lcquilting Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have to say, this is my biggest complaint/problem since starting my LA business. How do you square backing and in this case, a cheater quilt? Sounds like a simple solution but I just can't figure out an easy method handling that much fabric. Do you rip it? Some say yes, others say no.... please help....I'm so confused! And is the "straight of grain" with the salvage or the other way? Do you aline salvage to salvage then use a ruler and mat???? Some say yes, others say no.... please help....I'm so confused! Check out the "scalloped top" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquiltit Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I fold salvage to salvage.Then I cut it off on the mat with the rotary cutter. I always try to mount it s to s also. Hope this helps Carol:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcquilting Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Originally posted by iquiltit I fold salvage to salvage.Then I cut it off on the mat with the rotary cutter. I always try to mount it s to s also. Hope this helps Carol:P so you prefer to pin the salvages on the leaders? am I understanding right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I like to rip my fabric when it is high quality. If not...I do not rip. This design is most likely printed on...so if the design looks straight along the selvages...then I would just square the top and bottom by cutting the design with a rotary cutter along the same printed element. Say...choose the center of the sashing strip just above the top of the basket...and align your ruler and start cutting. This is how I would do it...are there other ways?...you bet...but looks like in this case...it should work just fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Personally I ALWAYS rip...its the only way I have found to get it perfect or close to it. When I have the fabric shop cut large pieces I always ask for at least 1/2 yard more than I need as sometimes squaring them up you waste at least that much getting things right. And sometimes its more than you need... But that's how I do it.... I'm sure you will find that others have different ways to do it, and they will all work so its a case of picking out what works for you and go that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquiltit Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 YES i always want to mount s to s when I can. on:) the leaders. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcquilting Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Originally posted by Bonnie Personally I ALWAYS rip...its the only way I have found to get it perfect or close to it. When I have the fabric shop cut large pieces I always ask for at least 1/2 yard more than I need as sometimes squaring them up you waste at least that much getting things right. And sometimes its more than you need... But that's how I do it.... I'm sure you will find that others have different ways to do it, and they will all work so its a case of picking out what works for you and go that route. OK but which way can you rip it, horizontal to the salvage or vertical to the salvage or does it even matter?? I'm probably making this more complicated then it really is!! Sorry girls, bear with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I too like to pin the selvages to the leaders. They are straight and sturdy this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Fabric will rip either direction. It will slightly stretch the very edges but I rip also just because it is accurate and it is on-grain. I think the word we are talking about here is "selvages." Some people say salvage but it is actually selvages - not left over fabric, tightly woven fabric used to keep fabric edges from stretching or fraying while winding on the bolt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Good point Sylvia about the "selvages". The selvage is the straight part of the fabric on the edge that is attached to the large rollers at the factory for printing. NOT the left over fabric or scraps. Those are salvage. Just like in a vehicle...the salvage is the leftover after the usable parts are removed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcquilting Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 OK gotcha, I understood what you all meant I was just saying it wrong, sorry! And I would usually pin the selvage to the leaders too but I'm doing a free hand on this one (hearts and loops) and I would be constantly rolling it since it isn't too wide. I have a Gammill Priemer Plus with an 8x18" throat depth so it's not real big. (sometimes I wish I would've test drove an APQS before buying though, not that i'm not happy with my gammill but you all seem to love your machines) Anyway..... I just came up stairs and tried both methods. I cut along the top, along the bottom of the baskets like Kristina suggested and that seemed to work OK. Not sure if it's perfect.Then to be sure the bottom was straight I ripped it.It took off a few inches of fabric so I was a little nervous but It looks much better then it did and I think the backing is OK. Thanks again for all your tips and such!! Boy do I wish they made a little wand to wave to straighten those buggers up! That would be much easier!! So...problem solved... I am still curious how others may square them up as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 If you had a little wand you would be taking all the fun out of this huge challenge...LOL I also pin the selvages to the leaders so you would be squaring up the other edges as Sylvia and Kristina already mentioned. I clip enough through the Selvage and then tear to the other side...if the fabric doesn't go all the way to the other side, I then take the other side and clip and tear across back towards my first clip. By doing this you will get as accurate as you can...yes as mentioned the edges may curl a bit, but you can iron that out if it bothers you. By folding the selvage to selvage and cutting the waste off to square doesn't always work as the material may not come off the rollers correctly from the factory, and you will have a bend in the middle you may or may not see till you get it pinned on and you see the twist in the center of your backer. I'm sure you have had fabric that when you lay it on the ironing board selvage to selvage and the end edges don't match...its the same concept...I then tear my quilting fabrics as well.... Good luck and let us know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 In this case, you need to check to see if the print was printed on grain......... if so - rip if you want. I have found that prints such as this are not always printed square to the selvages. If this is the case I would cut according to the pattern so that it looks square on the back of your quilt. When all is said and done, I want the back to look square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I usually try to load the salvage to salvage and I trim the other edge if it is really off. If it isn't really off I just load it with the extra and I don't worry about it. I load it so that the backer is centered on my leaders and I load my top centered on that. Now if there is a huge difference I'll gold it and get a nice edge but I don't stress about it too much. I always roll may backer onto the take-up bar and then back onto the backer bar. This helps even it out and I've never had a problem. Now in the case of your fabric if it was printed off grain that could cause you huge problems. It would make me crazy if the baskets weren't straight on the back. I'd have hubby or daughter help me pull the fabric and try to straighten it. If that didn't work then I'd trim even like Kristina suggested. I'd rather have the back a little off grain than to have the baskets wonky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryjo2003 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I'm a ripper too! Sometimes I've found the cheater fabric isn't printed quite straight on the fabric. Even with ripping, sometimes the design isn't straight. I've had to "fudge it" a little to get the pattern straight. I would bug me if it was too noticable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have to add that as long as this isn't a show quilt the wonky or possible wonky wouldn't bug me. Now if it was/is a show quilt that would be a totally different thing. Cheater cloth is a great thing,but as already stated it's not always printed 100%. So getting a 100% square backer Print wise might not happen, close but maybe not. The fabric will be straight, but the printing may be off a bit. And you might get it straight enough you can't really notice it unless you really look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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