KarenLummus Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I just finished a quilt that gave me tension and bearding nightmares. The customer gave me Dream Request batting and a loose weave backing that I suspect was from a major chain store, not from a high quality fabric from the LQS. The tension would be ok for a while then all of a sudden loosen up making an inch or two of railroad tracks on the back. In addition, there is a horrendous amount of bearding on the back. I have never had either of these problems before. I use Hobbs or Warm and Natural batting usually. And most customers bring me a high quality backing fabric. Can someone enlighten me. I'd like to educate my customers to discourage this from happening again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I just did a quilt with high thread count batik, Matilda wool and Aurifil and was not happy with variable tension... now I have got a quilt on that is cobbled together with old linen tapestries, nasty rayonish type of backing, Hobbs Polydown and Isalon...it's quilting up like a charm! It must be something to do with the combo of back and bat. I think my last quilt's problem was the batik back but the current one just breaks all the rules - good advert for Hobbs Polydown and Isalon, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi Karen, Not sure what you can do about the bearding, I too have had that problem that only seems to happen sometimes with different fabrics (Usually batiks as Linzi says), I have tried to change needles, watch tension, but sometimes it just happens..I found with thin batting it is harder to get the tension just perfect. The railroad tracks are a tension issue, try slowing down, making sure your fabric is not too tight, and I found it just works better if you are using the same weight thread in both the top and bobbin (easier tension adj I guess). I have found also that when you take the quilt off the frame and let it fluff back up for a day or so, it doesn't look as bad as you might think. Any one else have any advice? Thanks, Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerryM Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Karen, sometimes losening your sandwich helps. My machine likes if fairly loose. and I find with a really thin batting even a touch looser. You probably tried this already, but a new needle??!!!!!And sometimes throwing it in the dryer on fluff, no heat with a dryer ball helps too! And like Vicki said, just letting the quilt relax is enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Karen the railroad tracks are tension caused. ask me how I know. I have had an entire country of railroad tracks on my backs before I learned what Alice likes. and she likes her bobbins really lose, especially with cheap backs. I have had a lot of weird material lately and sometimes there is just nothing you can do about bearding, You got some good advice from Vicki and Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Karen, Just an FYI on the bearding issue.... If the bearding happens with nearly every needle piercing, then the issue is typically the needle. Even if it is a new one, it can have a burr on it. Change it out. Also, try a smaller needle (provided the thread weight you're using can handle the extra flex) if you continue to have troubles. If you see bearding sporadically over the quilt, then it can either be the batting or the backing. Be sure the batting is in "right side up" (look for indentations or "dimples" on the right side, and pills or slubs on the back side for needle-punched batting). For example, with Warm and Natural, the "dirty side" is the right side and should face up. The gals are also right in checking the sandwich's tautness. With QD Request (the lightest batting that company makes) it's very hard to get great tension everywhere because the batting is so thin. Without some kind of "cushion" between the layers of fabric, the quilting machine doesn't have any air space in which to try to lock the threads. If the sandwich is tight on top of that, it compresses whatever air space there is, adding to the trouble. As for what to do with the already bearded areas, sometimes you can coax them back into the quilt with a fingernail or pin; other times washing the quilt will help. I have on occasion been known to color in the offending stray bearded dot with a Pigma permanent marker to camouflage them. If you use that trick, be sure to heat-set the marker with a dry iron so it won't fade out. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLummus Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thank you, Dawn and everyone for the feedback on the bearding issue. I will make it a mission of mine to educate my customers on the value of a good quality backing. I do think my bearding problems had to do with the combination of thin batt and backing as the final result was a very thin quilt. Dawn, I did as you suggested and pushed in the most offensive pokes of batting and that helped. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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