I fear I'm asking for trouble....large quilt FINISHED PHOTOS

[anniemueller]

I might have taken a job that's just too big for my machine. I've got a backing that's 118" x 144", pieced parallel to the long direction. My table is 12 feet, with canvas that's 126", so it only fits in one direction. I've got the backing rolled up over half way, and it's starting to wrinkle around the seam lines. Can you picture it? The seam lines are piling up on themselves.

Has anyone experienced this? Any advice? I really want to quilt this one, but if it's a lost cause I'd rather see that now and not after I've started stitching.

[barbm]

Annie, is the quilt top that big? Or is it just the backing? If the backing is significantly bigger than the top, maybe you can trim the back to fit better on your machine.

[LinneaMarie]

Can you push the seams as you roll them?

Here's what I do when I have a back pieced perpendicular to the rollers: As I roller it up (turn the foot pedal off) and just let the roller go, standing at the back of the machine I smooth and PUSH on that center seam. It really builds up there. Just keep rolling back and forth until it looks ok.

Clear as mud?? hahaha

Otherwise, see if you can go with a wide back. There are a few that are 120" wide.

[ffq-lar]

The sag on the sides of the backer (and in the middle if there are two seams) will become more pronounced as the backer loads. Obviously, I know!

At the beginning, you will have a nice flat area to quilt. As the quilt is advanced and the sag shows up, tuck pieces of batting under the bottom front roller to raise the entire quilt sandwich up to one level--just tuck in between the roller and the backer in the areas that are sagging, avoiding the seams. This brings the fabric all to one level and makes for even quilting. As you advance, if you forget to take out the batting pieces, they will fall to the floor ready to be used again.

I use clean white shop towels as "tuckers" and they don't leave lint on the backer like some battings can.

This method works well when you have saved the border for last in your quilting sequence and the unquilted areas sag. When I use the "tuckers" I can leave the clamps off and easily quilt the borders. The extra tension on the one area makes for precise quilting.

I hope this helps.

[sspingler]

When I have one of these, I pull on the seam to get it to be the same length as the sides.......then pin to the take up roller and roll onto the takeup roller then back and forth a couple times. This helps a lot.

[quiltaholi_518]

You didn't say, but I would hope the seams are pressed open. I also like to have about a one inch seam. That seems to ease things a bit better. But I have used "tuckers" also.

The largest I ever did on my 12 ft table was 120 sq. Yikes! Was I crazy??????? I think a bigger issue is that there is no stretch in the clamps so you can't tug on the saggy part.

[CindyT]

I feel your pain. Happened to me with a 118" wide quilt backing that was FLANNEL with seams and regular cotton in the middle of the two flannel pieces! Those were thick seams (and I did press them open before I loaded the back) and not the same thickness when it rolled on. I ended up with one small tuck in the backing and luckily the customer had no problem with that. Did I tell you she seamed it not using the same size of pieces and rounded the corners, too? I'm sure this doesn't make you feel any better, but it can be done with the great advice others have given you. You can do it, Annie!!!

[ffq-lar]

118" is the biggest backer I will accept on my 12 footer. Anything bigger is just too much stress and strain for me.

A friend's DH is making his own T-shirt quilt.

He cut out the shirts, stabilized and arranged them, decided on sashing fabric and drafted the whole thing on graph paper.

She asked him how big it was.

150" square.

She asked him who he thought might quilt if for him and was he making a car cover, a tent, or a gazebo?!!! Just a cuddle quilt, he said. She of course let him know the whole family and all the neighbors would be able to cuddle under that one. He is re-drafting it now.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by barbm

Annie, is the quilt top that big? Or is it just the backing? If the backing is significantly bigger than the top, maybe you can trim the back to fit better on your machine.

The quilt top is 111" x 136". Not much extra to trim.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by LinneaMarie

Can you push the seams as you roll them?

Here's what I do when I have a back pieced perpendicular to the rollers: As I roller it up (turn the foot pedal off) and just let the roller go, standing at the back of the machine I smooth and PUSH on that center seam. It really builds up there. Just keep rolling back and forth until it looks ok.

Clear as mud?? hahaha

Otherwise, see if you can go with a wide back. There are a few that are 120" wide.

I don't understand standing at the back of the machine to smooth and push on the center seams (there are 2). I do like the idea of switching to a one piece backing, that would solve the problem. But I doubt my customer would go for it. She's used a nice fabric that matches the top.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by LinneaMarie

Can you push the seams as you roll them?

I've been standing at the front of the machine as I load the backing on that front roller. I start in the middle and push and twist at the same time out to each side. Like Dawn C teaches.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by ffq-lar

The sag on the sides of the backer (and in the middle if there are two seams) will become more pronounced as the backer loads. Obviously, I know!

At the beginning, you will have a nice flat area to quilt. As the quilt is advanced and the sag shows up, tuck pieces of batting under the bottom front roller to raise the entire quilt sandwich up to one level--just tuck in between the roller and the backer in the areas that are sagging, avoiding the seams. This brings the fabric all to one level and makes for even quilting. As you advance, if you forget to take out the batting pieces, they will fall to the floor ready to be used again.

