should I reload this backing?

[lindasewsit]

HI! I put this backing on, and at the very end it was "pulling". I am posting pictures of what it looks like just on the frame, then with the clamps on. Do I need to take this off and reload? Thanks! linda

[lindasewsit]

another before clamps

[lindasewsit]

with clamps

[lindasewsit]

with clamps

[Robin]

Linda,

I'm no expert by far, but do you have gaps between your pins on the leader? Gaps can cause the back to look like that. Also, are you rolling it too tight? The one end does kind of look off square? Are your leaders stretched? I know when I was mostly doing queen or under size quilts and then went to put on a really big one, the ends of my leaders weren't straight because of all the pulling in the middle. There is a thread on straightening your leaders on this site. Gosh that must be a huge quilt! Hope any of this helps.

Robin

[Hollyrw]

It almost looks like the fabric on the left end of the machine was "eased" a little when the back was pieced. Can you load the back so that the seams are parallel to the rails instead of perpendicular?

[Quilting Heidi]

Linda,

I'd try loading it all back onto the take-up roller and then back to the front roller and see if that will take out some of the excess. Deloa taught me to roll onto the take-up roller first and then on the front roller and that really helps gets some of the problems out. If that doesn't solve your problem I would take it off and resquare.

[RitaR]

Like Minds, Heidi, and I do it your way, too.

RitaR

[lindasewsit]

Heidi and Rita, thanks!! I will try it! I am on my way to work right now, so I will try it later tonight or tomorrow afternoon after work. ( I have weird working hours!) I hope that works!! Thanks again!! linda

[Bekah]

Gosh lots of times this is how my backs look as they start out before I get the batting on but they seem to be okay in the end. now I will have to rethink myself.

I love this place. Learn something new every single day

[ffq-lar]

Always try to load the backer with seams running parallel to the rollers. This allows any easing problems on the backer to be controlled as you roll. With such a large backer and seams vertical, the seam allowances build up on the roller as you advance and cause sag on either side of the seams.

If you cannot load this way, treat each section of backer independently as you advance--that is, clamp carefully to disperse the extra fabric along the sides so the backer in that specific section is as flat as possible. This sometimes means using pieces of batting or a clean towel to "flatten" the backer as you stitch. Place the batting in the crevass of the rolled top on the back take-up roller to make the side level. I tuck the batting under the front take-up roller to level the backer--this means if I forget to take out the batting and advance, the batting falls on the floor instead of getting rolled up in the top. Then I am not looking around for the batting piece and have to unroll to retrieve it!

Your photo doesn't show the "dreaded sag" so this may all be just useless information for you. I do know that with three pieces seamed that way across the back, there will be problems with sag somewhere. Sometimes it is not a piecing problem, but a "build-up" problem because of the thickness of the seams accumulating on the roller.

The back actually doesn't look too bad--rolling all the way back and forth will disperse some of the ripples, as Heidi and Rita said. The blue side looks like the fabric could be un-pinned just on the rippled area and nudged a little out towards the edge--but with the clamps on it doesn't look unmanageable.

Sometime I will bore you all with my loading technique--you only need one squared starting edge (selvedges are great to start with) and unless there are piecing problems with a backer, it will be flat and you can see at a glance where the backer is "unsquare".

[Bekah]

another tip that our own Jim taught me was to take up some of the slack when I have a back like this that looks like it could be a problem that won't quilt out, is to take up the slacka little pleat in the leader with a pin. Works like a charm

[Georgene]

So Rita and Heidi,

Are you saying that you roll the quilt backing onto the back take up roller first.

I've been rolling onto the front roller first while the backing is draped over the back roller.

Does the other way work better, you think?

And Linda, I've quilted worse looking backs, and they turned out fine -- as long as I remembered to keep checking the back as I rolled and pull on the sides if needed, to pull out the wrinkles before quilting.

[Quilting Heidi]

Georgene,

Yes I roll on the take-up roller first and then roll from there to the front bar. Deloa taught me to do it that way and I find that I get a nice smooth back. I haven't had any problems with sagging or puckering, except once and that was because I guilted the inside and then rolled back to the top...big mistake! Doing it this way allows me to get it rolled more tightly on the front roller and it goes very smoothly. If it doesn't roll right after the first roll I re-roll back to the take-up and then back again but I rarely have to do that.

[DoryJM]

I do okay rolling my backing. My problem comes with the top. I put it on, baste it down along the channel-lock line I stitched on the batting and yet, as the quilt advances, it shifts a bit to the right.

Any idea what I'm doing and how I can fix it???

[Sheri Butler]

If shifting to one direction, i'd say your leaders were a bit wonky. Am I right anyone????

[Gator]

It looks like your backing is pinned directly to the zipper. I had the same problem until I sewed a leader to the zipper which gave me a smoother and larger pinning area or sometimes I baste the zipper leader to my back (or top). What do you all think?

