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Type_Document_Title_Here
These three quilts are all original designs by John Flynn and were machine quilted on the Flynn Multi-Frame. Yes, you can quilt big quilts on the Multi-Frame! The quilts were begun in January 2007 for this summer’s “Four Guys and Their Quilts” exhibit at the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society in Paducah, Kentucky. John made these three quilts especially for the exhibit to go along with some old favorites that were displayed.
Five Pointed Star 82"x82" 
”Five Point Star” is a variation of the “Feathered Sun” quilt. The fabrics used are from John’s “Artifacts” fabric line for Benartex. Many viewers don’t realize that all the triangles in the circles of the quilt are strip pieced for speed and accuracy. The quilting patterns are a variety of Western and Native American motifs.
Super Nova 63"x65" 
”Super Nova” is a variation of the Wheel of Mystery. This is the first in a series of Wheel of Mystery variations that John is designing. The background quilting is one of John’s favorite allover patterns, spirals and cogwheels, which fit right in with the celestial theme of the quilt.
Secret Storm 77"x77" 
This is a hard quilt to photograph! It is pieced from cotton sateen which has a distinct grain and John cut some of the 24” Storm at Sea pieces with the grain and some opposite. The light moves across the grain as you view the quilt so some of the quilt pieces appear and recede. It is machine quilted with a contrasting thread in a
Mariner’s Compass motif.
Red Square 40"x50" 
Designing with the Wheel of Mystery block is so much fun. Here a limited palette of batiks offers up surprises as the blocks are moved around on the design wall. This quilt is called "Red Square" and will be part of the juried exhibit "In The American Tradition II" at International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston this fall. The quilt, which is machine pieced and machine quilted on the Flynn Multi-Frame, is 40" x 50". Click here for Acrylic Wheel of Mystery templates Wheel of Mystery TemplatesMore Wheel of Mystery variations follow!
This Arabic Lattice variation is unquilted and untitled right now. Getting the checkerboard border to come out right was a mathematical challenge.
Carnival 50"x72" 
We were going through some drawers and found a black and white photo of a beautiful tile floor - neither one of us knows where the photo came from. (If you recognize the floor from this quilt, please tell us!) John loves the challenge of curved seams and the pretty colors of our Benartex Triple Dye fat quarters add to the excitement of this scrap quilt.
"1000 Pyramids" is one of John's first quilts. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. It is one of my favorite quilts and in deference to its age, I won't let John take it out to trunk shows anymore. The fabrics are those typical little 1970s calicos and it is a queen size quilt. It has won some ribbons in its day and is now retired to our bedroom in Red Lodge.
The Wheel of Mystery block has so many possibilities. After we saw the Mel Gibson movie about crop circles, the green batiks and different sizes of Wheel of Mystery blocks just seemed to come together naturally (or supernaturally!) The quilt, "Signs", is machine quilted in narrow straight rows to look like plowed fields.
"Galaxy" is an original variation of the Wheel of Mystery block. The blocks are various sizes and some are distorted. John used mainly indigo prints and shirtings for this 32" x 42" project. "Galaxy" has been juried in to an exhibit at International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston this year called "In The American Tradition II". The quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted.
John has an ongoing series of "Spirals" quilts. This is a spiral which starts out with a hexagon. Other variations start with an on-point four-patch, with a pentagon and with triangles. You can find a template for the Hexagonal Spiral in the Catalog section. Right now no patterns are available for the other variations. "Big Bang + 1 Second is pieced from fabric from Lunn Fabrics' Pointillist Palette collection.
Custer's Last Quilt 74" x 74" 
"Custer's Last Quilt" is a quilt with a past. Film makers for the TV mini-series "Son of the Morning Star" came to the Billings area to film Custer's story. The prop department called John to see if they could borrow a quilt for Mrs. Custer to work on while she waited to hear the outcome of Custer's encounter with the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. When the prop department requested a Double Wedding Ring, John suggested a two color Ohio Star as more authentic for the period.Of course, there was a deadline, so John used Anita Halleck's quick pieced Ohio Star technique and, with ironing help from his two sisters, a top was ready in just an afternoon.They had fun and the prop people were happy.
When the crew returned the quilt, the actresses had done some stitching (not quilting!) on the sandwich. That wasn't too bad, but there was makeup on the quilt and, for some reason, the hoof print of a horse. John took out the stitching, we cleaned it up, he hand quilted and trapuntoed it and now Custer's Last Quilt is a beautiful example of a two color quilt with feather borders.
Piano Ragg 71" x 71" 
Most quilters know what a UFO is. "Piano Ragg" was a UFO from a Michael James workshop John took years ago. The two colors coupled with the Braided Border are eye-catching and dramatic. I'm glad he finished it! The quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted on the Flynn Multi-Frame.
Update - "Crazy Horse" sold for $12,000 September 7, 2002!
John is honored to have been selected as one of the artists who embellished life-size fiberglass quarter horses as part of a community fund raiser for the historic downtown Billings Depot. The project is called "the Horse, of course!" and John's contribution is called "Crazy Horse"
The idea behind "Crazy Horse" is to honor the Native Americans' contribution to our western culture. In the tradition of Victorian era Crazy Quilts, we chose embroideries with western themes and embroidered the names of Native Americans, mostly from the Plains Tribes. The names of two very special and talented Native American quilters are included, Almira Jackson, Sioux, and Bridget Fast Horse, Assiniboine. There are also names of historic Montanans, including some scoundrels. They are part of history too!
To learn more about all the horses, click here! Billings Gazette
This is the horse, before...
This is the horse, after...
This probably isn't approved use of a rotary cutter. John's developed a technique as he goes along; the embroidered patches are applied and then background filler of printed velvet or beautiful tie silk is glued in the spaces and trimmed to size. We're also using lots of Fray-Check!
Jerry Belgarde, quilter and expert beader hand beaded the horse's eyes.
How about these fancy legs!
The tail decoration is cording tasselled with "jingles" which are made out of the lids of chewing tobacco cans. (We call the "snoose cans" here in Montana and no, none of us chews snoose!) I hope sometime you can see little Indian girls dancing at a Powwow in their jingle dresses. So colorful and the lovely tinkling sound!
The following folks helped with the project - Carol Baker and Bob Lester, Brooke, Kate and Joan Flynn, Peggy Larsen, Perrin Grubbs and Jerry Belgarde.
The fabric isn't coated with anything except Scotchguard - so "Crazy Horse" was displayed inside, in the baggage claim area of Billings Logan Airport.
Update - "Crazy Horse" has gone to a new corral now; he was purchased at the auction by Johnnie Thomas from Miles City, Montana, home of the Annual Bucking Horse Sale! He will be stabled at the Miles City Community College Library.We wish him Happy Trails!
Click here to see more horses! Gallery of Horses
