Nettie Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 I hope you experts can help me with a problem I just encountered for the first time! I just loaded the backing for a customer's quilt, (this customer does impeccible work!!) and as I advanced the roller to make the quilt back taut....I found that the left side is just the right tension and the right side of the backing sags quite a bit.....I know I have heard of this happening to others but I do not know what to do now??? The backing is all one piece of fabric with about 6 inches of another fabric added to each side. Can anyone advise me what to do?? Thanks so much!!!! Nettie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Hi Nettie, your backing is not square. The best thing to do it take it off and square it up. If you need to know how to do this give me a call. Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Myrna...........Thanks so much for your help! I enjoyed our chat on the phone and appreciate all the great advice!! The quilt back is back on the machine and ready to go!! Thanks again! Janette:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted March 19, 2007 Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 You are so welcome. Happy Quilting Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MODEN Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Myrna, I like your picture, your smile is so contagious. I noticed you are always there giving answers to every question. My Freedom should be here this Friday and I know I will be posting lots of questions. I look forward to your answers. I have learned soooo much already since I started looking for a machine a few weeks ago and I am not afraid to try this new venture, up here in northern Saskatchewan, all alone and far from "civilisation", knowing there is this immense support group out there. Thank you and thanks to all the contributors. It feels like a greaty big family...I know its gushy...but its the only way I can say it. P.s. I have to go and feed my huskys if I want to go to town tomorrow and get my groceries.....Can you hear them hauling? LOL:D:cool:...Monika Monika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Hi, Monika! You are so right about Myrna's smile. I met her in person while at the show in Houston last fall and I gotta tell ya that her picture doesn't do her justice. She is gorgeous. She's a real cutie cutie! (but hey...I think all the APQS staffers are adorable...inside and out). Hey, congratulations on your new longarm! I'm getting my new longarm in a few weeks! I know what you mean about feeling far from civilization in northern Saskatchewan (I'm way up in Alaska!) But, I don't need a dog team to get me around (however, I'm good friends with a family who lives really remote...way out in the Alaska bush and rely on dog team to get around). Anyway, this is a great web chat board. I've been frequenting this place for almost a year now and have learned tons. See you around, friend. Shana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Shauna! You ordered your machine?!? Is the studio finished? Need and update and pictures, you Quiltmonkey, you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sylkamode Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Square up the backing, mostly the backing is no rectangle or square, sometimes it differs more than a couple of inches, I have noticed, when people bring their own backing. Just check it always before mounting up the backing on the roller bar. Sylvia Kaptein Sylka-Mode www.sylkamode.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrystitcher Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 I wish we could educate the quilters to be sure the backing is square. They think they can just bring it to us right from the store. I always have to square up backing and it takes away from quilting time; but at least I know it is square! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted March 20, 2007 Report Share Posted March 20, 2007 Monika, where in Saskatchewan are you? Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Originally posted by kennan100 Shauna! You ordered your machine?!? Is the studio finished? Need and update and pictures, you Quiltmonkey, you! Hey, Kenna! **giggle** Yup... We are close to finishing the room remodel (probably within a month) so I thought I might as well get the thing heading north on the truck. It might need to sit waiting still in its shipping boxes for a couple of weeks after it arrives while we get the finishing touches done on the sewing rooml, but I expect it to be completed by end of April. It's FINALLY happening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Thank you Monika and Shana, you girls are making me blush. We have a lot of talented gals and guys here answering questions. It really is a great chat and APQS is great to be part of. We are happy to have you. You are gong to love your Freedom. It is really up to us as quilters to teach our customer to bring in the quilt, backing and batting the way it needs to be for the best quilting results. How about writing up a sheet to give them on how to square up their backing. I have a preparation sheet on my website that also gives a lot of info. Feel free to print if off and use it or give it to your customers. Everything you teach them to make your job easier will give them better results in the finished quilt and make you shine . Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Shauna, this is just great, are you going to open a corner of the box to peek or are you gonna leave it alone until time for set up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi Kenna, Oh...no way could I just wait and leave the boxes alone, I am like a kid a Christmas... I GOTTA PEEK IN THE BOXES!!!!!!!! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmyhogan Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Originally posted by Nettie I hope you experts can help me with a problem I just encountered for the first time! I just loaded the backing for a customer's quilt, (this customer does impeccible work!!) and as I advanced the roller to make the quilt back taut....I found that the left side is just the right tension and the right side of the backing sags quite a bit.....I know I have heard of this happening to others but I do not know what to do now??? The backing is all one piece of fabric with about 6 inches of another fabric added to each side. Can anyone advise me what to do?? Thanks so much!!!! Nettie I have had this experience and tried several different fixes. I am interested to know the best way to correct the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Hi, Jim. I don't have my LA yet, so I haven't experienced trying to load quilt backing fabric on a roller from a customer (I've only pieced and prepared my own backings). For me when I piece or prepare my own backing fabric, I snip and rip the fabric along the top selvages to remove them, and I also snip and rip the fabric along the width on both sides. This way, I know I've got a true grain running along the length as well as the width of my fabric. Then, I sew the pieces together using some where between 1/4" and 1/2" seam allowance (making these pieces wide enough and long enough to create a backing piece for my quilt top. Here's a suggestion, and I don't know if this would work for you, but you could snip the top of the backing you've recieved and tear it across to get a true grain, then pin that to your roller bar and roll it up, flattening out and, watching to ensure no wrinkles form on the backing fabric, and that it rolls nice and straight on the roller bar. That could be a good test for your backing fabric before you try to quilt it. Maybe I rambled on assuming I answered your question...but not sure...is this the type of answer that you are looking for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmyhogan Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Thanks Shana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted March 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Just an update on the quilt with the not so square backing.....I followed Myrna's advice and a friend (another longarm quilter) and I worked really hard to square up the back. We did the best we could and I re-loaded the quilt and am custom quilting on the second row. The back is still not right! It sags now in the middle a bit. While we were working on straightening the back....we noticed that the fabric itself had somewhat of a twist in it. I wonder if this distortion could have been caused in the washing, drying, and pressing process or if it just came that way. So far there is no problem...I keep climbing under the machine to check for problems but so far so good. Thanks to everyone for all the input! Nettie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Just out of curiosity, it would be nice to know where the fabric came from, what store...like a LQS or Wal-Mart or JoAnn's, etc. It could have stretched in the process of getting it ready, especially if it was ironed and not pressed and depending on the quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nettie Posted March 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 It was a Marcus Brothers 108 inch backing bought from Keepsake Quilting....the customer said after washing it shrunk 8 inches....I have never hear of fabric shrinking that much! Nettie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabric007 Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 What I do when it isnt square is when I attatch it to the second roller..I take the excess and the canvas and pull it towards me and pin it on the roller till it is tight. this also usually keeps the backing straight ...I hope you can understand this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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