Idahoquilter Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Help Ok my problem is that I did a quilt for a lady and she brought out a quilt top. Brought a queen size sheet to go with it. I loaded it on my machine like I would any other piece of material. Now she has called and said that I don't know how to load a quilt because the backing is all stretched and puckered. When it was on my machine I would continually check to see if there was any bunching and to make sure that the backing was staying nice and flat. Am I doing things right or is it just this lady? Also her top to her quilt had several pucker places even before I stretched it out. Is there any thing to do to take that out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwilter Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I just read your posting and it made me realize that one of my new customers gave me a quilt top with fleece backing. Now I'm very hesitant about quilting it. I'm wondering if I should purchase some very lightweight fusible foundation and iron it on first. However, what type of pattern did you use? Was the design sparsely or densely quilted? I don't know what to say about the puckering on the top without seeing a picture. However, I guess much time has passed since your posting that you probably figured everything out by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I won't accept sheets anymore. I lost a customer because she likes to use sheets. I told her that they cause tension and pucker problems and wanted her quilt done anyway--insisting that sheets were what she always used. King size with Heirloom type quilting on a poorly made top. I spent about 40 hours hours taking out stitches and re-quilting trying to get rid of the puckers, it still had a few when done. Told her I'd never use Morning Glory batting or sheets again, she asked for her other quilts back to show a friend who was going to be in town, haven't heard from her since. I talked to Dawn Cavanaugh about this quilt and she agreed that the problems were probably the sheet and the cheap batting. I've done others similar quilting to this with good batting and backings and had no trouble. Not worth the stress and time to me. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkitaW Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Does anyone else find that the sheets with cheap battting make for more polka-dot effects? I did a quilt for a customer with this and could not adjust my machine enough to get rid of the polka-dots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2kwilt Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 I never except sheets as backing, and if someone is seriously wanting to use one, have them sign off that any puckering, etc. may result and that you will not be responsible for any problems that may result. I sometimes get problems when people use back art as well. I do my best and have them realize the results may not be desirable. Take pictures when you get a bad one--you them can show new customers what may happen and why you choose not to have your reputation attached to that type of work. Give a slight discount if they use fabric to help persuade them--you will make up for the discount you give by having a pleased customer instead of an irrate one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Hi All, Its the cheap sheets that are 50/50 or more poly than cotton that are causing the trouble....If you have a customer that uses 100% cotton sheets of a fairly high thread count you shouldn't have the problems that you have been having. Its the plastic in the cheap sheet that's leaving a hole or letting the pokies show worst than normal. When I get a sheet in I take out all the seams....so I can sqare up the sheet and find the selvage side...if you attach this selvage to the rollers you will have a better equal 1 to 1 stretch with the top and you won't have the bunching or puckers that seems to be there while using sheets. By attaching the selvage to the rollers this might cause you to have to load your quilt on its side instead of head to toe as we usually do. So it might not work with a panto as the panto will be going up and down instead across as it should, but for an all over free hand meander or stipple this works great (just a little planning before you start is needed). When the quilt is released you don't have the big bunches some of you have mentioned and the puckers are nill. I have had great results with sheets, but I will admit until I started taking out the seams and squaring the fabric I was having as much or more trouble than it was worth.....now I don't really care, sheets are welcome as long as they aren't the really really cheap ones, and are 100% cotton...its very much like working with the extra wide quilting fabric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I agree with Bonnie. I have not had problems is I take out the seams or at least cut them off. I will usually have the customer pre-wash the sheet especially if the prewash the fabrics. Only GOOD sheets - not cheap ones. I did have a nightmare backing - it was a used fitted sheet that was ripped - then peiced to make a backing.... That was horrible! Never again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbWetzel Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Sheets are not my favorite either. My aunt seems to things they are great. I think they cause tension problems. Usually if someone buys a sheet it is a cheaper one. My suggestion is kindly tell your clients that you would prefer fabric not sheets... Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Bonnie, sorry to disagree . The sheets I've had problems with are 100% cotton and fairly good quality, name brand and 200 or more thread count. They don't have any give to them unlike the top so they pucker when doing detailed work. They aren't too bad on a fairly large freehand or panto but I've just decided to avoid the problems altogether and won't accept them. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Jeri, I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience with sheets....I don't care for them really either, but have figured out what works for me. I would much rather use a pieced back or a solid cotton back meant for quilting. I also avoid the problem when I can. Its bad enough when I get an ugly quilt and it just doesn't seem to get finished in the time frame I thing it should, but fighting threads, backings and batting just adds to the headache, and I agree we have choices and isn't it great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltaholi_518 Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 My policy- Sheets okay, but they must be 100% cotton with a low thread count, and washed and dried several times to remove the sizing and shrink them. I tell them on the phone, If it feels stiff or has a high thread cound when they bring it I will not use it. One of the other quilters in the area can have it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 I've had to work hard to learn that "NO" word. Since my heirloom class with Dawn it's been easier to say no, thanks Dawn and everyone in the class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlittle1 Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I've never used sheets on my Liberty, but if I have my choice I won't. Being a frequently moving military wife I learned to use sheets to make curtains. They were pretty and for the amount of fabric you got they were fairly inexpensive. When we bought our first house in Portsmouth, VA I bought beautiful yellow flowered sheets to make livingroom curtains. Sewing and pinning them was extremely difficult but I didn't realize that it was because they were 200 count percale. A year later we got transferred to Astoria, Oregon. We lived in government leased housing and the drapes/curtains were all furnished. Hating to see these perfectly good yellow flowered sheets/curtains go to waste I decided to use them to make Easter dresses for my two girls. I had a new sewing machine that had smocking stitches and a few fancy stitches so I bought a pattern that had a smocked area. My poor machine couldn't sew through that tightly woven fabric with all the gathers! So I smocked them and embroidered them by hand. I think I had holes in my fingers for the next three months. I should have known that if the machine couldn't sew the fabric, I shouldn't even try. The dresses were beautiful and the girls wore them for Easter as I had planned. They were long dresses, so they were able to wear them for quite a while. When the oldest daughter finally outgrew her dress it was handed down to her younger sister. I think the youngest wore those two dresses for at least five years. She was so happy when she outgrew her sister's dress. Those two dresses wore like they were iron! Never again if I have anything to say about it! Phyllis Hughes Oklahoma City www.myheartlandquilts.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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