maggienoella Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I watched a very good youtube on how to load a quilt by kimmy brunner and will watch it again before I float any more tops but my question is how do you deal with a quilt top when you know it isn't square? I realize I can't trim it to make it square so I don't know what to do... I've read about what the best things may be to quilt friendly borders and the starch and steam method but, beyond that, I'm clueless. And I still have to go back and learn more about these things before I try them out. I don't have one of these yet but I'm sure I will. I've been doing some charity quilts and I've been squaring those up before I put them on the frame and it isn't noticeable because they are so small. But something tells me that's not the correct way to handle them. Thanks in advance for my continued education... Joan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Hi Joan. Trimming a top doesn't always work since you may distort the border or cut off points. Better to quilt the top wonky than ruin the piecing. If your concern is more about quilting fullness (making it flat) rather than making it square, it's best to tame any fullness that you notice before loading--with starch and steam usually. When there's still fullness in a border, a good method of taming is piano keys. You can push the extra fabric into each individual key. It's a very effective way to show your customer that there was fullness that wasn't your fault---and it's now her job to bind the quilt and decide how to lay that extra fabric down as she stitches. I know--I'm evil! Another way to tame border fullness is to use a very curvy overall design. Works especially well on busy fabrics. Paisleys, overall feathers, loops, or a big meander with leaves will push the extra fabric around and isolate the fullness within the curves. That puffiness can be very attractive and hide a lot of extra fabric. As a last resort and if your customer wants custom feathers or line work---best to show them the problem and share your concerns. Lay the top across the roller and check every border for that dreaded flare. Give your customer the options--which can include having her take the top back to fix the wavy parts. A word of caution--you may never see the top again if she gets embarrassed or snippy. So try to come to a solution that keeps the top in your possession. And the absolutely terrible/horrible/ugly/but still acceptable solution is to have tucks/pleats in a full area. It's not a deal breaker. Realize that every piecer in her heart knows everything that's wrong with her piecing. Some don't care and want it finished. Some just want it done and given away where they'll never see it again. Some will only make that one quilt so it doesn't matter to them. Offer the best solution you can with gentle persuasion and go with it. You can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I'll add another reply concerning keeping a top as square as possible on the frame. Start with the backer and batting loaded. You want to load the top square. You can't be sure the outer edge of the border is straight. If it waves or was cut a bit crooked, loading that to a stitched straight line on the batting may cause it to load crooked. Instead of that (usually recommended) technique, load your top using the first border seam as a guide. Lay the top down and eyeball it straight/parallel to the roller. Then put the front edge of the hopping foot on the seam in the center of the line. Engage your vertical channel locks and slide the hopping foot along the seam. Anywhere the seam wanders away from the hopping foot, nudge and adjust it back. Pin as you go just below the seam. Back to the middle, checking that everything is OK and slide in the other direction, again pinning so the seam is straight. Then unlock and smooth the border to pin at the edge. I smooth the top and with a blue water-erase pen on my top (unused) leader canvas mark the outside edge of the side borders, the first seam, and maybe the exact center if it's easy to find. Those are the marks I want the top to hit as I advance it. Any wavering off-line gets some adjusting and pinning after I advance to the next quilting field. If I know the center is wider than the top and bottom edges, I'll try to migrate that extra into the center with each pass to try to keep the quilt square. Another tip--control any fullness in any block or area as you get to it. Try to make sure each quilting area is square and flat before you advance to the next and make sure the new quilting field is pinned into square before you start to quilt there. It isn't possible to make every quilt square. Extra care with every advance can get you close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CindyT Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Linda gives great advice! I do have customers that know they put the borders on quick and fast and know they have big dog-earred corners or is not square, but they tell me they have no problem squaring those corners before they put their binding on. Who am I to argue, especially since I've already tried giving them a FREE lesson on how to do it the correct way to prevent that from happening in the first place. As long as they're happy and I get paid, that's all that matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfly Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 That was a great response, Linda! I also use piano keys a lot for wavy borders and I always encourage my customers to do their best to give me flat borders so I can be creative and not relegated to straight lines. There have been a few times I have had to take tucks. I hate having to do that, but sometimes there is no other option. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingpup Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Follow the good advice given above I am just quilting my own quilts for now....and mine are getting more squared up...but not perfect....and most of the quilts I am making are for bed quilts that will be used and tossed in the wash....so I do my best without going nuts!. I have learned a lot about cutting accurately and which fabrics to use.....and I try to buy enough border fabric so I can use the lengthwise cut of fabric to avoid some of that stretching and I sometimes will use a walking foot to attach the borders on a big quilt and if there are lot of seams on the main piece especially if any of them are on the biase. I usually do the finally squaring up of the corners after my quilting is done using a big square ruler so I can make sure the 90% angle is good....I usually only have to trim off less then 1/2 inch... I know I am not a prefectionist...but folks do keep my quilts I give them....and none of them has said anything about the quilt not being perfectly square....now...If I were to think that I could enter a quilt in a show.....well then....I think I would just have to keep trying to square everything up until I went nuts! Lin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Amen, Linda gives the best advice!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathG Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Linda, great advice, going to add this to my favourites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchanted Quilting Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 When I have a quilt that I know isn't as square as it should be, I rarely float it. I will pin the long edge and then make sure the top edge is even with the basting on the top. It seems that if I have the rollers to keep the top taut is a great aid. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggienoella Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Thank you so much! I'm going to print this so I can keep it very close. (and also try to make DH read it) Joan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aithne Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Thank you so much Linda. Seems like I learn something from all of you every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jclark Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Great advice Linda, I've always used the outer edge of the borders to keep it straight but what you described makes perfect sense. I have a good one ready to load on the frame, flannel, huge (104x116) and 4 inches larger across the middle than at the bottom!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted October 9, 2013 Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 Remember, too, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Take a photo of quilt on frame with all the fullness; then there is no denying it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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