Bonnie H Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I'm hoping for a lesson, if anyone wants to give me one! When I load a quilt on the frame, when should I measure the quilt top to keep it the same all the way down the sides when quilting. Should I measure BEFORE I clamp on the side clamps or AFTER? Does it make a difference? I usually measure, pin, and stitch the sides before clamping. The last quilt I did, I had a little fullness at the end that needed to be eased in if I were to keep the corners square. This was a mitered border quilt, with two miters on the borders. It measured almost square before quilting, was a little bit off, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in places. As I got to the very end of quilting it, in order to keep the corners on both sides square (I use a 13 inch square ruler), it ended up measuring about 5/8 to 3/4 inch off. The quilt was about 107 x 107. Did I do okay or should I have done better. Be truthful, please. How much "off" do you feel is acceptable and how much "off" is unacceptable? I recently joined our quilt guild and in the sewing group I'm in, once they found out I had a longarm, I got a couple of negative comments about another longarmer. One comment was made from a hand quilter. She had negative comments about the needle holes left in her quilt when the gal unstitched a bit and another comment was from a gal was who gets ALL of her quilts done FREE from this lady and complained the she has left a little tuck in quilts before. So now I'm just plain nervous about touching other women's quilts! Some women can be so mean and catty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I should say that the borders had definite stripes that I was keeping straight the whole way down, and I spent 45 minutes when I got to the end, keeping the stripes at the bottom of the quilt completely in line. It looked great and there were no complaints (this was a newbie quilter, she did a great job piecing for her experience level). I just want to make sure that I learn what I need to and know that it is either okay to be a little off or not. For example, the top of the quilt quilted out at 106 inches and the bottom of the quilt quilted out at about 105-1/4 to 105-1/2 inches wide. From top to bottom, I got good, even measurements across the whole quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I wouldn't fret too much about the size difference, especially if it looks good. With measuring I would say so long as you are consistent it should be fine. I always measure after clamping, but I really don't think when is critical so long as you always do it the same way. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmkeindl1 Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Sounds like you handled it! I have marked off little 1 inch tick marks on the edges of my leaders from the center's out (#'d every 5 inches) that helps me "load" the top on evenly (and the backing too). Other's have used painter's tape or something else to mark the side edges on the "leveler" bar to help them as they advance each time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Della Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I will tell you how I keep things "straight"...lol...at least this works for me. I float the top...always...so I find the seam where the border is attached to the quilt and place a safety pin in the canvas that is rolled up..where the quilt would be if I used the canvas for that. I do that on both sides of the quilt. Then I use a seam line that runs from left to right on the quilt and keep it aligned with the roller bar. So far this has kept me straight...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFQuilts Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Bonnie, I would love for a quilt judge to chime in here because I'm certainly not one - or maybe someone who enters quilts in competitions. From my viewpoint - a 3/4" max error for a quilt that finished roughly 106" on a side is an 'error' of less than 1% - so you nailed it. If the quilt were going in a show where these measurements may be more critical, the owner should wash the quilt, partially dry it, and then lay it out to dry and block it so that the quilt would be perfectly square before being bound. But that is just my 2 cents. In terms of needle holes left when something was unstitched - a quick spritz of water and air drying or a light pressing will remove most needle holes. Likewise, some folks are a little upset with the size of needle holes even when stitches haven't been removed. A quick spritz and drying of the quilt allows the holes to close up. As for the small tucks left in a quilt - most longarmers can testify that some tucks are unavoidable based on the quality of piecing. Of course, you can't be quite that bald in talking with the upset guild member. I do wonder if the ladies complaining ever talked about their issues with the longarmer! I would much rather have folks share their concerns with me face-to-face so that I can either learn from my mistakes or educate the piecers on their contributions to how a quilt turns out. Talking behind someone's back is just rude; you may need to give guild members a gentle reminder to actually talk to the longarmer. As you get more comfortable longarming, you may want to do a guild presentation on what magic longarmers can and cannot work. Best wishes. