jzollin Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 I know that you really can't see it in a picture, but I tried to do the starch and steam method on this border. The areas where I sprayed the starch the most seem to have yellowed. The material is really lightweight (cheap) material, and I thought that it would shrink up great, but as you can see, it is still having a hard time. I didn't shake the starch can before I sprayed. Could that be where I went wrong. Also, will the yellow wash out?!?! Thanks for you help, Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Hi Jill--the yellowing is most-likely darkened starch and will easily wash out. Looks like you still have some friendly borders there--I might be tempted to take a tuck in that border right on the seam line to take up a bit of the extra fabric. One thing I have had success with when trying to calm those unruly borders down--run your finger from the inside seam to the outside edge to perfectly line up the border as it should be. Place a pin vertically (in your picture) right there. Move down about 6 inches or so and line up and pin again. Now a lot of that ruffle is between the two pins. Pat the border down, find the middle between the pins, press across the border with your finger and pin at the edge. Continue "splitting the difference" until it all lays down. Sometimes I will have pins every eighth of an inch! Now you can do Bonnie's Starch and Steam and have more control--especially if you are steaming with the top loaded. Or go for it with a big curvey overall and you will be surprised how well it will work. What you are doing in distributing the ruffle so the border can lay as it should and as you quilt you won't "push" the extra fabric down the line and really have a problem at the end. I hope this made sense and that you are successful in finishing this pretty top. Please post a pic when finished so we can oooo and ahhhh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzollin Posted October 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Linda, Thanks so much for the advice! I was soooo worried..... I had taken the pins out to steam because I was worried about the tops of the pins getting melted with the iron. Should I press on top of them or just to the side? Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Yikes--great question about the pins!! I use round glass-headed pins so I didn't think about that! I think you should avoid the plastic heads--or use the very end of the pins to secure and maybe cover the heads with a length of cotton batting as you press. I have used the S&S method on the frame, but it is soooo much easier on an ironing board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyc Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 I agree with the tuck at the mitered corner. Fold the white border on both sides, make abit of a pleat and carefully sew down each side of the tuck. You'll end up with two parallel lines of stitching very close together. Make sure your stitch length is short and not long, less noticeable. If you were to only tuck over one side, the pink flowers and the lines would not meet in the corner. DOn't you just love challenges?!! You'll do great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 To clarify, my mention of taking a tuck would place it on the already stitched seam in the body of the border.( I assume that is a seam--if it is a crease--put a tuck there anyway!) Messin' with a miter is beyond what I want to tackle on a customer quilt. In that case, I gently hand it back for re-application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 Jill, Linda gives good advice. It sounds to me like the fabric didn't absorb the starch well and that will happen sometimes when it isn't 100% cotton. I would spray and let it sit a little so it can start drying on its own and then steam it. You really want to avoid having the iron coming into contact with the fabric, you're really looking for the steam. Be careful putting a hot iron on the starch when it is really wet because you can scorch it. Linda is right that those spots will come out with a washing. Get yourself a box of glass head pins too. You sure wouldn't want that disaster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 And if the fabric isn't 100% cotton it will not work as well either.....the yellowing can be two things...left over starch or you have an iron that is just a bit to hot and you scorched it just a bit...which will also come out in the wash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.