Backing too short small disaster

[Cheryll]

Luckily this is my own quilt and the backing is pieced. For some senior moment I turned my quilt the wrong direction and ended up 17 inches short on the backing. It is on the machine being quilted by the CL giant swirls template. Does anyone have a good way to add backing fabric without taking the quilt off or would it be better to take every thing off to add the extra fabric. Cheryll

[DawnCavanaugh]

Cheryll,

If it helps, you're not alone! It happened to me shortly after I started doing quilts for other people...one of my big "oops" moments, too.

To remedy the situation, before removing the quilt from the machine I basted the quilt close to the bottom edge while allowing enough room to add more fabric. Then I removed the quilt, cut the excess from the left and right sides, and had to seam them together and then add the piece to the bottom of the backing.

Once that's done you'll be able to reattach the quilt to the frame but you'll only use the pick up roller and the take up roller, since the quilt will be basted to the backing. Resume quilting where you left off, carefully smoothing the quilt top down toward the bottom as you go.

Eventually you'll most likely need to release the basting and may need to pin the top to the backing since it may have shifted with handling.

Hope it goes well for you!

[sspingler]

Yep......been there. Accidently turned the backing the wrong way.

This is what I do.

Cut the sides down (sew together is needed) unpin the top from the top leader and fold the top and batting up over the machine out of the way.

Unpin the backing and pin the extra fabric to the bottom. Then using your longarm, sew very slowly 1/4" all along the seam line. It really helps if you can get 2 people to hold onto the edges to keep it taut.

Then repin to the leaders.