Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 These two quilts are small--46x60. I'm getting ready to put the border on the blue one. I'm already fearing the worst. The middle of this quilt stretches both ways. My customer put the border on the purple one and she left the other one for me to do. She had already put on the inner border. I'm taking her measurements and applying the border to exactly her measurements. Question is: Am I going to have a problem when I float it on the rollers? My foresight sees a problem with the stretch. I can hold it on the mark width-wise, but will that create a problem at the bottom? As long as I hold the outer borders flat, will I be safe in assuming the middle will stretch appropriately? I'm using the same backing for both, so I'm running them in tandem. Customer wants QD 70/30 batting. I'm looking for wisdom and experience here or else I'm going to grab the bull by the horns and go for it. Customer wants just meandering all over. The batik is too busy for any custom.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Here is the purple one where you can see the wavey borders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltnutt Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Can you take the borders off the purple and reattach them correctly? It looks liek yu can by the picture and the blue the same way. The blue doesn't look as wavy as the purple. You might have to use double batting. I had a Bargello that waved and the double bat plus steam and starch got it to lay flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hi Boni, Do the wavey one first!! That way it will be out of the way and you won't dread it! If you are concerned about the middle stretching--with each advance, run the hopping foot along one horizontal line of squares with the horiz. channel locks on. Pat and prod the squares into line and pin them in place all across. If you do this adjustment with each advance, the top should square-out at the bottom--or close enough anyway! If your concern is the borders, pinning will also help control the waves and a nice round stipple should work well to distribute the fullness evenly. I hope this helps--Bonnie's FS&S method will help, but sometimes with batiks the stiffness of the heavy dye resists the starch. Bonnie???...whatta ya think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 That's why I'm asking before I put that blue border on. Since that pattern leaves bias triangles all around, I don't quite know how to measure for the correct size. I tried to do the math but I get a number bigger than what it is now. (math is not my strength) When I try to lay it flat, it sucks in like an hourglass. How do I measure that? OK I'm ripping the blue border off and waiting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Question--why are there bias triangles at the edges? Shouldn't they be cut-diagonally-twice from a large square so the bias is at the inside and straight-of-grain at the edge? Is this a stupid question?? Anyhoo, this is a challenge for sure. If you can't get it flat on the floor, "ain't no way" you'll get it flat on the frame. Somebody must have an idea for how to stabilize this enough to apply the border. It isn't me though, sorry to say. Good luck and I hope a brilliant mind chimes in here for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Thanks Linda, You may be able to tell in the photo that I actually pinned the blue one to the carpet to see what it would do. That's probably why it doesn't look as wavey. However, when I took my rotary mat to check for squareness, the bottom is one inch longer on one side than the other. The purple one squared nicely. I think that's why she gave me the job of putting on the outer border hoping I would "fix it". I will remember the channel locks and using the horizontal for control. I am planning to work them lengthwise so I'll have more on the work area and only two advances per quilt. After I take the little border off, I'll re-pin it to the carpet to see if I can force it square, then measure. Does that sound like a plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sams Mom Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hey Boni, I wish I could mind meld with you to transport some of the stuff Sue Patten taught me. Maybe she'll see this and chime in. I would say that you won't be able to overstretch the center to account for the outside, but I think you can quilt out alot of the outside to bring it in line with the inside. So I would find a good border line that you can live with and then quilt the inside and outside with different densities to take up fullness. Does that make sense? If I were quilting according to me, not according to what the client wants, I would probably do a piano key in the border or feathers with extra veins in the border to take up the extra and then meander (as requested) inside where there isn't much of an issue. As Sue says (I think), with SID to stablize, you can take up any excesses with how you quilt it out. Hope this helps. Donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Those little suckers are cut wrong then! They are definitely bias!:mad: I don't know technically how to build a BC, but it looks like she put the strips together and used a ruler to cut the edges which leaves triangles on the edges on the bias. Is that clear as mud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I hear you Donna, and I think I feel the energy. My work area is 24 inches and the inner part of this quilt is about 30 inches I could possibly SID that to stabilize it, and go ahead with beadboard in the borders. This customer is the one I did the wonky lonestar for way back. Bless her heart! She already thinks I'm a miracle worker. haha She doesn't know I have this support group for help. Do you really think Sue Patten is listening? I'm going to whine because to do anything more than a meander means more than I quoted. So I'm stuck or broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Boni, I think if you pin at the roller end you and keep it from stretching. I only do a partial float but I still pin baste at the roller end to keep it all smooth and straight. This is especially helpful when you are doing a panto that is more dense. It sucks in the area your quilting and when you roll you might have a problem. This was what I found worked to solve that problem. