Ferret Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 So the needle holes are still upsetting my customer. I've got to come up with a plan by Friday when I am going to see it. Washing the quilt is out of the question, and she has tried all the variations of steaming and wetting the quilt. I am thinking of asking to bring the quilt home so I can try my steam iron and work on the holes myself. I can't believe they won't close up. It's just going to take a lot more time and effort than I would have liked. Should I be offering her some of her money back given how much time and effort she has had to put into trying to fix my needle holes? Or do I just hope I can fix it? Whatever I do I am not going to have made money on this as I will have at least one trip to see her and I suspect two. I have to go to my customers as I can't get insurance to cover having them on site. I can cover my machine and their quilts but not them. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi Ferret! I had a baby quilt on which I had a lot of tension issues including thread breakage. I was using Superior's Rainbows so trying to restart where it broke wasn't possible, too visible on the pure white background. I couldn't get the holes to go away, I rubbed at them with my finger nail, steamed them, just took the quilt off the frame and let it rest. After getting the tension straightened out I finished it and played around with the holes some more, finally deciding that washing was the only way they would disappear and I'd have to discount the quilting a lot! The quilt sat here in a bag for almost 2 months as she had another that was put back to do a rush for her new granddaughter. Yesterday she came for the quilts and amazingly enough the holes had almost completely disappeared. I suppose it was the resting that finished the job. Also this quilt was made with Dream Wool batting so it was puffy. Patience, and who knows if your customer has made them worse with how she tried to fix them, only you will know and maybe we all need a disclaimer about our needle size on our contracts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Ferret, Try a brand new, medium firm toothbrush on the holes after dampening the fabric a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Don't offer anything or do any apologising until you have seen the quilt for yourself! Maybe she is exaggerating the size of the holes, after all. Why can't it be washed? If it is all cotton the holes WILL close up... it may need a little gentle detergent (Ecover or Dreft) to help it relax - perhaps there was a lot of starch used in the piecing. Bloomin' frustrating for you but I think you need to get your hands on that sucker!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnysnowden Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Me too what Linzi said! ginny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Me three on Linzi's comments! What really do people expect? One thing that you might want to try is using ordinary white vinigar. I know that I've used that to get creases out of pants and maybe it would work on the quilt too. I agree with Teresa that a toothbrush would probably help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I'll get my hands on it Friday. She just doesn't want to wash it, I think because they look better before they are washed and it is a wedding present? It was something like that. Sorry they start to blur into each other after a while. I think there is a good chance I will be able to get the holes out, it's just a job I didn't need. I will be adding something to my information about needle holes. I can't decide what yet. Her tutor still feels I should be using much smaller needles a 14 is small for a longarm. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Forget washing! Call it blocking. Wet, spin in the washer and pin flat with tension to the carpeted floor. Then she binds it and voila! Holes gone. I do that on every nice larger quilt I do for myself. Just helps the quilt find it's place and squares it up. Also helps any applique "puff" up. You didn't say, was the backing a batik? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Oh, I just read the first post about this. A SHEET!!! Too bad you didn't give her fair warning about using sheets. I am assuming since you basted the quilt she will be hand quilting? If so-what the hell was she thinking using a sheet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltingjoyful51 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Ferret, would you be able to press the quilt after washing it? (I can't remember what batting you said it had.) I had to do that once to get holes out. The customer could not tell it had been laundered. I also agree no refund or discount. Holes are a part of the process. How else is the quilting to be done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Oh, I am with Caron on this one. A wedding gift...she can afford to get it professionally quilted but puts a bed sheet on the back. I have only done one quilt with a bed sheet backing and yikes, some of the top contained pieces of sheets. These were used/well-washed sheets. The fact that they were washed did not remove the yucky factor for me, but at least, the needle did not leave big holes; I can only attribute that to the fact that the sheet was not new. I thought that sheets have a much higher thread count than LQS quality fabric. If the weave is so tight, the needle breaks the fabric thread, will the holes ever close? I don't think you can answer that until the quilt is washed. And you know a lot of people her in the US love that washed and crinkled look, it softens the quilts, closes the needle holes and puffs the batting (wadding). And the tutor is a longarmer, too. No? Hmmm, I wonder if you should listen to her advice. NO!!!! I hope that you come back and tell us how this ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Sorry folks, the sheet was my error (I did several bastings that week) and hers does have quilt shop fabric on the back. She didn't get me to quilt it because she had a very clear idea what she wanted quilted and it would have been very expensive for me to do it. So she had me tack it for her to machine quilt. I'd be happy to block the quilt, if I had space, I think my biggest area of floor is about 36"x20". It's good to hear you guys don't think I should give her a refund, I would if people felt it was due, but this is taking up a lot more of my time than I charged for. I guess I should confess I do a fair number of quilts with sheets as backing and I find they work very well. I love using brushed cotton sheets on my own quilts, I like the feel of them much better than the flannel quilt backings. I do suggest people look for cheap cotton sheets, they have a lower thread count and look more like quilt shop fabric. I wouldn't suggest it for hand quilting though. I do quite a lot of basting for machine quilters too, so basting on sheets does happen. Although they usually get a lot of quilting and then get washed so holes have never been a problem. The great thing about being able to talk it over with you guys is I now feel prepared to deal with her at the meeting. I have some things I can try to get the holes out and hopefully I can turn this into a happy customer. Although to be honest I suspect the damage is done