Boni Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've noticed quite a few issues with batting, bearding, pokies, loopies, etc. This thread is to illustrate those flaws. They happen to all of us at one time or another. Are they fixable? I think the problem lies in a combination of factors: fabric, batting, tension, thread, direction of stitching, humidity, stress, PMS, burned biscuits, :P:P:P If you have some good pictures, post them here for us to see. This is sort of like "out takes" at the movies. These are the "oops" and "man-I-hate-it-when-that-happens" pictures. Here is my picture of "loopies". I attribute this flaw to the directional issue. I was doing a piano key border and when I was pushing away from me--stitching backwards, it occasionally made loopies. How to fix this? I checked my bobbin and it usually happens when the bobbin is running low on thread--too much slack or not enough slack in the thread, the weight of the bobbin as it spins, teflon washer vs metal spring. Who knows? I usually take a ball point awl and pick at the thread to evenly distribute it along the stitch line. Anyone else have a picture to share? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Bonnie- Are you able to fix that? If so...how? Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Do you mean fix the loopies, or the longarm that makes the loopies? I usually take a ball point awl and pick at the thread to evenly distribute it along the stitch line. No biggie, just bothersome sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I'm not sure what causes them but I think perhaps my bobbin tension was too loose or top tension was too loose. Luckily I don't get these loopies very often; usually when I am using thicker thread on top. but I am super careful now to make sure I'm tighter. I've had a few of these before (always on the back) and I just took a needle and thread and tied a knot and "buried" the loop back inside the batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Since these are "out takes" and will only be listed on the DVD extras that no one watches..... I got loopies on a quilt once and was so disappointed. They weren't long enough to cut, tie and bury and I never even thought to try to distribute the thread with an awl (hey, now I know what to use it for though;)) that I just pulled and snipped and used fray check on them. Then I traded the quilting for the quilt with my customer just so I could wash it a few times to make sure it held. So far, so good! I do think the distribution technique is the way to go, though. Much safer and no sleepless nights wondering if the fray check held. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWBowser Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I have had batting pushed through to the back and with a solid color backing (dark color) the batting really showed up. I am going to blame it on the batting and not the machine or me!!!! Charlotte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Originally posted by CWBowser I have had batting pushed through to the back and with a solid color backing (dark color) the batting really showed up. I am going to blame it on the batting and not the machine or me!!!! Charlotte Hi Charlotte. I heard that this batting poking through (called tufting) is often caused by a dull needle. If this happens again put in a new needle. Another option is to use a black batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 I get those top loopies sometimes for no logical reason. Just tighten tension, slow down for a bit and swear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 How about this for a big oops? I finished this one, binding and all, threw it in the wash with cold water, hand wash cycle, a teaspoon of All 3x, three sheets of dye magnet, and a prayer. After wash it looked good. Threw it in the dryer, lowest heat possible. Before cycle ended, I peeked to see if it was behaving, and EEEEEeeeekk, this: I quickly threw it in the washing machine again, three more dye magnets, a teaspoon of All, etc., and another prayer. Waited patiently for the cycle to end. And there was less dye in the white areas. So I did it again. Third time's a charm. I made sure there was no dye in the center white signature blocks, put it in the dryer for 20 minutes lowest heat, then laid in on the floor on a sheet to finish drying. I'm pretty sure that heat determines a lot and I didn't want to risk setting the dye in the white. This way, if the color did bleed again, I had a chance to wash again. PROBLEM: RED Flannel backing. It was a good flannel too--Maywood. Lesson learned: PREWASH most red fabrics, or at least do a color test before using in a quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinneaMarie Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 I have used the dye catchers in the dryer also, even though I use them in the washing machine. Just extra insurance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnQuilts Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 After having a large show quilt bleed after washing several years ago, and my daughter and I having to stay up half the night with glasses of diluted bleach and q-tips getting all the bleed out of the white, I now pre-wash everything (dark and bright colors at least) in Retayne (synthrapol) before I make the quilt. Of course, if it's someone else's quilt, I guess there's not much you can do on that score. I had used an abundance of dye magnets in the water of the show quilt that bled and it still bled, (of course, might have been worse if I hadn't used them, who knows?). I now pre-wash in Retayne anything I think might have the remotest possibility of bleeding, it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Loopies on top mean the top tension is too LOOSE. I run into this because I use mostly Rainbows/Highlights thread and it likes to be loose loose. If I get loopies I know I have to tighten it down and in turn loosen up the bobbin a bit. That's when the Towa Gage comes in handy, so I know exactly where I'm at and how much