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Well my all repair answer is as you know Starch the crap out of it and steam it into submission.....Yes the batiks take a bit more starch, and they are flat and hard when done, but its doable and it won't move while your quilting. I would steam and starch and then square up before putting the last border on.....but that's me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I gave up last night, but I'm going to finish ripping the little border off. Bonnie, I'm going to starch the middle and lay it flat on the floor, pin it to the carpet, measure, and apply as appropriate. I'll let you all know by the end of the day how it turns out. Thanks for all the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I use starch on everything even before I put it together. Starch just makes it behave!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltjunkie Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 If you didn't already do this, run a stay stitch line around the quilt on the bias tri's before attaching the border, helps keep the stretching down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hester, my daughter does that on all her quilts. Is there a trick to keeping the bias from stretching while you are doing this initial stitching? Can I sort of push it through? I would be afraid of stretching it more? After measuring and cutting, and dividing into quarters and eighths, I would normally pin the heck out of it all along and sew slowly keeping the fullness on the bottom and the border strip on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Originally posted by hmerrill I use starch on everything even before I put it together. Starch just makes it behave!!!! Actually I do also...when I piece something its very stiff...I starch my fabrics before I cut them out...I NEVER wash and add more starch right out of the sack. Points are cristp, SID is a breeze and I really enjoy doing my own tops. I have wondered why for years others don't do it this way.....I would have thought by now the word of mouth would have gotten around the world by now...you and I Heidi are the only two that I know of who do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I don't starch, but also don't wash before working with piecing. I haven't had a lot of problem with stretching either. Would the integrated dual feed on my Pfaff be the major difference for me? I did use Bonnie's Starch and Steam on some batik blocks (with a curve or two) to tame them for trimming and rowing. It worked well, made a major difference in them. Thanks Bonnie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Originally posted by Neher-in-law5 II haven't had a lot of problem with stretching either. Would the integrated dual feed on my Pfaff be the major difference for me? Its wouldn't the be total answer, but it will be a big factor in the whole package... And I wish more of those who pull on the fabrics when sewing NEED to purchase one of these machines, but if you aren't one who does or does, but not alot, then this machine is a answer to a lot of headaches. If your one who reefs on the fabric when sewing...your going to get waves regardless of your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Bonnie - when I teach I tell all of my students to try it just once and most of the them are converts by the time they get that quilt done. I had to laugh because the gal that owned the LQS was listening to my class and decided she would try it. She was very skeptical and said that she was laughing when I said it. She now starches all of her fabrics and added that to her classes as well! I have been doing this for years and years, must be that military thing! LOL I remember that hubby's cammies could stand up in the corner with no hanger on it! Boni - another thing you can do to take up some of the fullness is to stay stich with a large stitch size. Put your finger behing the pressure foot and sew until no mor will feed. Reset your finger and again sew until no more will feed. This will help take in any of the fullness without creating puckers and it will also reduce the chance of stretching it as you sew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Originally posted by hmerrill Bonnie - when I teach I tell all of my students to try it just once and most of the them are converts by the time they get that quilt done. I had to laugh because the gal that owned the LQS was listening to my class and decided she would try it. She was very skeptical and said that she was laughing when I said it. She now starches all of her fabrics and added that to her classes as well! I have been doing this for years and years, must be that military thing! LOL I remember that hubby's cammies could stand up in the corner with no hanger on it! That's why I said I would have thought it would have gotten around the globe by now....I've been teaching that as part of my classes for well over 10 years as well....ye would have thought it would have been on everyones mind by now. I did see a couple of years ago that one of the mags were putting it into their basic directions for piecing the back portion of their mag. I think it QuiltMaker that had it. Don't have a Military background, but I liked to be starched and crisp when I was high school and my dresses were always sharp looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Oh I like that idea Heidi. So many good ideas you've all given me. I'm still ripping that little border. Gotta get to work now. Thanks a bunch! This shows the bias waves on the first edge before starching or stitching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnHenry Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 When I made a Lone Star, which is all bias edges, I cut strips of newspaper the exact length needed and basted all my edges to the newspaper. When all the seams were sewn together, I ripped the newspaper off. Everything fit together perfectly. This may work for these bias edges. It's too bad the maker didn't know the difference between half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyrw Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I love piecing with crisply starched fabric but I do wash it first. I've been bit by bleeding fabric one too many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Starched and trimmed and back together again. It is lying flat without pins. There is a little ruffle in the top and bottom, but that middle just has a mind of its own. When I smooth it by hand, it behaves so I don't think it will be a problem on the rollers. I cut off about two inches in each top and bottom piece, and about two and a half inches in the length. Next: outside borders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.