I bought a Flynn quilting frame about a month ago. I love the frame itself ,but......those rollers the frame sit on while machine quilting....aargggg. They keep rolling out from under the frame. When this happens of coarse it causes you to mess up your quilting. Stop and reposition and try again untill they slide around again.
The video of John Flynn using the frame makes the operation look so smooth. I realize there is a learning curve to new things. I usually pick things up quickly, but this has me flustered!!!!
Anyone out there who uses this please help!!!
I can't use the rollers that came with it because my Janome is too tall. My dh got larger pipe and cut it to size. Also the rollers ( the quilt go on) that come with the frame aren't long enough for a large quilt. He says to replace it with metal conduit which I did. This makes the frame pretty heavy with a queen size quilt on it. Right now I have a queen size quilt in it, basting it by hand. I plan to take it off and quilt it the usual way as I can't get the system to work smoothly enough.
Any suggestions? I am going to get in touch with John Flynn, but thought I'd ask here too.

Ditter in frozen Florida

What model Janome do you have? I've got the 9000. I'm not educated in frames so am researching for the day that I get one.

I also made the mistake of buying the Flynn frame and it now sits in the closet.
It is fine for baby quilts but they are not that hard to quilt without a frame.
You would need as much room as a long arm quilting frame uses since the frame needs to go from side to side all the way across the quilt. And handling it is very difficult at that size. Yes the rollers keep falling off the table.
I think you are supposed to use plastic pipes to extend it.

I bought the Flynn system when I first started quilting in 1997. I bought the set with just the ends & instructions; my ex was pretty handy, we used pvc pipe for the left to right rollers, and used 10foot goods ( 2x2 pine lumber) for the frame, yes it was heavy, and so long when I used it in my kitchen, on the table of course... it would either roll into the living room, or up across the sink into the window, and I'd have to move towards the living room... LOL! I'm not sure how many square foot the kitchen was,,, but the floor space was only as big as a queen sized quilt ( the whole house was only 5oo sq. ft)... anyway.. I loved that thing! peiced, and quilted 12 quilts that year! ( I had more fun with that then my Handiquilter....)
the side to side rollers could be a problem untill you got used to ; or, you could tape 'blocks' to the edge of your surface to stop them, I would thing that something like a 1 inch stiff foam duct taped to the surface should suffice, you could create a 'channel' along the width of your surface to keep those rollers in line. Good luck!

i love my flynn frame and use it all the time.

like anything else with quilting there's a learning curve.

in the beginning i used dumbbells on each side of my table to prevent the tubes from rolling off.

use whatever you have handy that has some weight to it.

Candace........I have the 6600....a recent addition to my growing sewing machine collection!!
Ditter

I need to get my flynn frame out now that I am FMQ :roll: I keep forgetting about it :oops:

I really don't like my Flynn Frame. I usually just get frustrated with it.

Have one, love it. Try taping pencils to keep the pipes from rolling off the tables. Mine don't roll too much on the table

don't have one, but sounds like some good ideas.

With this, you have to be patient. I started with a 3.5 ft kid's quilt and just practiced. It had rows and each row I tried a different pattern.

At least with my machine, I have to go slow. I still finish in substantially less time than with the baste-and-sew method (shudder) but I have to have smooth motions to get the FMQ how I like it. I also have to pay attention to the pipes. Usually, they're fine, but about once every quilt, the pipe will fall forward (I either pull or quilt on an angle). So you learn to be aware of that.

My avatar quilt, about 5.5 ft by 6.5 ft, I quilted in 8 hours on my Flynn. It probably would've taken me that long to baste!

klue, are you able to quilt a full size quilt with it? what about quilt designs that require you to move vertically instead of horozontally? I bought one a few years ago and sent it back but I love to go to the quilt shows and watch John quilt. He makes it look so easy.

i've quilted a king size quilt with it.

i have a domestic sewing machine so throat space is a major issue when i quilt (i've got about 6 inches of throat space) - not only in the size of the quilt but with the size of the design.

my way around these challenges is to baste the quilt and pull out that middle rod ASAP.

if i don't mind stitch in the ditch i just do that on the flynn and then i pull out the middle rod and i can move the quilt around with ease and work horizontally or vertically - doesn't matter because the middle rod is out and you just stop the machine needle down and roll the quilt forward.

if i don't want stitch in the ditch i do basting stitches on the flynn and then pull out the middle rod. then i quilt as desired and when its done i go back and cut out all the basting stitches.

for a big quilt like the king size, i quilting from the top to the middle and then the bottom to the middle.

i got mine from all brands for $60 and its the best money i've spent for quilting. i'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

you could spend almost $60 on the supreme slider and the quilting halo and they won't help you quilt a large quilt.

i also use this quilting table to quilt my smaller quilts - i haven't seen anyone post about it in a while.

here's the link and boy does it work great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAS25v3ZTk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM

Thank you so much for the info. I have been struggling for a while trying to find a way to machine quilt. I have made several quilts but I'm never completely happy with any I have done. My kids say I'm to critical of my work but I just want to find one way that will satisfy me. I've used the fun and done technique and it is easy and I had thought I would use it all the time but my quilt is very stiff. That's why I was asking about tie quilting earilier.You've made me want to try the flynn again. Do you have a picture of a quilt you've done on the flynn? Do you do all your quilts that way? oh yea, the table video i great. I have always been intimidated by good quilters but this forum is great. Everyone so helpful and encouraging.

i understand what your saying, i can't tell you how many quilts i want to put in the rubbish while i'm quilting them.

i do all my own quilting, if its a small wall hanging i'll just do it with the insulation sewing table anything bigger than that i put it on the flynn.

here's 3 close ups of some quilting i've recently done on the flynn.

Oh my, that's impressive. I think i may just be trying ole flynn again. thanks again

Do you have a picture to post. I'd love to see it!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-32754-1.htm :D

Thanks sew much for showing your quilting using the Flynn frame. I have just bought one and am pleased to hear that some of you like it. I can't wait to try it out. I have to start making another quilt so I can quilt it. I saw it demonstrated at the Gee Bends Quilt Show this past week-end.

Christine

Hopefully, I will be the owner of one in the next few days! I can't wait!

I have one that I never opened as I got a good price on a Juki on a frame right after. I did try it at the quilt show in Lancaster and it was neat because you still moved the fabric on the machine rather than the machine on the fabric like with the Juki and frame. I saw some of the quilts that the lady at the show did and they were awesome. An elderly lady walking past said that she had one for years and loves it. But, now, I don't need two. :(

Anyone want to buy mine? :-)