[Georgene]

Could the shifting be caused by the fact that we mostly sew from left to right? I've noticed it at times myself and have to keep lining the quilt up.

I know the batting also shifts and will take the top with it. So everytime I roll, I straighten the batting and check the top alignment.

[Quilting Heidi]

Originally posted by DoryJM

I do okay rolling my backing. My problem comes with the top. I put it on, baste it down along the channel-lock line I stitched on the batting and yet, as the quilt advances, it shifts a bit to the right.

Any idea what I'm doing and how I can fix it???

Dory my guess is that it is shifting in the direction you are quilting. Are you basting the sides down before you start stitching? That really helps. I've really gotten into the habit of doing a big basting stitch. It doesn't take too long and it makes a big difference. The key is to get it all lined up baste and then put on the side clamps. The other thing that you may need to do is adjust the height of your hopping foot. It may be a little too low and pushing the fabric.

[Bonnie]

Dory..... Just a bit of addition information...since we should all be quilting from the left to right from the front and the right to left if we are on the panto side...to always baste down the starting side first and keep it lined up...

When I forget and baste the off side first and then do the starting side...I get a slight "S" effect in the edges....they have a snakey look to them....so if I start basting the starting side first...smooth it out and do the other side....no more "S" motion...

Linda G.......Also regarding this backer that you are concerned about...if its square and you know it is but its a bit loose as you have here....I would spritz it with the spray starch and run the iron over it while it on the frame, it will pull it back into shape..and you can continue. DO the whole backer before you load the top, and you shouldn't have any trouble.

[Quilting Heidi]

One other thing that I've found with Pantos. I always baste my sides and recently started pin basting along the front rollers before I quilt. I was having trouble when I would stitch a wide panto row and then roll and the quilt would naturally suck in because of the quilting. If it is a very dense design it is more noticeable. Then when I rolled I would have a hard time getting the edges back out to where they should be. Now I pin baste and boy what a difference. I leave the pins while I roll forward then get the sides lined up and then pin baste at the front rollers and then remove the pins from the previous row. This made such a big difference for me. I do a partial float so my top is rolled up onto the top roller bar.

[jebm]

All this information is better and more than anyone could find in any book! You ladies are just amazing! Can't imagine any newbie or middlebie reading this couldn't identify one or another of the responses! I think it's pretty neat how these little threads often pop into my mind when I'm having a problem or not sure about how something looks--I don't remember who wrote it--or why--just remember the "meat" of the message (if I'm lucky). Thanks thanks thanks!

[MarthaProvencher]

Originally posted by Gator

It looks like your backing is pinned directly to the zipper. I had the same problem until I sewed a leader to the zipper which gave me a smoother and larger pinning area or sometimes I baste the zipper leader to my back (or top). What do you all think?

Connie, I agree with you. It looks like a zipper sewn in the back of a dress that just won't lay flat. I worked on a Gammill for a while. It's zipper leaders had a good 4 inches of canvas outside the zipper. I thought if I ever installed zippers on mine, I'd also add that canvas.

Marty Provencher

[DoryJM]

(So now I'm getting frustrated...this is my third attempt to respond. My computer is having issues:mad: Of course, it is NOT operator error:D:D and I'm shocked that )

This last quilt I did was really huge and she wanted a very simple panto. I did baste the left side, but not the right. I noticed the movement because I kept having to move where I started and ended the panto. I think I will try pin basting the area in front of the top roller and see if that works for me.

I plan to square my leaders and put my zippers on soon. I was going to wait until I had finished some charity quilts, but I think I'll just bite the bullet and do it now. Seems that if I take the time now, it might actually save me time and frustration in the long run. I want to put that gro-grain ribbon on the zippers to make it so that I can machine baste my quilt to the zippers before loading like my hero, Shana, does.

Regarding floating....if I baste the top of the top and don't roll the quilt onto the quilt leader, is that a full or partial float? I'm thinking basting the top and not rolling is a partial and not basting the top at all is a full? I can never keep that straight!

It doesn't help that I am, well, basting challenged:P I think it may have to do with the quilt's shifting, but my first section where I baste down the left side is perfect. Then when I roll and begin basting down the second section, I get a little tuck at the start. Should I be just using the largest stitch and stitch regulator to baste or doing it one stitch at a time? Also...featherlight clamps on or off while basting?

[RitaR]

When I put a backer on the frame, yes, I always roll it partly, maybe a couple feet of backing onto the front roller. then the whole thing onto the take up roller.. then onto the front roller again. Sometimes it does take more than one roll back and forth especially when the back is really wonky from the seams.

As for my leaders, I have canvas on the rollers with a zipper on the quilt side, I then have another leader of lighter weight than the canvas, with the zipper on it, then I machine baste on the dsm the top or bottom of the quilt on the appropriate leader, so my hands don't have to deal with all those pins. I do pin the side leaders on, sometimes pin the top and batting in place. Find the process that works best for you and stick with it, it makes life more comfy.

RitaR