to let it up. Oh Bonnie I feel you on the red bleeding. I've had black do it too, but I have to admit I still DON'T prewash. I've become good at problem solving though. The last time (w/the black all over pink) I used a carpet cleaning product called Folex. It's not instant, you spray it on and rub then wait. It worked. It's also removed powder blush set w/saline solution (don't ask), as well as pure cooking oil, from my carpet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thanks for the replies, Tracye and Lynn. I had the black dye in my thread make permanent holes in some white fabric once. I had to FROG a section and the holes remained.:mad: How did you ever think of using Folex? Diluted bleach sounds extreme too, but you have to do something! Wowee. I remember when my girls were little and I was always dying white blouses and other unmentionables with their pink sweats and t-shirts. Some were permanently fixed while others washed out over time. Just a week ago I had a customer drop off a quilt top and some red flannel she bought at Joann's. She told me to test it and if I thought it would bleed to go ahead and wash it for her--using Retayne. (She is paying for my time.) I did the test--cut a snippet and soaked it in hot water--lots of pink dye came out. I followed the directions for the Retayne and soon will do the quilting for her. Trouble is, she did not prewash the fabrics in the top. She knows this and is appreciative of my treating the flannel for her. I suppose the top will shrink along with the batting and the backing will behave. Don't know what that will look like. So life goes on. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Oh why oh why can't they make red fabric that is colorfast? I had the same issue on a baltimore album quilt that I finished and marked to quilt, when I tried to change the markings with a dab of water, you guessed it...at least it is my own quilt, I tried pressing it between two dye magnet sheets, stain stick, q tips with bleach, etc...so I lifted off the appliques in that corner and replaced the backing with another piece of white fabric. Still haven't gone back and quilted it yet. I guess I will someday and one of my dtrs will inherit a quilt that she can't wash! But like Bonnie, I will always always prewash any dark fabrics in the future before I invest so much time in making a quilt with them. But as you say...life goes on... Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyrw Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Originally posted by LynnQuilts After having a large show quilt bleed after washing several years ago, and my daughter and I having to stay up half the night with glasses of diluted bleach and q-tips getting all the bleed out of the white, I now pre-wash everything (dark and bright colors at least) in Retayne (synthrapol) before I make the quilt. Of course, if it's someone else's quilt, I guess there's not much you can do on that score. I had used an abundance of dye magnets in the water of the show quilt that bled and it still bled, (of course, might have been worse if I hadn't used them, who knows?). I now pre-wash in Retayne anything I think might have the remotest possibility of bleeding, it works. Just to be clear, Retayne and Synthrapol are two different products and they do different things. Retayne is a color/dye fixative. It's used on cotton fabric to stop color bleeding during washing. Synthrapol is a mild soap specifically made for removing excess dye. If a fabric has already bled onto another, you would want to use Synthrapol not Retayne. I have had bad "luck" with red on a couple of quilts in the past year. I used the bleach and q-tip method on one and then remembered I had some synthrapol and used it on the second quilt. It worked pretty well but I still prefer to take care of the problem before I even use the fabric in a quilt. In both cases, the quilts contained blocks from a group of people so I had no control over the pre-washing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Boni, I realize that quilt is long past done, but wanted to make a comment on the "loopy" you occasionally had. You are right about the direction of the quilting being a contributing factor, but another factor that is specific to the "loops" you show on your quilt is "thread twist". When the "loop" appears to have a twist to it, like it's trying to twist on itself, the thread twist is to blame. Every once in a while, when the needle and hopping foot come up and release tension on the thread, the twist of the thread will cause it two wrap around itself and create a loop. It's a lot like twisting a strand of yarn between your hands, and tightening the twist of it, then bringing your hands together to cause the yarn to wrap around itself. With thread like that, try putting the thread through the three-hole thread guide in a "weaving" manner instead of wrapping so that the twisting action is mitigated. This is especially true with thread like King Tut or YLI variegated thread, or others that have a tight twist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renae Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thanks Dawn, I was having that same problem with King Tut on a quilt I was just starting. I tightened my top tension but that didn't completely solve the problem. Thanks! Renae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted April 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thanks Dawn. You're awesome. I looked at my machine and it is wrapped only once. I will re-thread and "weave" it through. We'll see if it helps. The quilt I'm working on right now has not had a problem with loopies, but it's a different cone of thread, and I'm not hand guiding it. Too many variables to put a finger on. Holly, I appreciate the information about Retayne/Synthrapol. I always wondered what the difference was. I have Retayne just because someone said I needed it. This was the first time I've used it pre-quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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