Meet John Flynn
John Flynn, a quilter since 1979, has a degree in Civil Engineering from Montana State University.
John is well known for his strip pieced Double Wedding Ring technique, for his fine hand quilting and for his patented No-Baste Multi-Frame System.
Curiosity and the ability to see alternate solutions to problems are two characteristics which led prize winner John Flynn in to quilting. He could see some old techniques had weaknesses and let his imagination and engineering skills help him devise new ways to approach quilt making. Accuracy and easier methods are his goals.
"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.
- Brooke Flynn
"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.
- John Flynn
(The horse after)
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!
(The horse before)
The following folks helped with the project - Carol Baker and Bob Lester, Brooke, Kate and Joan Flynn, Peggy Larsen, Perrin Grubbs and Jerry Belgarde.
"Crazy Horse" was displayed inside, in the baggage claim area of Billings Logan Airport.
The "Crazy Horse" was sold at the auction for $12,000 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.
Visit John Flynn at Flynn Quilt Frame Company at http://www.flynnquilt.com
