Janey A. Smith Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 This is embarrasing. I made a wall hanging for my daughter in law and and it is beautiful...but...I am noticing that it has slightly wavy borders. Is there any way to correct this, after the fact? It already has the hanging sleeve attached. It has to have happened while quilting on the LA. It is 66x56, what do you suppose I did wrong. I am new to this and would like to hear from the experts. What usually causes this? The quilt top was square when I loaded it. Living and learning, Janey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Hi Janey, Welcome to the longarm community! Wavy borders are very frustrating. Since the quilt already has the binding on and a hanging sleeve, I can think of only one way to possibly fix the border issue--blocking the quilt. Lay an old sheet on a carpeted floor. Place the quilt down on the sheet, and mist the quilt heavily with water. Now with non-rusting pins, begin pinning one edge of the quilt to the carpeting (just shove the pin straight in or at a slight angle so that you can put a little pressure on the quilt from the other direction). Put the pin into the quilt right along the binding seam. Use a yardstick to make sure you pin this first edge straight, and measure the length of the edge as well. Now move to the opposite side of the quilt and pin it to the floor as well. Make sure you measure the distance between this edge and the other one you pinned earlier, and keep the distance the same. Also check that the border lengths are coming out the same. Finally, repeat the pinning and measuring in the other direction. When you are finished, do one last check for "squareness", and measure across the diagonals of the quilt to make sure those numbers match. Allow the quilt to completely dry in this position before you remove the pins. Here are some things that could have caused wavy borders on a quilt that didn't start out that way: [*] Overtightening the quilt on the rollers as you quilt [*] Basting along the outer edges of the quilt before quilting, and then leaving this basting in place when attaching the binding (this is a big culprit for wavy borders if you "floated" a border design inside the border instead of quilting off the border's edge frequently, as would happen with overall quilting) [*] Pulling on the quilt's outer edge to flatten it out when the binding is attached [*] Not hand basting the quilt's raw edges after quilting to allow for the "shrinkage" that occurs in the interior portions of the quilt, before attaching the binding Hopefully one of these suggestions will help you with your next project. Happy Quilting! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janey A. Smith Posted June 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Thanks Dawn, I will try the blocking! I printed this out for reference! Thanks again! Janey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janey A. Smith Posted June 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Dawn, do you always hand baste the raw edges after quilting? Janey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Hi Janey, If the quilting extends off the edge of the quilt in lots of places, you won't need to hand baste--the quilting holds it well enough. The basting is necessary whenever the quilting doesn't extend out to the edges of the quilt. You can certainly use a machine basting stitch to hold the outer edge in place. I just have more luck with hand basting, because I can then "adjust" each quilt edge along the basting stitches until each quilt edge measures the same, even before I attach the binding. Hope the blocking works for your wall hanging! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Dawn, In regards to your answer to Janey....are you doing the hand basting as you are quilting or is this something you do after its off the quilting frame, but you haven't yet cut the extra batting and backing off. I too sometimes have problems with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Dawn, Thank you for that great explanation on blocking. I think I finally understand that. Good question, Janey. Quilting Sequence: I'm a bit confused, though. I don't know if I have been doing this wrong all along (and need to break a bad habit) or if I am not reading your process correctly. I do sometimes get wavy borders on quilts that I thought were OK. If you put a separate border design in (as opposed to quilting off the edge in a E2E), you stay away from the edge on purpose (like an inch) to leave room for the binding. I have always basted the edge as I'm quilting. It sounds like maybe I have things out of sequence. I do (full float): #1 Baste top to batt and backing at top #2 Baste sides that are currently on the machine (that top 20" down the sides) #3 Quilt the top border #4 SID the border(s) #5 Quilt the field (interior) #6 Quilt the border sides #7 Roll the quilt and start over with #2 (skipping 3) It sounds like I should be doing #1 Baste top to batt.... #2 Quilt the top border #3 SID the borders (just what's reachable - no rolling) #4 Quilt the field #5 Quilt the borders #6 Baste the quilted borders #7 Roll the quilt and start with #3 So the borders would be pinned (vice basted) when I quilt them, right? I sometimes turn the quilt for the side borders. I learned the Dawn C method of pinning (clockwise) when you have to turn a quit, so I don't really have trouble with it. But I baste instead. I sounds like I need to go back to pinning. Can you straighten me out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 I made a wall-hanging quilt that wouldn't stay flat on the wall so I added a narrow sleeve at the bottom of the quilt and put in a metal rod (long narrow cylinder, like a cafe curtain rod, that was completely in the casing). The added weight helped to pull the sides straight and the rod was straight, so the bottom border was straight. After a few months I was able to take it out as the quilt had learned its lesson... Good luck! Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtraquilts Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Janey-There is anothr explanation for the wavy borders. Having quilted for almost 30 years, I've studied this with my own quilts. If there is not enough quilting in the border in comparison to the center of the quilt, the inside draws up more and the borders wave. Blocking will not completely take this out. So before you do all that blocking, take a look at how much quilting you have in the border area and if it is not enough, add some more! This has worked for me many times and now I'm very careful to design a border with just the right amount of quilting to balance the center area. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Bonnie, I do the basting after it's off the frame and has had a chance to "relax" from being stretched on the rollers. You're right, then I trim the excess batting and backing fabric away (I usually trim those two parts down to about an inch away from the quilt top before I begin the basting. Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Linda, First know that there really isn't a "right" or "wrong" way as long as you are getting the results you expect. What I found works best for myself is to use pins on the sides of the quilt instead of any kind of basting while the fabric is on the machine. If the sides of the quilt are first basted (and I'm talking a "running basting stitch", not a "tacking baste" where there's just one stitch every inch or so) and I am NOT quilting off the edge of the border, I have forced the raw edge of the quilt to stay "locked" into the position it first began at--stretched firmly on the frame. Once quilting is added to the border, the fabric tries to shrink and draw up (the thicker the batting, the more noticeable this is). The "interior" portion of the border draws up from the quilting but the very outer edge can't change as well, since it was locked down to the batting and backing before quilting was added. If this basting stitch remains in place when the binding is added, the result is a wavy border. Ideally, a person would remove the machine basting before adding the binding, or if a customer likes the basting along the edge, add it AFTER the quilting is complete so that the raw edge can be eased in to match the amount of quilting inside the border. If you really like to machine baste the quilt's side borders, consider a "tacking baste" instead of a running stitch so that the fabric has a chance to change along the outer edge, just like the border's interior. My personal "order" of quilting is: [*] Attach the quilt to the frame (quilter's choice--pin or float; I pin) [*] Use pins to hold the side borders in place [*] Quilt the ditch below the first, outermost top border (this stabilizes the fabric; I personally don't stitch down the vertical ditches until I turn the quilt) [*] Insert the border design into the top border [*] Quilt the ditch below the next border, if there is one [*] Insert the border design into the second border [*] Quilt what I can in the field, except for any long vertical areas, which will be done when I turn the quilt [*] Advance the quilt to the next section, and add pins to the side borders (the other pins stay in the border as it is rolled up on the take-up roller) [*] Quilt the "field", but still no long vertical quilting, like the side borders, long vertical ditches, sashes, etc. [*] Quilt the bottom interior border ditch, then add the border design [*] Quilt the ditch between the last two borders, then add the outer border design [*] Turn the quilt clockwise and reattach it to the machine, using the pins I've left in the side borders as I go [*] Quilt any remaining sections Hope this clears it up for you! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 do you have to sit behind a desk, now that you are "National Director of Education"? A well deserved title! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Dawn, Thank you....I have been pretty much followed the order in which you stated you quilt....most of which I too picked up as I have traveled this road, but I was not hand basting the edges before or afterwards nor have I been turning the quilt, and this may very well may be where I have my problems. Without turning the quilt this may explain why my top and bottom edge don't ruffle, but I do get some (and in some quilts tons) of ruffle there. Again thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janey A. Smith Posted June 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Well, I sprayed the quilt and measured , squared up, and pinned it to the carpet. I am so happy there may be a solution to this wallhanging. I wet it pretty good and then this afternoon I put a fan to it! Thank you so much for all your help and posts. I'll let you know how it turned out when we get back on the 22nd. The wall hanging is a gift and we will actually get to see it on the wall! I had actually thought about the sleeve in the bottom and a slat. Hopefully I won't need to. It is so interesting to hear everyones different experiences on this subject. Thanks again, Janey ps Dawn, you are my hero! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annettevaltl Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Thank you Dawn to take the time and describe the procedure in all details!! Learning ist like striving against the stream. As soon as you stop, you drift off course. Hope my translation into English makes sense.... Have a nice day everybody! Annette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 I try to avoid pins because I stick myself and bleed everywhere anytime I am near one. I had been basting the sides, but after reading what Dawn has written I won't be doing that any more. At MQS last week, two different teachers said that they do a basting stitch down the sides of the quilt about an inch or so long, just to hold it - kind od like a pin, but giving the quilt room to do it's thing as you quilt it. Would that work instead of pins do you think?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Hi Mary Beth, The tacking baste I mentioned in that verbose description should work just like a pin, and no bloody fingers! It was good to see you again at MQS. I remember how scared you were when you first started; I'm glad things are going better and that your confidence has grown a bit! I slip into an "office" a couple of times a week at the APQS showroom to work. Actually, it's kind of nice to get out of the house once in a while after 14 years of quilting in my basement:). Happy Quilting! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Dawn, Thank you. Verbose is a good thing. Sketchy procedures tend to get me in trouble. And based on Annette's (Germany) comment, solid procedures translate better, too. I think that I need to lengthen my basting stitch to 1 inch. I too, hate pins. I guess that Mary Beth and I are just sissys about pins. (Well, I know, for sure, that Mary Beth is a sissy, anyway ) I have to try the SID then quilt borders method you described. Think stabilize, just keep saying it like a mantra. Ahmmmmmmm. I don't like to turn a quilt but I know that when I do, the side borders look so much better quilted continuous than breaking them every 18" before I have to roll. I usually quilted the SID on the side vertially before I turned so I'll try changing that, too. Thanks to your "This quilt is trouble" class, I learned your method for checking for wavy borders before you load the quilt. Some gals just always need help with borders. It is so much better to find out about the waviness before you are in the middle of quilting the piece. Thanks again for the explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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