cegates Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 I am having a quite a run of wonky quilts from customers, but I worry that I am doing something that makes things worse. I am using every strategy I can find to keep these quilts square and flat. I use my channel locks to line up seams horizontally and vertically. Per Myrna's instructions in her DVD, I am careful to leave the fullness where it is instead of pushing it to the end of the quilt. I pin like crazy to deal with issues. But sometimes towards the end of the quilt those last couple of seams just cannot be made straight and there is a lot, sometimes a huge amount, of fullness in the bottom border. Even with relatively well behaved quilts, I can anticipate some fullness at the bottom border. Am I causing this? How can I predict problems and minimize them? When do you just give up and quilt a quilt into a shape that is not square? Thanks in advance (again!!!) Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlnewell Posted July 6, 2013 Report Share Posted July 6, 2013 If you are using channel locks, check to make sure your poles are parallel (same distance apart) on each end. Then check your leaders to make sure they are parallel. Unless a quilt is intended for competetive show, I don't worry about using channel locks to make sure seams are perfectly straight. (in that case, the piecers usually do a very good job with the piecing) Do you roll the tops onto the bar, or do you float them? I've found that quilt tops often appear to be flat, and square, but when loaded on the machine you can really tell that they are not. Yes, I've quilted several as they are. I think a little out of square is better than a square quilt with tucks and pleats in the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 Debbie gives good advice, I also would check your leaders, over time they seem to stretch in the centers where most of the quilts are pinned. I have quilted several that were out of square due to piecing and most of the time you can't really tell unless this is for show... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 / Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zora Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 I think you are always going to have some fullness in the bottom border, because it isn't quilted..whereas the area above the border IS quilted. Before I get too close to the bottom border with my quilting, I stop and SID between the body of the quilt and any borders there may be, plus stitch down the bottom edge. Sharon Schamber shows how to pin the bottom border to the batting and backing before you unpin it from the leader. You pin it about an inch above the edge, then unpin from the leader, then run a line of pins along the edge before you remove the ones you put in above the edge...if that makes sense. Stitch the bottom a bit at a time, removing pins in a small area as you go along. I generally leave both rows of pins in place and remove only the ones at the edge as I stitch it. When I get to the border to quilt it, I take the upper row of pins out. I have to watch the quilt as it rolls, because the right side of the quilt rolls tighter than the left side. I don't see a reason for this. The rollers are level and there isn't any adjustment to make otherwise, so I have to work the quilt manually on that left side..twisting like in Myna's video where she shows about loading the quilt. I have also noticed that if you have a lot of extra backing fabric on the side, it interferes with the quilt rolling evenly. So, for instance, if I have ten inches of excess backing fabric on the left and 3 inches on the right, and my batting does not come to within an inch of the edge of the backing on each side, the quilt will roll funny and not be even. I also get way worse results in keeping the quilt square if I float the top. I reserve top floating for small projects, or ones that are hopelessly out of square to begin with. Forcing a quilt that isn't even close into being square is NOT my job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Debbie, My quilts also feed tighter, but on the left side, and that is all of them. We've checked leaders and roller bars, all is well, changed leaders and made sure everything is straight, and it still does it. We are putting on new leaders and going back to zippers.. and Himself is making sure that they are as exact as he can get them. He takes hours to get a perfectly straight line on the roller bar. One little deviation and he starts over, instead of correcting and continuing. I've not experienced the fullness at the bottom but a few times, and so far have been able to flatten them out just by encouraging the border quilting to take up the excess. Can't think how to say that the way I want. I move the fabric with my fingers is what I mean. Lynn, all good advice. thanks Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuilterMomma Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 There are times when those quilts are so out of shape. I watched this a while back, Kimmi Brunner did a show on Quilt IT and I bought this measuring tape and use it when I know I need that extra hep with a quilt. http://www.longarmquiltingshow.com/episode-notes/206-kimmy-brunner/ Before starting to quilt, it’s important to make sure all the straight lines of the quilt are in fact straight. The first and most obvious line is the seam line that connects the border to the quilt. A zero center measuring tape helps with this. Sashing lines should also be straight and Kimmy shows how to make corrections. She stitches in the ditch using YLI Iris thread and the HQ Mini Scallop Ruler as a guide, making sure she’s never in a hurry when stitching with a ruler. You can ease a lot but tug just a little when stitching. Even the shortest thread tail can be buried into the batting with the Spiral Eye needle. Longarm Centering Tape by Colonial Needle Company – colonialneedle.com Handy Helper Quilters Measuring Tape by Golden Threads – goldenthreads.com HQ Mini Scallop Ruler by Handi Quilter™ – handiquilter.com Spiral Eye Side Threading Needles – spiraleyeneedles.com Check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegates Posted July 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 Thanks to everyone who responded to this post and the one titled The End, your answers were very helpful. On my last quilt, a lovely sampler/applique' that had some piecing issues, I took Darlene's advice and made sure the top, batting and backing were at the same tension on the rollers. I kept the quilt sandwich a bit looser than I usually do. I also took a much more relaxed approach regarding 'making' the quilt square. I tried to let the quilt be what it was, if that makes sense. I had some areas of fullness that were easily steamed out, but this quilt went much better that it should have. I think the lesson I learned is that each quilt requires a different strategy to make it the best it can be. I also learned that the problem solving required to quilt well is absolutely addictive to me. When I am successful, I can hardly wait to take on the next challenge. Thanks again!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 Beautiful job Carol! I'm like you. Once the quilt is finished, no matter the problems, I kind of forget them and can't wait to get to the next one. Which reminds me! I have 4 waiting. I'm just having too much fun doing one of my own for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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