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I've had quilt blocks hanging around my work room for months now, unable to spend time to get any further on the projects until finally this week I shirked every other activity and devoted myself to it. Part of the rush was the artificial deadline I gave myself (providing it for a raffle, though I did not offer it to the event organizers until the quilt was 98% done) and part was wanting to try out my new gadget.
I like just about everything about quilting EXCEPT the quilting. Meaning I like fabric, cutting, constructing blocks, and don't mind stacking or binding. It's the damn stitching of the layers to keep them in place -- the action that is quilting -- that I detest. I mostly dislike it because it is so awkward to manage all that thick fabric in the minimal space available in a standard machine.
I don't have money or space for a long-arm machine, so that's not an option. I can't afford to hire someone to do it, especially since I give the things away. I don't know of any to rent time on. I can't afford a new all-purpose sewing machine with a bigger opening. Hand quilting is out of the question. I haven't found a quilt-as-you-go strategy that works as well as I'd like, and it isn't always appropriate for every quilt.
So I got one of these a few months ago as an interim solution.
http://flynnquilt.danemcoweb.com/shop/product/flynn-multi-frame/ I had to modify the use -- normally it feeds the three layers in separately without needing basting, but I have fusible batting so I pre-fused all the layers and used the frame solely for the tensioning.
( And you thought I'd forget about posting the picture of the actual quilt? Also, my review of the quilting frame.Collapse )