one still in the box untouched.never put it together,I have seen him work with it in person at a quilt show but I never got around to using it
Same here. I even got to try out the frame when I bought it. I keep telling myself that one day I'll try it. LOL

redpurselady 02-18-2010 02:30 PM


Originally Posted by azdesertrat
I have one still in the box untouched.never put it together,I have seen him work with it in person at a quilt show but I never got around to using it,I have herad lots of pros and cons

I bought mine about 4 years ago and it is still in the box behind the door of my sewing room. I even went and bought longer rods thinking my husband would help me set it up - NOT!

dunster 02-18-2010 02:41 PM

I have one. I think that it is a matter of having to practice, just as you have to practice anything else. I used mine only once, to baste a quilt that I couldn't quilt in sections. It did an okay job, especially considering that I had very long rods and no experience with the frame. Now I have a longarm so I won't be using the Flynn frame again.


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