clover_enge Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 We are doing senior quilts for our church and one of them gave me fits. It was a quilt with sashing that was not square. The blocks in the center of the sashing puffed up in many places. The center was over an inch bigger than the two ends. I started with a pantograph but ended up with lumps so ended up taking three pantograph rows out. Then I did a meander over the whole thing, but the sashing was wavy and was still not square. What do you do to help make sashing quilts turn out? I am sure this will come up again. Thank you, Nancy E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMALKB Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Cry ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviesla Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 If it is really bad in places you might have to sew a straight pleat into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 If you are given a wonky quilt, don't imagine that you can un-wonk it when it's on the frame. Fabric is stretchable to a point, but it snaps back when the tension is removed. And those lumpy-bumpy ones? Nightmares. The best thing to do is realize your limitations. You can't "fix" it. But you can disguise some areas with a curvy overall design--like the meander you decided on. The curves of the design divide the fullness onto either side of the stitches. The more curves and the denser the stitching, the closer you can get to disguising the lumps. Please remember though--if it's out of square when you start, it'll be out of square when you finish. Some customers don't mind and don't care. Just quilt it, they say. If you are presented with an obvious ugly problem quilt, it's OK to say "pass". If you quilt for customers, let them know why and also how they can fix it. Tell them it's because you want to return a pretty quilt to them and the issues will make that impossible. If you're doing the quilts as a donation, let them know what your expectations are and if you know there'll be problems with pleats and tucks. You can also "pass" on these if they are horrible. No reason to make yourself crazy trying to save a quilt when the piecer obviously didn't take care when doing her job. Tell them the longarm is high-speed and unforgiving and maybe it would be better if they quilted it themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 My mom hand pieced quilt tops up until a week before she died. She was 98....blind in one eye and poor vision in the other. She used to piece beautiful tops but the last 2 years of he life they were pretty bad. This is what I learned...... Elmer struggled to get every block sewn down......he took pleats and sometimes folds! They were still "ugly" but he knew they would hold together. It was a labor of love for him because when he was finished and put them in her lap she just glowed! Her sight was so bad that she couldn't see the flaws. After she died those same quilts were given to some of her grandchildren and you know what .......I guess their vision was a little off because they thought they were the most beautiful things in the world........just the idea that their elderly grandma hand pieced these so late in her life and with almost no vision left, made them more special. I know we have to warn customers that a poorly pieced quilt top will probably be a poor looking quilt when finished and maybe even charge more to deal with those tops but we should also remember that if those quilts are meant to be gifts........how the quilt looks in the end may not matter at all to them.........it may just be a reminder of old hands piecing with love or very young hands nervous to make that first top. I still have a lot of my mom's tops but didn't know what to do with them now that Elmer is gone. While we were in Paducah ,Barb (Fastquilts) offered to help me get them quilted. I am excited that the rest of her tops will go to loving hands once finished. One will be flying to Maryland in August as a wedding gift and it will be cherished. Not all people that make quilt tops are talented......it may be the only one they ever make and it may be for a special reason....as long as they understand the limits I doubt they will even notice if it is square! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Cheri, so true and beautifully stated!!!!! There is nothing like "Love" stitched into a quilt!!!! If you have one you would like for me to quilt. I would be so honored to do so! My GIFT! I just finished this one that Kay's aunt made! 003 by delld1964, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaSteller Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Try a little starch and steam, pin things down a bit if you know you can avoid them while you'd quilting, and do the best you can. As stated above, the client probably isn't expecting a miracle. They just want something made by their hands turned into something they can snuggle with. Their loved ones will cherish it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Dell, I am going to take you up on that offer! I have told my friend Glenda in Florida that I will be back to stay longer next year.....what I haven't told her yet is that I intend to rent a car when I get there and do some traveling. I want to come see all my quilting friends while I am there. I will plan a time when you are not busy and come spend the day with you and bring a top to work on. I plan on coming in Jan or Feb and spending most of the month. Glenda wants me to stay with her all the time I am there but I really want to see more of the state. I may even look for a winter place of my own while there. Winter in Indiana gets worse each year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 Vickie and I were talking and I'll come down and pick you up and bring you to NE Florida!!!! can't wait!!!!! Can you ride in a Miata???? maybe Bobby will let me take his truck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 You can strap me on top if you need to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 You can strap me on top if you need to! I'll have to put the hard top on my sweet baby to do that~~~ (miata) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 You gals are just so darn sweet and so helpful to each other - awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheagatzi Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 Cheri, you said that so beautifully. I have to chime in because I get a lot of new quilters through my door, and they are so apologetic or sheepish about crooked this and wavy that. I tell them that I can't perfect it, but we will make it look beautiful no matter what. I am especially touched by first time quilters, especially first time expecting moms who come and bring me their baby quilt that they just made - and baby isn't due for another 5- 6 months. :-) They are just glowing, excited and so so proud to make this gift to their firstborn child as a new momma to be. I know a lot of quilters just have the love pouring out of them when they piece a quilt - they have no intentions or worries about edges being squared or points being matched. It's the love, the thought and the excitement to make their first quilt! On that note - when I do get these wavy doozies ( and I do!) I starch them, steam them, wiggle them, pin them, baste them and sometimes take a tuck when necessary. I always let the client know at the possible fixes, and they are okay with that! The fantastic people on this forum helped me learn all of these techniques! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingraisin Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 I am still enough of a beginner to have mixed results. Havbing begun to learn to long-arm though, I am the only one dealing with my messes. But before I decided to follow the advice to start quilting my own so both skills would grow together, I really appreciated when a quilter would take the time to tell me what was wrong and send me home to fix it if necessary. So don't be afraid to talk to your clients! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharonarooni Posted May 5, 2014 Report Share Posted May 5, 2014 This is such a great topic. Cherie, I never thought about the wonky quilts in just this way and it is such a great way to look at them. It is so beautiful and compassionate. i only hope I have a sliver of the wisdom that you ladies have. It is really inspirational. Dell. i should have known that's why I like you. I am a Miata lover to the core. <3. I had to sell mine because of the Dallas traffic ( no one EVER saw me) but I intend to have one again some day as a second car. The Miata club people are the neatest people. Thanks again for the topic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatever66 Posted May 6, 2014 Report Share Posted May 6, 2014 Everyone above me in comment are so correct. The love is what is in the quilt. I have a first quilt from a young girl. She is beaming that she made it, but when she washed it it started to fall apart. I took it to help fix it......... I was wanting to give up, here seams are less than an eighth of an inch if that. But I keep remembering her face and how unhappy she is with the result of her hard work. So I am working on it and she will be able to give it to her sister for their new baby. The mom is a quilter. No it will not be perfect, I would have to remake it but I am following her seams to replace the shredded fabric and then I will long arm it and "cover" the flaws to hold it together. She will be able to say she made the quilt and that will be so wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 6, 2014 Report Share Posted May 6, 2014 Cheri's comment make's me realize that it isn't always all about us! She is right there are meanings behind those quilts, straight or otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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