Creases in my backing fabric

[Gigi59]

About 1/3 through my quilting, and I’m now getting creases in my backing fabric, how can I get these out?  I’ve got a lenni, and doing lots of thread changes and appliqué work, so have been rolling the quilt back and forth as I go, I did do some basting before starting, horizontally across my quilt about every 15 to 20 inches apart. I have manual advance.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  

Thanks, gail 

[sewingpup]

Hi Gail,

Sorry you are having problems.....it just seems that basting just in one direction and that far apart would not be enough.....I think you need to baste more....and in more directions....as it seems that if you just go in one direction.....that the fabric could still slide as you increase the tension on it by doing your close quilting....sort of like it would if you put a basting line on a skirt you wanted to gather.....folks also use pins to stabilize as they go....I really haven't done a lot of work that requires a lot of basting....just learning stuff from reading this forum...you could try doing a search on this site for basting or stabilizing  good luck...Lin

[Gigi59]

Thanks so much, I’ll go back and add more basting and try rerolling to work out the wrinkles.  Next time I’ll know better,  

[jimerickson]

Gigi:   Lyn's right, you need to do more to stabilize the quilt before you roll it back and forth.   You can also pin rather than baste.   If you do that, I'd follow Quilting Heidi's recommendation to "pin the snot out of it".  Safety pins about 6 or 8 inches apart will probably do.  Jim 

[Gigi59]

Thanks Jim, I’ve ripped out my existing basting and have gotten the creases out of my backing, so that’s good.  When I pin with the safety pins, is it okay to leave them in as the quilt is rolled back and forth? Or do the safety pins just go in the section your currently quilting on.  

[Gail O]

Generally when pinning for longarm quilting, you use straight pins not safety pins.  The pins should be a hands width or less apart.  You will be pinning all of the unquilted areas, leaving the pins in until you are ready to quilt that area.  Some do all of the SID on a quilt, pinning the rest; some do all of one colour thread, pinning the rest.  Make sense?

[Gator]

Sorry, I missed your post earlier.  I do a ton of quilting around embroidery and applique.  I machine baste the sides then use pins around the areas I'm working on and remove them as I finish the area.    I float my quilts,  so I also have pvc clamps to hold the bottom of my sandwich firm on the roller it's draping. However, it sounds like your not floating the quilt.  Sorry Jim,  I never heard of using safety pins on our longarms, not to say it wouldn't work.  I would think small safety pins would roll fine.   Amy (APQS educator) suggests using the flower pins, they are very flexible  but be careful of getting stabbed by them. 

[jimerickson]

Safety pins work fine.  The one benefit they offer is that they don'e accidentally come out.  Use whatever you like.  The point being that you must stabilize the quilt before you roll.  Jim

[Gigi59]

Thanks again to everyone.  I’ve taken out what little basting I had on the bottom2/3 of my quilt, pinning lots as I go now and trying the floating.  It’s looking much better!