FLYNN MULTI- FRAME TIPS

SET UP THE FRAME

If you have trouble finding straight pine 2x2s, have a carpenter cut rods 1½"x 1 ½" from poplar. Avoid oak, maple or other heavy hardwoods; they are expensive, heavy and you won't be able to staple or thumbtack in to them.
You can also use large stair railing dowels.

SET UP YOUR WORK AREA

Use the right height chair and table. An armless "secretarial" office chair with rollers is a comfortable choice.

If you are working on a worktable, you can use tape to anchor a pencil along the edge. This will keep the PVC from falling off the table.

If you are quilting on your good dining room table, look for gel-filled computer wrist supports to put at the end of your table surface so your PVC pipes won't roll off on to the floor.

PVC SUPPORTS

Get the right height of PVC pipe. Buy PVC pipe at hardware, lumberyard or farm and ranch supply store. If you can't find the exact height for your machine, go up a size and shim the machine up with magazines or thin plywood.

3" PVC usually works (3 ½" O.D.) but don't go too small. I use 4" on some machines, and then raise the machine up to 4" height with magazines, plywood or a carpet square.

SETTING UP YOUR SEWING MACHINE

If your sewing machine has a short deck (doesn't extend to the left of the machine head) consider using 2 pieces of PVC pipe, one on each side of the machine

If your machine is in a cabinet, you will need to get it out and on to a table. Your sewing machine dealer may be able to get a longer foot pedal cord for you if you need it, or set your foot pedal on a box to get it up to the right height.

MOUNTING YOUR QUILT

Just like it says in the Owner's Manual, your back needs to be about 6" longer than your top. Your batt also needs to be about 4 or 5 inches longer than your top.

It is important to make sure the top and back are square and to make sure the registration marks and center lines on the starter strips are square

I have started making registration marks every 4 to 5 inches along the sides of my quilt top and quilt back. I make sure these line up each time I advance the work. Registration marks on top and back help make sure that the back isn't over tightened.

Instead of safety pins to fasten the top and back to the starter strips, try hand basting the top and back to each starter strip. Or you might try machine basting to the starter strips.

It can be helpful to spread the top and back out on the carpet when rolling them on to the rods. The layers cling to the carpet and help you roll everything straight.

Roll up the batt on a broom handle or dowel to compact it before tucking it between Rods B & C. It doesn't have to be really tight, just enough so you can tuck it down between the two rods. You want to be able to see over the batt while you are working. Don't push the batting so far down that it holds the back away from the top and interferes with movement and stitching.

GETTING READY TO MACHINE QUILT

Many successful machine quilters warm up on a scrap project before quilting on their work in progress.

Start with a small project. Use a yard of solid fabric with contrasting thread for a test project; it's a good size to start with.

Before you start quilting with the machine, practice your quilting motif with a pen and paper. This helps you become fluid, helps you figure how you are going to get in to and out of your design and helps your brain memorize the motif you want to do.

Use an underhand grip on Rod A. Adjust your chair and table height so that your upper and lower arm form a right angle. Remember, you don't have to hold on tight; this just locks up your muscles.

Keep your hands on the rail closest to your body, in front of your shoulders and relax. No need to lift or push down. Run the machine fast and move your hands slow.

TROUBLE SHOOTING

Refer to the instructions.

Clear Plexiglas machine tables can add friction or drag. Experiment - you may have better results with no deck and 2 pieces of PVC pipe

Don't go out to the garage or workshop and get any plastic pipe you find. Some pipe has a rough finish, not smooth like PVC pipe and it is very important that you get the right height for your sewing machine's deck. Obviously, if the pipe isn't smooth and the right height, friction and gravity are going to be working against you. Sometimes I wax my PVC pipe with car wax.

You can use long rails for a narrower project; just use longer side tension ribbons.

Needles break when you run the sewing machine too slow. Run the machine fast and move the frame slow. Practice until you achieve the stitch length you want.

Use a hand mirror held under the frame to check the stitches on the back as you work.

HAND QUILTING

Consider machine basting your hand quilting project with a water soluble Basting Thread. After basting, you can take the middle rail out and set up the quilt frame for hand quilting. You have a little more room to quilt and the frame is lighter without the middle rail.

Sometimes it's easier to take your Multi-Frame off the Frame Stand and lay it face down on a clean floor or a clean sheet when moving to a new unquilted section.

HOW TO DO BIG QUILTS

Some bigger quilts may be too big for your sewing machine when combined with your batt choice and the Multi- Frame. Quilt as many turns as you can, keeping your quilting pattern. When you don't have room to complete your quilt motif, replace the thread with a water soluble Basting Thread and machine baste the rest of the quilt. We use basting thread in the top and bobbin. After the quilt is basted, you can take out the middle rail, turn the frame around and finish quilting over the basting.

HOW TO DO BORDERS

Use the Multi-Frame to quilt across the top border just like you normally would. Change to a water soluble basting thread and baste across the border. Change back to your good quilting thread to quilt across the center, but you should only need to change thread once per reach. After you have done all the basting and quilting, take the quilt off the frame, turn it 90 degrees so the side borders are now top and bottom, and re-attach the quilt to the starter strips.

HOW TO QUILT A BLOCK.

When you are planning your project, take a look at your block to see if it can be divided up into 3 to 4 inch horizontal segments for quilting. Take for instance a 9" Ohio Star block. With most sewing machines, you can easily stipple 3 vertical inches in each of the background squares and triangles. Enough background stippling acts as basting and you can take the quilt off the frame and use your walking foot to quilt in the ditch later. Or after all the background stippling is done, you can take the middle rail out, scroll back to the beginning and do all the horizontal quilting lines, take the quilt off, turn it 90 degrees and do all the vertical quilting lines which are now horizontal.

Call Flynn Quilt Frame Company with your questions - 1 800 745 3596 or email brookeflynn@mcn.net. Check our website often for more tips!

HAVE FUN!

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