Della Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi all....been working on a quilt that was done by the president of the quilting guild in a neighboring town. I was excited to get the quilt but have had to put two tucks in border and probably will have to do another one or two as I come to the final one. Now my concern is that she will not give me a good recommendation. I tried to point these possible problems when she left it with me but she thought I could just "pull" it .....oh well, I will explain when I see her. Sometimes I think that it would be so helpful for everyone to take "Borders 101"....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb2bie Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Maybe you could offer to teach Borders 101 to her guild and use he quilt as an example of what you have to do when you get these quilts in!!! I have to admit I usually pull the borders to get the fullness out. I think a little unsquare is better than tucks but that's just me. The tucks can easily be appliqued down and look like seams to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Amen, Della, on Borders 101 !!! Good luck and let us know how it goes. You can only do what you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 I have had this happen. Definitely explain it to her and maybe even give her a paper on how to properly measure and attach borders. Its possible that, even though she is president of a guild, she may never have been taught how to attatch borders correctly. Or....maybe she knows how....but is lazy. That could be too. Either way, she needs to understand that her work effects your work. I have explained this over and over and over again. It really matters. The better work they do....the more design options I have and the better work I can do. Good luck with her. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 p.s. I feel for you. Taking tucks makes us look bad. Many people think we can do miracles.....but we can't. I remember one time when a woman showed a job I did at my guilt guild (a very big guild). She had told me that I could only do a large meander in the border. Oy vey...the border was NOT measured correctly and I was given specific instructions to only do a large meander, sooooo....I had to take a few tucks and my quilting just plain looked bad. There was nothing I could do. I think that sometimes there is just a misconception that we can do miracles. Just educate as much as you can. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaLou Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 In those instances where I can't measure up a quilt while a customer watches (those given to me at quilt meetings, etc.) and a border is wavy or there are cups in the piecing, I call the customer and explain the situation. I try and steer them toward a batting and pattern that will suck up the extra. If they won't budge, I have a price ready for re-piecing the borders. That skillfully taken tuck that is so hidden on most prints is another great option. That tuck should go from the edge of the quilt to the first sew seam so it looks like a pieced border. There are times I've loosened the sandwich a bit on the frame and hand stitched a seam I didn't catch before it was put on the frame. I'd rather hand stitch that tuck and have it really hidden than have an iffy tuck shown to a large guild. Just my 2 cents. I am always amazed at how the vast majority of my customers rely on my judgement so it usually isn't too hard to steer them in the right direction. I also remind them of how much money and time is already invested in their top so a little extra is worth the little extra. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Della, I feel your pain and it hurts!!!!! I just took one off the frame and I am exausted! I had to put tuck after tuck in the two borders on the outside. Plus the "frame" around each block is not square either. I struggled to keep the blocks fairly square as I went but as I did so it was at the expense of the outer borders. The fabric seemed to stretch to me. I hope to goodness no one thinks I did this quickly and didn't try hard to keep things straight!!! Gosh! What do you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Della Posted July 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 Taking a break...down to the final border.....looking like I can pull it tight enough to get it to look okay. Final call will be when I take it off the frame...keeping finger crossed! Just hope it does not spring back and hurt me!! heheheh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 My sympathy all around! Even when you tell your customers that there is a problem will full piecing they think you can magically flatten it all out. Sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. Forewarning them is a good idea. There are techniques that help in these situations. Curvy designs in C-cup blocks, squiggles along questionable sashings or block borders, and piano keys on the borders are a few, but not necessarily appropriate in every case/quilt. Another issue it that un-measured or "carefree" quilt with edge measurement off by 5 or 6 inches. Ouch! I've had every reaction you can think of when returning wonky quilts fixed with pleats, tucks, or "creative" quilting. Some don't believe you when you say there was fullness (a nice before photo sometimes helps). Some laugh and say they knew about the fullness and hoped I could work around it. And some shrug and don't care one bit. What a world.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Originally posted by JustSewSimple Della, I feel your pain and it hurts!!!!! I just took one off the frame and I am exausted! I had to put tuck after tuck in the two borders on the outside. Plus the "frame" around each block is not square either. I struggled to keep the blocks fairly square as I went but as I did so it was at the expense of the outer borders. The fabric seemed to stretch to me. I hope to goodness no one thinks I did this quickly and didn't try hard to keep things straight!!! Gosh! What do you do? Have a glass of wine ... or two?? That would be in celebration of being done, of course :P:D On a serious note, a poorly applied border does take all the fun out of quilting. I'm glad you and Della are done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanaFuller Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 My first quilt I did on my new lenni had pianno keys LOL. If everyone had to quilt one they would measure correctly from then on! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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