Batik SOS

[Lynne]

Yikes, just when the tension thing was going well I got this quilt!! It's a beautiful quilt...all batiks in the Squarz pattern, batik back too, with a Warm&White batting. I've tried several threads already I tried a Sulky variegated cotton first...couldn't get a good stitch. Tried Sew Fine...same thing, tried a Rainbow...kept breaking. Now I've finally got a Signature cotton on and the stitch isn't great at all...but the thread looks good on the batik at least. I've got a prewound in the bobbin and the tension looks fine so I've been fiddling with the upper tension. In addition to a cruddy looking stitch, I've got white pokies coming out the back, even though it's a new needle in there. Does anybody have any advice for taming this batik quilt? And guess what? When I finish it, I have a second one just like it:( Help!!!

Lynne in Ann Arbor

[DawnCavanaugh]

Hi Lynne,

Unfortunately, batiks are notorious trouble makers when it comes to the quilting! You've got a double whammy going--

Batik fabric has a high thread count (200 threads per square inch) and often a waxy residue from the fabric stamping process. Your needle doesn't want to force those tight fibers apart very well as it pierces the fabric. In addition, the Warm and White batting is a "dense" batting, making it difficult for the needle to drag the thread through both the batik and the batting. Plus, you've also got another layer of batik on the back to try to pierce.

So, first try a larger needle size so that the hole is larger, making room for the thread as it passes through the quilt layers. The down side to this, however, is that if you need to rip out any quilting, the holes left behind my not "recover".

As for the batting, make sure you have the Warm and White in correctly. Many battings have a "right and wrong side". Look at the Warm and White and see if the side that is "UP" (or facing your quilt) appears to have little dimples or indentations. This is the "right side" of the batting. When the batting was needle punched at the factory, a huge machine drove lots of needles through the batting in one direction, creating depressions on one side, and little "slubs" or "pills" on the other side. The "pilly" or "slubby" side is the BACK side of the batting. If you were using Warm and Natural, then the right side of the batting has the small brown speckles on it. The wrong side actually looks cleaner, but has the "slubs" I mentioned.

You want your needle to enter the batting the same way those needles on the punching machine did to avoid bearding.

If you happen to have this batting in "upside down" then there's really not much you can do to correct it at this point, other than to "cheat" like the rest of us. When you get the occasional "batting poke" out the back, grab your Pigma permanent markers (found at your local quilt shop) and color those dots of white in to match the backing fabric. Be sure to press it when you're done to heat set the ink.

Just so you know, dense battings have a tendency to do this, especially Warm products.

Another suggestion that I have yet to try myself was recommended by Laura Lee Fritz. She mixes 4 parts water to one part unscented liquid Downy fabric softener and then lightly mists the batik quilt backing fabric as it is draped over her frame, and then allows it to dry. She says this improves tension with batik fabric.

Hopefully something will work that will get you through this project and make that next one a breeze!

Dawn

[ramona-quilter]

Another one for my notebook. Thanks, Dawn.

[Darlene Epp]

Lynne, if this was my customer, I'd call her up and tell her this combination will not give the good result she's looking for. Explain that both the fabrics and the batting are very dense and it's very difficult to get a good stitch.

I would ask her to replace the Warm & White with something like Hobb's Heirloom Premium. You will probably be able to eliminate the dreaded pokies, and the quilt will be lighter in weight and will drape better when finished.

Also, it will be MUCH easier for the needle to get in and out of the quilt sandwich without affecting the tension so much, AND you'll increase your possible thread choices, although I think I'd stay away from anything like Rainbows with the tight weave of 2 layers of batik.

Remember that the size of the needle needs to increase with the thickness of the thread. That groove down the centre is there to protect and encase the thread as it goes through the fabric. If you use a thicker thread, you need a deeper groove, hense a thicker needle.

Make that phone call. Most customers are very impressed if you explain WHY one choice will be better than another for their quilt. It shows that you've really thought things through, and as THE PROFESSIONAL!, you're passing on that information to them.

If she does not want to change the batting, I'd have her sign a waiver stating that you are not to be held responsible for poor tension or pokies on the back with this combination of fabrics and batting.

Something else that will help is to spray the batting with some Sullivan's Silicone. This will help the needle glide through the layers and will also keep the needle cooler and give the thread more of a chance to form nice stitches.

One last thing. Keep the tension on the quilt sandwich a bit looser than normal. The weave of the fabric is already tight. No point to making it even tighter. There should NO stretch at all on the fabric.

GOOD LUCK.

[Bekah]

this is not related to quilting a batic but I just finished a shirt with some batic material my friend brought me back from Hawaii. It was the shirt from H----. I broke needles, bent pins, had my motor jam on my DSM to it to my dealer and they were stumped. finally said, guess you can't sew this on the Pfaff, suggest you do it by hand, couldn't get a regular hand sewing needle through the stuff. I cannot imagine tryting to quilt a batic quilt now. it gives me nightmares, but all of the suggestions here make it sound doable.

[Jeanette]

I have done several of the same combination and found that silicone spray on the backing and a little on the thread cone or the bobbin thread makes all those problems disappear.

I buy the sewers silicone spray at the fabric store.

Jeanette

[jeri]

Lynne, I almost always have trouble with the Warm and Natural and the Warm and White with batting pokies. From what my customers tell me who love those battings once the quilt is washed the pokies seem to go away. Whenever I accept a quilt with either of those batting I explain the problem to the customer before I will use their batting. I've tried the different sized needles etc. with no luck in changing. I also have had theat same problem with some of the packaged Hobbs. I currently having the same problem with one using Hobbs Poly Down--since I usually don't use 100% poly battings this one was a surprize. jeri

[DB]

I just finished quilting a queen sized quilt with Quilters Dream 80/20 cott/poly batt. It had a lovely drape to it, smooth to the touch, but the lint and the fuzzies were incredible. I got most of the pokies under control after playing with the tension a bit but also had to swap the needle several times. After it was quilted I had to go over the whole thing because it was covered in fuzz. One of my quilting friends loves the warm and natural batt and uses it all the time with no problem (I haven't seen any batiks here) but I find it almost too dense. I just purchased some Hobbs Heirloom cotton batt, so I'll give that a try in my quest for the perfect batt. Lynn, good luck with your quilts, with two layers of batiks and a layer of warm and natural it's got to be like quilting through cardboard. Dawn and Darlene, thanks for the tips, I'll be sure to put them to use some day. DB