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I'm glad you posted this. I just finished one of my own quilt tops. It is NOT square now that I have it off the longarm. It's is about 1/2" out of square (I need to meausre it to be certain). It makes me frustrated as it was square before I quilted and I thought I was being very careful. I float my tops as my quilt top leader is so streatched out that I can't load a top square at all if I use it. So I use painters tape on that roller to mark the edges of my quilt top. I am slowly getting customers and this has made me question whether or not I should really be quilting for others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietlifeaz Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Originally posted by Della I will tell you how I keep things "straight"...lol...at least this works for me. I float the top...always...so I find the seam where the border is attached to the quilt and place a safety pin in the canvas that is rolled up..where the quilt would be if I used the canvas for that. I do that on both sides of the quilt. Then I use a seam line that runs from left to right on the quilt and keep it aligned with the roller bar. So far this has kept me straight...lol I like this idea!!! simple and to the point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Connie--please try to be a bit easier on yourself. Realize that the flexible nature of fabric and sewn seams impact the dimensions of the top. I have never pieced a perfectly square quilt and I have never quilted a perfectly square quilt. Really--there is no such thing. BUT, I have nudged and prodded a quilt into squareness and I have coaxed a horrible hour-glass shaped French Braid into submission. Attention to problems and the experience you will gain as you progress will encourage you to continue. My mantra is--"Control the quilting field". Boring, huh? But it means, as you start a quilt, analyse everything you see in front of you. Control a full border, use the border seam and channel locks to load the top on a perfect horizontal line, pin baste all of it into place so you can quilt away. When you advance the top, the area you are leaving will be straight and flat. Then advance the top, note issues and correct them as you come to them. Never worry about what's ahead. If each section is controlled and straight before you quilt it, you will be good. If one side starts to waver off-line, nudge it back and pin it down. I also mark on my leaders the outside edge of the top and maybe the first seam and the center. I make sure to get the quilt on those marks as I advance. Deep breath, Connie. You can do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 AMEN Linda! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted February 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thank you for all the tips. Most of them I'm already doing but maybe I could use a little improvement. I do have measuring tapes sewn to my leaders, which I think one is inch off but I adjust one inch when using my Red Snappers to load the quilt backing and when I roll up I get a straight, taut backing. The channel locks are great to get the top on straight and I also have one of those little lasers that I shoot across to make sure the rows are lined up as I advance. Hopefully with more practice I will get better at keeping it perfectly straight, as perfect as perfect gets, that is! I'm so glad I asked here. It was nice to hear some positive thoughts and advice from experienced quilters. You all are the best, IMHO Lynn, do we have any quilt judges on board? It would be interesting to hear their point of view on lots of quilty subjects! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connieb Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Linda - THANK YOU, You are so encouraging, supportive, and helpful. I used your "loading a big backer without squaring it first" instructions for this top. They are wonderful! Flannel was not very cooperative but I coaxed it along and it worked. Now if I only had fabric advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathG Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Linda, thanks for the tips. I love your approach to how you deal with problems. You have a way of making things seem less scary .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I too love all these tips, I think we have all dealt with quilts that look great when they go on the frame but then act up by the time we get to the bottom...for various reasons. One more thing that can be done is to wet and block a quilt if it is going to a show that will help square it up. I think there is another thread on that one. If you are nervous about working on these "sharks" quilts, then I would avoid them...just take quilts from your friends to start out that would not talk about you behind your back until you build your reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette D. Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 While the customer is still here, I match the top and bottom--starting at the left or right. If the top and bottom are unequal in size, the customer is immediately aware of it. I then align the left and right sides. I tell the customer that the quilt will not be a perfect rectangle. I had one quilt that was more than four inches longer on the left than on the right. With the customer's permission, I took darts across seam lines. Luckily, there was no border on the quilt. This is one of my greatest frustrations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamu Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I have noticed some problems with keeping quilts sq as I advance them. Most noticeably is when I am doing a panto and when I am at the end of a row..it could be off by a full inch. Things look like they should be right on and the top looks like there is no 