Tellabella Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 I just finished a king quilt 101 by 112 Panto Floated the top When I started quilting I had 50.5 inches on either side of my middle...( I have two measuring tapes attached to the bar that would normal attach to my top) I also added painters tape to mark the sides and added tape at intervals to make sure it was remaining straight each time I advanced Each time I advanced to the next row...the sides were lined up along the painters tape ...BUT, it seemed that the top was shifting to the left ...(if standing at the panto side) so by the end I was about two inches off with my design...yet it was always lined up with the tape... Not sure is makes any sense to anyone...or if I explained it clearly...but it just baffled the heck out of me...can anyone tell me what happened... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaahma Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 I hope someone has an answer to this because it happens to me, too. Your explanation was perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumpurple Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Hi, I'm new but my suggestion would be to check and make sure your leaders are on the rollers level. You can measure the leaders from the floor up (assuming floor is level). The bigger the quilt the more noticeable the shifting will be. This would be my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Plum purple, I'm in the basement so I don't think my floor is level...but ...if my quilt is on square at the beginning ....it should be since I use the channel lock and make a straight line I'm assuming it's square...then I mark sides with painters tape ...and I mark at specific intervals....and it seems to travel down square...yet my panto seems to decrease on one side and increase on the other... This has me puzzled.. There is a reason...I just can't figure it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumpurple Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 I don't know then---puzzling for sure. When I set up my machine I didn't get my take up leader on totally straight it was off just slightly. It was not noticeable on a small baby quilt, but on my big quilt, the quilt bottom was definitely not square! I readjusted the leader and everything comes out even now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie in Ok Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Is your panto lining up with the edge of your quilt all the way across? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 No the panto design is slightly off, in this particular case by the time I advanced near the end of the 112 inch quilt it was off by 2 inches...but again, the sides were always lined up perfectly with my marker tape I had placed...so that is why I am confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie in Ok Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 So what I am wondering is the panto lining up with the horizontal edge of the quilt. Perhaps the line of the panto and the line of the quilt edge are not the same. I have had to use reference points on the design all the way across to check to see if the design is lining up with everything. Maybe the laser is moving slightly as you work your way down the quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 Bonnie, I have also narrowed it down to maybe the laser moving ever so slightly too...it has to be the only thing...in fact a couple of times I have ever so slightly adjusted the laser myself... I am going to do a little experimenting with this on the next quilt to see if I can figure this all out...I must be slow...lol...but I am getting on the bottom of this... Thanks for your input... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 I find that the take up roller (facing from the front and the motorized feed on the right) seems to roll tighter on the right then on the left. To compensate for this I normally try to keep the top taunt as I roll forward and after I've rolled I go to the back and give a tug on the left side that is rolled. It shifts slightly and I feel like it makes a difference in how square I keep the top. My guess in your case might be that yes the outside edges are staying square but with a quilt that size there is a lot of center area that can shift and still keep the sides straight, basically stretching slightly on the bias. I don't float my tops because for me it is too hard to keep it square that way. I know some people do it without any problems but I can't seem to manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Well, if you ever really figure it out, I'd be interested in what it is, and how you avoid it. I have always been troubled by quilt measurements. How do you get an accurate measurement on something that stretches? I've noticed that sometimes my quilt backs will roll up on the backing roller exactly on top of itself. Sometimes not. Often time the back isn't exactly square, which would account for edges that aren't exactly on top of one another. I always pin the selvege edges of the back because they are much more likely to be parallel, but even then the quilt might not line up. I think sometimes the back rolls uneven because I didn't drape it on the table exactly square. I've taken to rolling it on the backing roller, pin to the take up roller, roll it all the way up on the take up roller, then roll it all back on the backing roller, which helps, but doesn't always get it laying exactly on top of itself. I've come to believe that the direction you pin may have an impact on getting the back square. If you pin different directions on the backing roller and the take up roller, chances are increased that the back might not be on the table square. When it comes to the pieced tops, who knows? Most are probably anything but square. I just try and live with the unpredictable, and adjust as well as I can while I quilt. My guess is that this problem was probably due to a loose laser, but if you find out that it has something to do with measurement, pinning, rolling, or the like, I for one would be most interested in what you discover. I'm sorry you had this problem, but I really don't have a solution. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micajah Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 If you are having issues with the quilting pattern shifting on one end as you quilt, then your back take up roller might not be exactly the same distance from the front roller on each end of the frame. Take a long measuring tape, wrap it around both rollers to check this measurement on both ends of the frame and the middle too. When the rollers are not spaced the same on each end, then the quilt will not roll up the same amount and you will have shifting. Not sure if this is your issue and hope this will give you something else to check. Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie in Ok Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Debbie how would you adjust them to be equal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2016 Thanks everyone for the good advice...I haven't checked in for a couple of days and just read the recent posts... Heidi...I don't have fabric advance...but I think you are right...even when advancing manually I feel one side is slightly tighter...tonight I just loaded a backing ...right side rolled tighter....so I just rolled my hands around the fabric until I got the same amount on tension... Jim....if I pin selvages to rollers I don't worry too much about sides stacking exactly one in top on other..they usually won't unless someone has been extremely careful to square up sides... Debbie,I will check the measurements...hadn't thought of that ...yes and I like Bonnie want to know if there is a way to fix that if it is the case But, I don't think my quilt shifted...because the sides were always lined up with the painter tape reference points...it seemed to be exact...Yet...my pattern was shifted...I am beginning to think it has everything to do with the laser light...it was tight but sometimes I would adjust it a smidge and and again... I have just loaded another big quilt tonight and I am going to do a little experimenting on this one...so I can avoid this mistake if I am making it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Keep us posted. I'm curious to see if my theory is right after all these years LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaahma Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I think I've found the answer! For a few years now I've been dealing with this problem, and your post actually pushed me to do something about it! I straightened my leaders using Kimmie Brunner's and Tina Collin's directions and ALL the problems went away! Sometimes my Milli was so hard to push, in some areas it was loosey-goosey, my pantos weren't lining up - even the batting was hard to keep straight! I had a lot of help from people in this forum, leveled my table and other things that helped but didn't eliminate the problem. I learned to deal with it, but it was NO FUN. I now have a huge quilt on my frame, and everything is stress-free! I almost cried while doing the first row! Anyway, try straightening - I bet you'll be surprised. P.S. Let us know if this works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I think I've found the answer! For a few years now I've been dealing with this problem, and your post actually pushed me to do something about it! I straightened my leaders using Kimmie Brunner's and Tina Collin's directions and ALL the problems went away! Sometimes my Milli was so hard to push, in some areas it was loosey-goosey, my pantos weren't lining up - even the batting was hard to keep straight! I had a lot of help from people in this forum, leveled my table and other things that helped but didn't eliminate the problem. I learned to deal with it, but it was NO FUN. I now have a huge quilt on my frame, and everything is stress-free! I almost cried while doing the first row! Anyway, try straightening - I bet you'll be surprised. P.S. Let us know if this works for you. Good suggestion. I know this isn't my problem as I regulary go through straightening my leaders. It usually only happens when I have a very large quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbams Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Just read Kimmy's directions and they are great! Thanks for telling us about them, Leslie. http://www.kimmyquilt.com/article/straighteningleaders/ I will be saving these for future reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Thank you again...I have seen Kim Brunner method of straightening out the leaders...on occasion, I have pinned my 2 canvasses together, rolled and re rolled and even left them overnight...they never really were that bad...at least I thought...since my machine is from 2012 and for the first couple years wasn't used hard at all... The only part I didn't see the need for was the pressing and restitching a new hem but I may have to go thru the process again and really check it... Like Heidi I am only having this problem on really big quilts...but I want it to go away... Mamaahma, so glad this post inspired you to fix the problem...your post helped me out to...I saved the instructions again and will do another diagnostic soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Row Studio Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Wow I have a little job to do My rollers are out about 3/8" guess what my next job will be. Thank-you for this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tellabella Posted June 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 I spent the day at Quilt Canada today and stopped in at the APQS booth where I brought this issue up with Matt Sparrow....who tells me it is perfectly normal for the line to be off ...and as you advance the quilt the fabric shrinks in a bit...and the panto will be off...I understand what he was saying and it makes sense but mine always shifts more to one side than the other... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted June 17, 2016 Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 Tella: That's just about what I was going to say (it's normal) before I read your latest post. I checked my leaders by way of the Kimmy method, and was surprised that they weren't off much at all - I thought they'd be much more out of line from how they didn't stack up perfectly. I also just re-pinned a quilt I did a week ago to do some additional quilting. It had been trimmed for binding. I was struck by how evenly it stacked up on the roller. When I saw that, I realized the problem I've noted before was really caused by out of square tops and backs, not problems with the table and rollers. So the long and short of it is: Don't worry about it. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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