belquilt Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I was wondering how tightly do you ladies roll your quilt tops on? I thought maybe I was being too picky and some tops are not perfectly flat that its hard to roll the top tightly on the bar. The backing is easy as far as I am concerned, but the tops can go on cattywompus (sp) and I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong. Thanks:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAB Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't know the answer to this but I took a longarm quilting class on Wednesday and they had it so loose that it kind of bothered me. It also made me question that I load my quilts way too tight. I asked if this was how she normally loads the quilts and she told me yes. Her quilting is fabulous so I will take her word on it. She told me that if you have it loaded too tight that the stitches will lay on either side of the fabric instead of nestling between the fabric in the batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I think I am loading my quilts too tight. I think that is part of my tension problems sometimes so I would also like you expert quilters to tell us how we know the correct tightness there must be a trick to knowing that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 When I first started quilting I had a LOT of 'tension' problems. I stretched and tortured those poor tops into submission and you could bounce coins off them. Then I read a post from a well known quilter and she said that she liked to see her machine base crawling around under the quilt like a mole:-) I immediately backed way off and let the tops loose enough to see my machine base under there and my tension and breakage problems went down to almost zero. I also learned to check the takeup roller frequently as I tended to forget to raise it and that can create too much drag. Keep a fingers width between the quilt and your base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Jeanette, I have a question. If you keep a fingers width between your base and the quilt...how can your base crawl around under your quilt top like a mole? Guess I'm not quite getting it... Can an "expert" out there take a pic and post it for us who are questioning it? DAWN C..... R U OUT THERE??????? Sure love to hear your advice on this... SHERRY R.H..... I think there are quite a few of us who may have our quilt tops a tad too tight.. Please....some expert...post a pic. Thank You In Advance!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I never pin my top to the rollers - I use the fully floating method so there is never any tension on my top. I feed my top over the batting between the No 3 and No 2 rollers and pull it up to within an inch or two of the canvas on the Pick up roller. Then I smooth it horizontally and vertically trying to keep the edges as square as possible and baste in place. Every time I roll on I square it again by patting and smoothing horizontally and vertically and baste down the sides as I go. For my backing fabric, I roll the fabric onto the rollers until I feel resistance and then secure the tension block handle. I look underneath at the backing fabric and I like to see it - not flat as a board - but very slightly sagging. If find this the best way to make a soft and lofty quilt. Best wishes Sue in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 I too began with my quilts screaming for mercy! I also had alot of tension problems. Now my quilts are not pulled tight but are rather just laid out flat and nice and smooth. If they do not lie flat then I take care of that with the quilting. As long as I am working on the front of the machine I can keep my left hand on the quilt to coax it to lie flat and to keep puckers from happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 The fingers width thing - My takeup bar is a fingers width above the arm of the base and the fabric is loose enough to easily see the end of the needle plate crawling under the fabric. Hmmmm, hard to visulize until you try it:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanette Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 Ooops, forgot to finish, I do the same as Sue - I float my tops, just basting them across the batting and backing at the takeup roller position. I roll the backing to smooth then loosen a couple of rachets clicks to achieve what I call the 'mole'. Each time the quilt is advanced I smooth and straighten the top and check the batting, etc. When I pinned tops I was stretching them almost to popping seams at times, lots of problems then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dixieqwv Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 I was told it should be like a cat had been sleeping on the quilt .... so guess that's fairy loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzollin Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 If you don't keep them very tight, don't you get puckers or folds in the backing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MODEN Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 Okay..so how did you get these neat signatures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 In the beginning I tightened my quilts up like a military bunk. Too tight. It really messes up the tension. The mole idea is a good visual for how loose the quilt is supposed to be. I think the finger test that SheriB s referring to is the distance tht the leveling roller sits above the machine - you should be able to fit your fingers up to the first knuckle between the leveling roller and the machine. I got that one from Myrna Ficken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 That's it Ramona Quilter! And thank you all for your replys on the "finger" issue...