Flynn Multi-Frame & quilting pattern / stencil question
 

Greetings!

Have taken the plunge and ordered a Multi-Frame. Not here yet, so I don't know if I will love it or hate it, but figured for the price (on sale @ Nancy's Notions for $95) that I could give it a try. If I like it, the system will save me a ton of $$$. My question is whether those of you who use this system freehand your patterns, use a stencil or an adhesive backed quilting pattern. Freehand is kinda scary right now. Stenciling is an option, but would really like to see if I could use a printed / adhesive backed pattern for simplicity. Where can one find a sticky backed quilting pattern? Would such an animal be considered a pantograph or a continous line pattern or both? Has anyone had experience using an adhesive backed pattern on the Flynn Multi-Frame? How did it go?

Thanks in advance! I always appreciated all the advice from the wise members of this group!

You could trace your quilting pattern from a stencil onto some tissue paper, pin it on and quilt away. You'd have to trace it on several pieces of tissue because you won't have a lot of quilting area to use at a time, but it would work to do rows of quilting. After you finish the row of quilting, just tear away the tissue paper and start on the next row. Hope this helps, Good Luck!

the easiest way is to make one row of pattern all the way across the width of the freezer paper, then, put a size 16 needle in your sewing machine and use a long stitch with NO THREAD to sew along every line of the entire pattern to perforate ... buy or make chalk dust.... (quilt shops usually have the dust, I usually just put chalk into a clean and empty pencil sharpener and just sharpen into dust... buy the big packs in teacher or school supply shops...
pin freezer paper into place (weight down in between pins but AWAY from lines), sprinkle dust down the length of the pattern, use makeup brush to brush into holes and remove paper carefully, folding and pouring chalk residue back into your bowl or shaker (i use a large flour shaker because I can control where it goes better)
lay paper flat to await the next time you roll the quilt
one paper pattern saves time making them, is not destroyed during the chalking process, can be rolled up for another use AND leaves you with a chalk pattern to follow that will brush away with a damp washcloth in seconds when finished.

I have had a flynn frame for 20 years now and it is one of my favorite tools... i have a longarm but i don't do all my projects the same way and this is one of the best... i love the fact that i can do some on the machine, but I can also finish fine, noticeable areas by hand while leaving it on the same frame, even moving it back and forth as i pass the point for the hand work (the frame fits my rocking chair arms perfectly.... and when you finish for the day? stand the entire, loaded frame behind the door...no storage problem...I even took 3 heavy duty trash bags, cut off the ends of 2 of them, then sewed one cylinder to the next, and then both cylinders to the last, WHOLE bag.... this gives you a lightproof and dustproof 9 ft long bag to slip down over the frame, quilt and all... it's open on the bottom, no condensation problems, just protection for the project you don't get back to this week...you can trim the extra length off if you like..

To answer part of your question. I don't know if there is an adhesive backed quilting design available now. There was some years ago but I haven't seen, read or heard about them in a long time. That said, if you want an adhesive backed stencil you could make your own. You would need contact paper, the design you want to make and a double blade knife. The double blade knife is made by Olfa and you might be able to find them in quilt shops although they stopped manufacturing them a couple years ago. I have seen them at shows in The Stencil Co booth. You might search on line to see if they still have them.
Also, I do have a sample stencil that was given to me in which a stencil was cut in freezer paper. It would adhere by ironing.
Now having said the agove (again). The adhesive paper designs were really not stencils but were more like templates of large open spaces. You could not quilt over a stencil without it falling apart.

Glad to hear good things about this - my husband gave me one for Christmas and it's still in the box. I've been finishing UFO's - mostly binding - and haven't quilted anything yet. Maybe I need to take it out of the box!

You can buy Quilting Made Easy rolls of stick down quilting patterns. Several companies carry them and they are very reasonable in price. I know Keepsake Quilting carries them also. www.QuiltingMadeEasy.com