'play' in it, so I baste down the edges and start the panto...only to find when I come to the end of the panto it ends short of the stopping mark from the previous row. I use an Ult11 machine with the old style wood table. The foot on the Ult11 does not hop along...scoots over the top of the quilt. Does anyone know if this could be part of the problem? I am hoping that some of these suggestions will help me to be more vigilant at making sure the quilt is advancing properly. Of course there is not a whole lot that can be done with a quilt that is really out of sq...other than grimace and pray:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hmmmm. I'll try to explain. If you don't understand this, you can take my class at MQX west in the fall. Those of us who have APQS machines with a leveler bar have a special little tool for keeping quilts straight that is very easy to use. If the quilt you're loading is reasonably square to begin with, you can try this little trick. Load your quilt as usual, whether or not you float. Use a square ruler (I use a 12.5" square Omnigrid) to make certain that the top of the quilt is loaded squarely. Now, once you have basted the top in place (top and first several inches of the side), take a piece of painters tape and line it up with the vertical edges of your quilt. Put the top edge of this painters tape on your leveler bar and, while keeping the tape straight, roll it onto the bar. Do this on both sides. As you progress down the quilt, make sure your edges stay in close proximity to that tape. If you just do a partial float, e.g., you stitch or pin your quilt to a zipper or leader, there is a good chance you'll have some "dog ears" when you get to the bottom. This is when you release your quilt from the leader and give it a good steaming so that it is (again, using your Omnigrid square ruler), square. When you take the quilt off the machine. . . voila! Square quilt. Or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Thanks both Lindas for the great tips. Annette, that is a great tip also about making sure the quilt top is square before the customer leaves you. I have finally put a disclaimer on the bottom of my intake form that I have my customers sign regarding issues that might arise because of issues with tops that have issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I'm with Linda. I don't think there is such a thing as a square quilt. I can't even get a reliable measurement on a top. If you pull the top straight/flat, it is a different size than if it just lays there. Bekah, hand quilters will usually find fault with machine quilting. They don't like it, think it's inferior and not "real quilting". You can't change that. All you can do is make sure you are happy with your quilting. If you're happy with your product, and a customer isn't, she should find another quilter to give her business to. There will probably never be a good relationship between the two of you. Remember, we provide a service a lot of quilters need, and we don't have to quilt for people who don't appreciate that service. Do what you are comfortable with, and let someone else do what disagreeable customers want. You'll develop a customer base that appreciates what you do, and is happy you can quilt their quilts for them. Regards. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Kuhlman Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 You will never be able to please a hand quilter. And as far as the other woman if she complains about a service she gets for free can you imagine the complaints if she paid for it.. Avoid them at meeting or bite your tongue,it's hard to listen to machine quilting bashers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenquilts Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 What laser level do you use and do you just hold it...my dream is to devise a laser level system attached to my setup that is adjustable so you always have a straight line readily available. Another question. I've seen people sew on measuring tapes to their leaders. I assume they are only useful at load on time correct? Don't they disappear after that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I always measure the top, middle and bottom and put the measurements on the charge slip that I am giving to the piecer. I do the same w/the sides. You pretty much know what you are dealing with when the measurements are in front of you. The customer can also see how her piecing is. Tonight's quilt was an exception. It measured spot on but the center was baggy in some places. Ended up being longer on one side than the other. How did that happen? Guess I'm not perfect either!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmkeindl1 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Yeah, the tape (or tick marks) are best for loading the quilt, but then you know you are square-but useless if you "float" your top?! (the power advance would be great for this problem), but the idea of tape on the leveler bar is great to keep your quilt straight as you go! Originally posted by Jenquilts What laser level do you use and do you just hold it...my dream is to devise a laser level system attached to my setup that is adjustable so you always have a straight line readily available. Another question. I've seen people sew on measuring tapes to their leaders. I assume they are only useful at load on time correct? Don't they disappear after that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 LOL.. breath Bonnie you are doing great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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