(.that didn't sound good.) lol sheesh, you think i could of worded that a bit different.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belquilt Posted September 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 Sue - do you have a picture of your full float? It would really be nice to see it. I hope more people chime in as I still don't know if my quilts are too tight!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 Beth, If you tighten up your quilt to the point that you are seeing the take up roller bend, feel ridges next to the pins you've used to attach the quilt or backing, or see any seams pulling (you see the piecing thread between the patches, for example), then it's too tight. Food for thought: [*] If you first quilted on a domestic machine, did you have your quilt in a hoop, drum tight? Nope. I'll bet you just had the layers pinned together, and your hands provided any "tightening" needed. [*] If you are a hand quilter, is the fabric tight in the hoop? Rarely. You need enough "play" in the fabric to be able to load stitches on to the needle and rock it up and down. [*] So...new longarm quilters over tighten their fabric, just because they CAN! There's something comforting about seeing that quilt nice and firm and flat (sounds like I just described 6-pack abs!). Unfortunately, that tautness is the worst thing you can do for your tension. The needle's scarf will pierce the fabric and cause it to bounce up and down under the hopping foot, since the fabric is so tight. That makes it hard for the locking stitch to happen in the air space the batting creates. [*] Which brings up the next issue--if the quilt is tight, any airspace created by the batting is effectively compressed, sometimes to the point of elimination. Again, the machine can't lock the stitches in the proper place. Think about your domestic machine quilting days. If the fabric is stretched comfortably to prevent wrinkles and puckers (don't over-do the side clamping, either) without pulling on the seams or distorting the blocks, then you're good to go. Hope this helps! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belquilt Posted September 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 Dawn, THANK YOU!! You wise words and advice help as always. I am going to print this out to remind me. Fortunately I haven't loaded one where the roller bends, but on the other hand, I was worried it was too tight and then wondered what was too loose. I was a DM quilter before, so you first bullet helps. I just didn't want to get it too loose for bunching and too tight where it was pulling everying so much. Thanks to the rest of you too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 The way I like my quilts loaded is that when you drop a quarter on it, it doesn't bounce but falls flat, lol The mole analogy is interresting so I checked that (without my expandable base on) to the eye my quilt top appears to be tight, no sagging bottom, no excess fullness in the top, side clamp elastics still have some flexibility to them, etc. but if you start moving the machine around you can see that there is movement under the top because it has a little bit of a raised mound (mole like) where the base of the machine is. On the other hand if you have it too loose then I think you also will run into additional problems. Such as puckers, tucks and it will be harder too move the machine around it as well. I think that just like there is a "sweet spot" for thread tension there is also a "sweet spot" for loading. If this is something that is keeping you up at night then take a class with one of the APQS reps and see how they load their quilts for the classes, or the shows. Paying attention to the little details can really make the difference in the finished quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuiltFaerie Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 I am so guilty of stretching that puppy so tight, it could bounce a quarter. Live and learn! I was just downstairs working on a charity quilt and have been quilting it with my tension relaxed. I can't believe the quality of my stitches. Beautiful, just beautiful. Who knew???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grammie Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 I'm one who sometimes puts the quilt tighter than some. What I do is tighten until I see the extra spare bar sorta bow and then I loosen until the bar is relaxed again. I rarely have tension issues. I tried loosening it more as I've seen by some teachers and I get a pucker somewhere on the back. I have puckers and I hate plucking puckers that couldn't have been prevented had I kept the fabric just a tad tighter. I know we have to find that spot we all are comfortable with. I try to clamp both the backing and the batting when I can but there are times when you can only clamp the backing so I use a leader pinned to sides to keep it square and not stretched too much. In some of the videos I have it looks like the fabric is really loose like in Nichole Webb's there seems to be alot of give in the