Jenquilts Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 So I was just wondering how you approach this situation. I am taking 3 measurements on the quilt tops I'm quilting. Say the 3 width measurements are 51.5, 51, 51 1/4 with the middle being the smallest measurement. Do you baste the quilt top at 51 all the way down to keep it square? Do you do it another way to keep it square or close...as the differences get larger with wavy borders say 1 inch or more difference between your measurements...do you handle it differently? Also if your measurements aren't consistent which do you pick to compute charges and do you round anything when calculating charges? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'll be anxious to hear what others do. I worry about keeping the middle in the middle and I don't worry about the other measurements. I guess I consider it the piecer's job to keep it square and if she doesn't bring me a square quilt she probably won't get a square quilt back from me. I do steam and shrink puffiness as best I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I usually try to keep the sides at a standard place. In this case I'd probably go for 51 1/4 but I don't get too wrapped around the axle about 1/4". I try to keep the borders square and the pieced blocks square. Work in any extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hi Jen, I try to keep it as square as I can, if the sides are a little bigger I'd try to work in the fullness. If you have channel locks on your machine, that is a good way to keep it lined up when you baste down the sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenquilts Posted June 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm continuously surprised that what I visually think is a straight line is not really when I set my channel locks to check....I'm doing all edge to edge right now which may also not need so much perfection but I just started taking on clients after working solely on charity quilts and I don't want to mess up. It's surprising how much it feels different doing a charity quilt than a customer quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Jen make sure your leaders are square. You can easily get them square if they aren't. Just pin your leaders together, put your channel locks on about 1" from the edge and run the straight line. Repeat for the other leader. Now unpin it and fold the leader back on the straight line and stitch. Do this for all 3 leaders. You should now have square leaders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Great advice Heidi. I was having major trouble and it turned out to be the leaders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Jen - I pretty much agree with Heidi. For most quilts we get, the maker is not really worrying whether her quilt is off by 1/4 inch. Actually, I get some that are a lot wonkier than that. I stress a little when someone tells me their quilt is for show. I want to be certain it's as square as I can get it in that case. The one thing we have on our APQS machines that I find really helpful is that leveler bar. When I load a quilt, I use a zero-center measuring tape to get the quilt totally centered on the frame. I have my leveler bar permanently marked at the center, and then I wrap a piece of blue painter's tape around the leveler bar at the side edge on both the left and right of the quilt. Then, with each roll, it's fairly easy to see that the quilt needs to come out to that line. Sometimes it's right there, sometimes it takes a whole lotta smoothing out from the center, and sometimes it takes a bit of scooching in from the side to get it to line up correctly, but when it's done, it is straight! I also use a 12" square ruler as I go, just to check and make sure blocks are aligned, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 The quilts that are just KILLING ME lately are the ones that have sashings and corner stones in between every stinking block, every block is slightly different sized, AND big stinking wavy borders. No matter what I do, I can't possibly keep everything straight and looking good when doing a panto. I want to have a place on my intake form for them to check: In regards to bad/uneven piecing, which do you prefer, pleats in the borders or pleats in your quilt??? Cuz one of them is most likely gonna happen when you give me a quilt that is WONKY WONKY WONKY. There, that's my rant for the day :P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Originally posted by jmcclannan I'll be anxious to hear what others do. I worry about keeping the middle in the middle and I don't worry about the other measurements. I guess I consider it the piecer's job to keep it square and if she doesn't bring me a square quilt she probably won't get a square quilt back from me. I do steam and shrink puffiness as best I can. Julie, I like this way of thinking. I'm going to have to borrow it, if you don't mind!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aktbone Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I do what Linda states: "When I load a quilt, I use a zero-center measuring tape to get the quilt totally centered on the frame. I have my leveler bar permanently marked at the center, and then I wrap a piece of blue painter's tape around the leveler bar at the side edge on both the left and right of the quilt. Then, with each roll, it's fairly easy to see that the quilt needs to come out to that line." I float my tops so I also add the tape on the top roller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Della Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Here is what I do. I pin the center of the backing to the canvas and then work out from there. That is the backing. After pinning the other end of the backing I load the batting, centering also. I always float the quilt top. Find the center, pin at the premarked center on the canvas leader. Then, to keep the edges straight, I put a safety pin in the canvas (that is marked "quilt top") where it is aligned with the edge of the quilt top. That way I can keep the edges of the top straight. This seems to work for me. I know...clear as mud...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Bonnie...LOL, I enjoyed your rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 Bonnie....:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I think one needs to be cautious about pulling quilts from the center to get a straight line on the outer edges. Too much pulling will result in curling of the edges or a folded line on the outer edge of the backing. I see which end is the shortest (top or bottom) and pin the short one to the top (unless the quilt is directional) then go down the sides from there. Seems easier to bring in the sides than to pull them to meet an unreasonable number. I usually find the center (also have a zero center tape on the leveler bar), use that as a guide to go down the quilt, use the first border where it joins the quilt as my first place to level the quilt left to right, then I continue to find the center and level the rest of the way down the quilt as I get to it. Sounds simple but doesn't seem easy because it's fabric that gives. I don't always use the center of the bars because I try to conserve if there is a lot of fabric on the outside edges of the backing. Seems to make people happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-Jane Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 I make L.A. clips which help keep the quilts center by marking the edges and allowing you to adjust, weather and hourglass or a convex quilt and or keep it somewhat square. As Jessica says you can have a quilt lay flat or be square and possibly lumpy, but you can't have both. If it's out of square you can keep it flat and do your best. Usually when you take them off the machine, it is very difficult to see any of those imperfections if they are not abrupt. I call it the magic time when all you've stretched and maneuvered to the quilt reverts back to its original size and takes the careful stitching you did with it and it all turns out rather nice. grasshopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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