I use clean white shop towels as "tuckers" and they don't leave lint on the backer like some battings can.

This method works well when you have saved the border for last in your quilting sequence and the unquilted areas sag. When I use the "tuckers" I can leave the clamps off and easily quilt the borders. The extra tension on the one area makes for precise quilting.

I hope this helps.

ooh, I think I understand this, and it should work well.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by quiltaholi_518

You didn't say, but I would hope the seams are pressed open. I also like to have about a one inch seam. That seems to ease things a bit better. But I have used "tuckers" also.

The largest I ever did on my 12 ft table was 120 sq. Yikes! Was I crazy??????? I think a bigger issue is that there is no stretch in the clamps so you can't tug on the saggy part.

She did a good job piecing the back. The edges seem to be square, the seams are 1/2" pressed open and flat.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by CindyT

I feel your pain. Happened to me with a 118" wide quilt backing that was FLANNEL with seams and regular cotton in the middle of the two flannel pieces! Those were thick seams (and I did press them open before I loaded the back) and not the same thickness when it rolled on. I ended up with one small tuck in the backing and luckily the customer had no problem with that. Did I tell you she seamed it not using the same size of pieces and rounded the corners, too? I'm sure this doesn't make you feel any better, but it can be done with the great advice others have given you. You can do it, Annie!!!

Thanks Cindy, I feel so blessed now. My backing is not nearly as difficult as yours sounds:P:P

[Quilting Heidi]

Annie,

I would load it all to the take up roller and then back onto the backer bar. Go back and forth several times if you have to until you work it out. As I'm rolling I keep stopping and pushing the fabric out if needed so that it doesn't pile up on the seams.

[quiltingjoyful51]

Dawn Showed us how you tighten up the seamed area on the roller by giving it a squeeze and rolling the seam tight. You might have to do it as you roll to keep the seam flat as you roll it. Maybe she will chime in and explain it better than I am.

[anniemueller]

Originally posted by hmerrill

Annie,

I would load it all to the take up roller and then back onto the backer bar. Go back and forth several times if you have to until you work it out. As I'm rolling I keep stopping and pushing the fabric out if needed so that it doesn't pile up on the seams.

Hmmm. I like the sound of that too. So you do this before loading the batting? I would normally pin the batting with the backing to the tack up roller. But I think the batt would just get in the way. I'll try this too. Thanks Heidi!

[Quilting Heidi]

Annie,

I don't add the batting until I have the backer all set. I've always done it this way (Deloa taught me) and I've never had a problem with my backer.

[DawnCavanaugh]

Annie,

you'll be fine:). The trick is to imagine what you would have to do to get the backing fabric to behave as if it is one solid piece with no seam at all. Since the seam piles up on top of itself, it creates three layers of fabric there while to the left and right there is only one fabric layer. You either have to "pad" the single layers to make them close in thickness to the three layers in the seam, or you have to "compress" the three layers in the seam down to the equivalent of one fabric layer.

Personally, I am a lazy quilter so I take the route that involves the least effort on my part:). First I press the seam open (now there are only TWO layers of fabric to try to compress at the seam). Then I roll the backing on to the backing roller a half turn at a time. After each half turn, I grasp the seam as it wraps around the backing roller with my thumb facing UP. I then twist the seam on the roller, moving my thumb toward the quilt top roller. This tightens or compresses the seam so that it can lay flat in relation to the fabric left and right of the seam. I compress the seam after every half turn, and it may take a bit of muscle--no wimpy compressing:).

To check that I am doing enough, I start with the backing fabric draped across the table and over the pick up roller. I becomes clear very quickly as I roll if I need to tweak the seam more, because a ridge will form in the middle. I twist until it is gone.

You will be great! Go for it!

[LinneaMarie]

Yep. Leave the batting off til you get the back smooth. Pin the back to the take up roller, and let it float for now over the front roller. Stand at the back of the machine/frame, turn the fabric advance on Forward, and as it rolls schmoosh the seam down, keep pushing, when it gets ahead of you, turn the fabric advance off, and schmoosh some more at the seam, keep tugging slightly at the sides too. keep rolling it back and forth and it should flatten out.

More clear as mud pies??

[RoseCity Quilter]

I just finished a quilt like this! Where were you guys when I needed you! All these ideas really make sence! Next time....

[WestieMom]

You can do it! We all have faith in you.

[Katydids]

Twist the seams tight as Dawn said. I also roll the backing back and forth from the back roller to the take up roller a time or two to help even it all out. When rolling the last time back onto the backing roller, make sure you twist those seams really tight.

[Kueser]

Hey Dawn, Any chance you could put this method into a video? I'm also intrigued by "tuckers". Any chance we could see some pictures to illustrate?

[anniemueller]

Ok, I wrestled and twisted and pushed and rolled it back and forth. I did have an Aha moment, as Oprah would say, about LinneaMarie's method. The backing is on, fairly nicely. The sides do sag, so I'll be using my side clamps and trying the tucker method. I think it's going to work.

Thank you everyone for your very helpful ideas and encouragement. I LOVE THIS FORUM!!:D