quilt. Of course she is just a quilting away with no worries. If I had my top that loose it would be a disaster. Too loose is scarry to me. How do I know if my stitch is looping or interlocking in between the layers as it should? Anyone have a pic of the good stitch and one from having the fabric too tight? That would be interesting. Lots of good advice here. I'm going to take a second look at how I do it. I think I have it right as my stitches appear to be really good on front and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 well I just have to chime in here. I have been trying really hard to improve my quilting so I am trying everything new I read thinking I suppose that the magic of the talent on this forum will rub of on my by way of reading words. Anyway, I decided to try all kinds of new things on this QOV quilt I am working on such as doing top and bottom borders adn then turning the quilt, and loosening up my tension. I am here to tell you six hours later after being on my hands and knees dealing with a puckery back. I think I loosened the tension way too much. O my what a nightmare. Well the nightmare is fixed and now I am ready to turn my quilt and have not a clue what to do from here. I believe I am to attach to the take up roller and the top roller? I am not going any furhter until I hear from someone from my "family" Also do I reattach the zippers? so many questions and this old brain is on overload. I sure hate to sound so uninformed. maybe I am having old timers disease. LOL. thanks to all of you for you rinput and encouragement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlittle1 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Bekah, I'm sorry you are having such problems with the changes that you've made. I know it can be really frustrating. Your questions made me think of a discussion that we had that started back in June. It was started by Mary Beth and it was called "New Customer" or "New Customer Quilts", something to that effect. Its in the forum called "Quilting How-tos". On the second page of that discussion is a reply by Dawn Cavanaugh in which she gives a step by step explanation of loading a quilt. The date on her reply is 7/24/07. I think it may answer most of your questions. I noticed that you said that you quilted the top and bottom border and are going to turn the quilt and do the rest. Did you do any stabilizing of the quilt besides the top and bottom borders or basting the sides down. When you are going to turn a quilt or move from bottom to top several times during the quilting you need to stabilize the quilt first. That is usually done with SID around the blocks. It could also be by crosshatching, terry-twist, cc, etc. Just not heavy, tight quilting. The CD that came with my Liberty starring Dawn Cavanaugh is really good for learning how to load the quilt and work through it. Donita Reeves has an excellent video on loading and working your way through a quilt. She floats the quilt rather than attaching the top to the take up roller and the top roller as Dawn does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaequilts Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Someone asked "don't you get puckers if your quilt is too loose?" Yes...I do. I think I might keep my quilt tighter than a lot of the quilters here prefer. But it is working quite well for me There are a lot of factors that affect how tight your quilt should be. Two big factors are the construction of the top and the density of the quilting. When I do very dense quilting and the quilt begins to draw up and shrink I must have my tension a bit tighter than when I do a loose open design. If it is loose those unquilted areas are like balloons and the hopping foot will push that fabric around and make tucks....NOT GOOD! Also...a quilt with construction problems and "D" Cup blocks will often benefit from a little bit more tension. Once again...if it is too loose the hopping foot will push that extra fabric around. I haven't met a customer yet that thought a tuck was her fault because of bad construction. She will likely blame the quilter for quilting in tucks. Now having said this.....I never pull it so tight that roller bars are bending....but my quilts never sag either. There is a place in between where things are just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 I echo what Grammie Tammie said - I tighten to see the bar bow slightly, then back off. I was told to form a kitty hammock. To help with the side tension, I use the Qsnap that I had for when I did cross stitch - I put a long shoelace through each bar, tied the ends together, then put the pony clips on the shoe lace. This spreads the tension out along the entire side, and not just where the pony clamp is. I got this idea from Linda who posted it somewhere. If anyone wants photos, email me and I'll email you the word document where I have the photos. Not sure how to post photos here. Julia juliagraves@verizon.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kae1 Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 I was so glad to see this topic. I am the queen of tight and have the tension problems to prove it. I am excited to loosen and sew. My question is for Phyllis. I cannot find the How to by Dawn you referred to, any additional help to find it. Thanks, Kae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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