given how many people she has talked to about this, but there is nothing I can do about that, I can only try and fix the quilt. Thanks Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Ferret, you're work speaks for itself, this is a bump in the road and will hopefully turn around and be just fine. Don't borrow trouble, just wait to see what it looks like and go forward with a smile and the toothbrush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I have to admit that I've never had luck closing holes in batiks, until yesterday. When I was working with those little Boston Commons, I ripped off the borders and cut off the excess. To close the holes, I spritzed them with water and steamed them. Those holes just closed up like an elevator! The warm steam seemed to relax the fibers. I just smoothed the fabric with my hand while it was warm and damp, then finished with the iron. I agree that you should wait and look at it for yourself. No refund--there really isn't damage and there is absolutely NO negligence on your part. It seems to be her reluctance to follow your advice and the timed and tested advice of your colleagues. We'll wait for the outcome and hope for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I am working on batik at the moment. I find if I spray it when it is still on the fram the holes usually close up right away. This one certainly does, I've been having discussions with a couple of my bobbins and leaving a lot more holes than are ideal. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April W Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 You only 'tacked' this quilt? What did she expect would happen when she took out the tacking (basting, right?) there would be no holes? If she has done all the machine quilting, she SHOULD wet and block it before she does the binding. Please don't discount your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Me too in whatever number it is by now.....Don't you dare discount it till you see it. I personally want to wash my quilts as I give as a gift....first off they smell better...all nice and clean, nice fabric softener smells, secondly I know that they aren't going to fall apart, and thirdly I pretty much have taken out all the shrink by then, so when they wash it the next time its not a SURPRISE and a huge concern that its now smaller than it was when they got it. And I too have used a great number of sheet as backing...the higher thread counts definitely sew up different than the looser ones, but I have NEVER had one that the holes didn't close up, (bed sheet, batiks, even a few poly/cotton backers) they all finished out okay once off the frame. I'm still wondering and you will have the answer on Friday...if maybe she is just being a bit more annul than she should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Tell it like it is Caron!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 OK, I have the quilt. It does have needle holes and on the backing which is a white on cream print (the thick plasticy prints) it' really obvious. On the front she seems more bothered by the indentation the thread has left. She has tried spraying and steaming it but it hasn't fixed it. I am going to try tumbling it with a damp white towel (I just bought one for the job) on a low heat and see if that shifts it. There are oil marks on a run of about 5 holes on the back. That is at least easy to fix, but why do machines do that? I'm guessing that was just one spot of oil that got on the needle. What can I do to reduce the indentation caused by my stitching? I already reduce the tension so that it isn't making perfect stitches, and having asked around most of my customers find that works. On this one you can see the path the tread took. It was white cotton thread on mostly cream fabric. It seems to have left less marks on the border which is a slightly darker colour and feels softer to me. So I am thinking it may jus have better recovery being softer? Right now though I am going to ignore it. I've been having trouble with pulled muscles in my back. I was interviewed by a magazine this morning so last night I was having a tidy up and it's really made my back a lot worse, so I think my first job is to rest it. Then I will worry about this quilt. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbigailE Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ferret, take care of yourself first, always. You are what matters. THen the quilt. Congrats on the interview. you're in for a lot more work. Feel rested, feel better and sending you healing thoughts and prayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Gosh Ferret, please take care of yourself. This is the most important thing for you to do. This is not your fault. it seems it is a fluke of some sort. I am sure you will be able to figure out something with all the good advice you have received here. Congratulations on your interview. You do such amazing work, it is alwasy a delight to find something new you have posted for us to view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ferret congrats on the interview and we can't wait to hear more details. You really need to take care of that back! I too suffer from lower back pain which I have discovered is mostly due to my hip. It seems my one side likes to be 1 1/2" higher than the other and ocassionaly I rotate the wrong way and my hip doesn't go back where it needs to go. Certainly not fun! On the quilt. my guess is that if were washed the whole problem would go away. Fabrics can come with various sizings in them and some are heavier than others. Why does she not want to wash it? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 She doesn't want to wash the quilt because it is a present. I am hopeful that the wet towel in the dryer will do the trick. I apparently can move most of my joints further than I should. I think what happened was when I cleaned the over I was reaching at an odd angle and I pulled the shoulder joint slightly further than it wanted to go. Then my car got rear ended on Wednesday which jarred it all a bit more. My osteopath will put it back for me next Friday, but until then every time I move it winds me. It's really frustrating that I can't quilt today. The quilt on my frame at the moment is a student version of my second book. It was designed as quilt as you go but she is a perfectionist and really wants this quilt to be good, so she has assembled it as a traditional top and I get to play on it. It's so cool because I have made my sample quilt as you go and never got to do this. It's just going to have to sit and look at me though, because there is no way I can move enve my machine. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmiequilts Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Feel better and have fun with your interview! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 I wish people would just get over it and wash the quilt. They will have to be washed eventually and really I think they look better once they are washed. The shrink shows the quilting and just lets it soften and settle. Oh well. Hopefully the towel will do the trick for you. Take care of that back! You have my sympathy! It is no fun. Be sure to post a picture of that quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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