gable428 Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 I just finished a customer quilt that I had tons of problems because the piecing isn't quite right. I'm on the second of six and I noticed I'm gonna have the same problems. The borders are all stretched out and the quilt is not square. Any words of wisdom before I actually start on this? Bonnie came up with a wonderful starch/steam technique, but I don't know if I should use that from the get-go. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonden Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 I would check them all out if they are from the same person and ask them to please fix the problems. You can make suggestions on how to fix the problems or run off a sheet on how to properly attach borders. You can also give her the option of having you fix the problems for an extra price. I do have a person who fixes this kind of thing for me and does my binding and picking. She of course charges a fee for fixing customer quilts. Most people don't mind fixing their own mistakes as they learn for the next quilt. Sorry you are having so many problems. It can take the fun out of what we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Hi Gable - I think it would be a lot less problem to starch & steam on your ironing board or ??? where you can use a T square to make sure that it is square. After it is on your machine, you then have to try and do it without a firm surface. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Good Luck. I do hope that you aren't doing custom. I have one customer that I will not do custom for. Her piecing is awful, her borders are wonky, no matter what the pattern it alsways has D cups. I charge her extra every quiilt to "fix" her backings, trim her piecing threads. She mails her quilts so it's hard to go over the problems with her and send her home to fix them. Through her e-mails she just sounds like a wonderful person. I've gotten to where I oooch and skooch to get the top's edges as straight and square as possible and quilt it. I try to use a rather open overall design so there is less chance for puckers. I've sent her all sorts of articles, hints, and tips, tell her that her piecing has major issues. I've even sent her photos of problem areas. She has gotten a bit better over the past 3 years. She's a good customer and loves her quilts when she gets them back. She has been awfully patient as I've had her last 2 quilts forever and mailed them back to her this morning. Tis amazing what a bit of ooching, schooching and qulting can do to a quilt top. jeri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Gable. Bonnie's technique with starch and steam is a wonder and it really does work. I was helping a friend whose daughter is getting married next Sunday and her daughter decided that having a table runner for each table would be a great idea. Needless to say they didn't do them early enough and I got an SOS call on Thursday. They had the runners all pieced but hadn't started quilting them yet. I took 3 to practice on. One of the runners was a mess as far as NOT being square and the setting triangles (blocks on point) were obviously way too big. It didn't lay flat at all. This is what I did: First I put my channel lock and did a horizontal run. I then did a verticle line using imy vertical channel lock. Measured down the horizontal the average length of the runner and put a mark. I then started getting the runner lined up along the top and down the one side. I basted those. Next I ran the vertical line on the other side and down along the bottom. That left me with no guessing and a really easy quide to work the runner in. Once I had it all basted I put the side tension clamps on. Next I sprayed with starch and got the steam out. WOW Bonnie it was like magic! I just got done trimming up the runner and it really came out so flat. I'll definitely use that technique again although I pray that I don't get many big quilts like that! Heidi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Gable, if this person who has sent you these 6 is someone who will understand why and not be insulted that you are having these problems with her quilts, I would set her down and explain as to why and ask her to help fix the problems. Some time theses who the same mistake each time just don't realize they even have a problem. HOWEVER, if this person is like several customers like I have and they know it all and "HOW DARE" you to tell them that they have made a mistake....its just easier to Starch/STeam and continue you on with your day and add a bit more to the quilting than you would others.... You shouldn't have to do this with each quilt and not get some payment for it. The lady that I did the 30 identical wonky quilts for, just didn't care...and she told me so. "I don't care, just do what ya have to and get them done."....well personally to me that was bad enough, giving something to someone else that they didn't care enough to do their best, but it also gave me a clue that if I didn't do my best that I would hear about it in the end. Yes, I added a hefty amount (to me it was hefty $25.00) to the end of each one, but I told her it was because I needed to really work at getting each back fabric that she made short...longer(she knew she had that problem) I never did tell her what I did she wouldn't have understood. AND, like Jeri said....I too hope you aren't doing custom work here....when you have really wonky quilts...just nailing them down is the true answer....the more nails on a huge quilt the better it lays down. Good luck Gable...its not easy dealing with wonky stuff, we each have to deal with each case as we see fit...and sometimes its just better to walk away or at least we would like to think that .:cool: Heidi....glad you were able to Shrink-A-Dink those runners into shape....it is just magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Bonnie, It really is like magic! If you had seen out out of whack this runner was you would never have imagined that I could have gotten it good enough to do custom work on. I did a lot of sid and not one pucker to be had! I was so excited to save this runner because I really liked the runner. Her piecing is not perfect I think the pattern is tippey canoe and the points were very off. I just love the map fabric she used in the background. I'll try to get some pictures later and get them posted. I sure wouldn't have made any money on these. I'll have to calculate it out but each runner took me anywhere from 2 - 3 hours to stitch and mark. Oh well it is for a friend and it was great practice. Heidi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerri Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Bonnie, Does your iron and starch method work when a border is pieced along many bias triangles? On those it seems like the extra fabric added because the triangles were stretched would have no place to go. I couldn't get much fullness out with my spritz and blow dry method I would love to hear your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Kerri, spraying with plain water really doesn't work well if the fabric has been washed and rinsed with a softner. It has take ALL the sizing out and the fabric wants to retain its fullness. You need the sizing in the heavy starch to get things back into control. HOWEVER, as with all stituations you will fine some that just don't fit the fix.... IT will depend on how extremely stretched we are talking. When you are dealing with a bias cut, there is always the chance that a person will just stretch it WAY WAY to far... Yes, the steam/starch method will bring it in SOME, but it WILL NOT cure all ailments, and can't possiblly bring it back 100% if its been stretched out 300%...the method is good, but again it will only work to a point. Sometimes shattered pieces of pottery just don't fit back together. And in quilting we can only be miracle workers to a point. When I personally know I am going to work with Bias edges, I starch the blue blazes out of the fabric before I even make my first cut...this in turn is sealing what will be the bias edge and it stops it from stretching to far (yes it will still stretch but not as easily and its not as fragile or floppy), and should I have any stretch the steam will bring it back when its been sewn to a solid straight of grain piece as long as you don't stretch it beyond the its maximum plus range. The steam and starch metod more than anything is getting the ballooning under control...it is bringing the fabric to its original state as best it can....Its not really shrinking the fabric its just pulling the weave back to where it stretched from originally....so if you have four sides that are nailed down to a solid sashing...but the block middle is ballooning up...the method will bring the middle down and flat or at least flatter than it was ...on triangles it will bring the middle down, but you may still have a bit of ruffling along the bias edge...which it still looks bad, but its something now that you can work with and not have to contend with putting a tuck into the block. The starch is also acting like a stabilizer...it is keeping the fabric in place so that you don't have to pin while you are sewing (and we all know that pinning while using a LA, just doesn't mix)...it is keeping the fabric from just popping back out to its stretch memory state. Fabric has a memory...once it is stretched it wants to always stretch back out to that point. Once you have it sewn you now have it under control and it can't pop back out...so in some cases it does look like you have created a miracle. But we know we just fooled it into thinking the way we wanted it to think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaA Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 I am new to the site. Just what is Bonnie's starch and steam method? Do you do it as you are piecing or when getting ready to quilt it? When I am piecing something that is going to be on a bias I do starch the fabric first but can it be done after the fact? I am learning so much from this site. You gals and guys are great. Pamela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted September 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 You are all so helpful and encouraging. Thanks so much! I decided I'm not going to sweat over it this time like the last one. I'm doing pantos on all of them. I will definitely call her and tell her what's going on. Situations like this does take a little bit of the fun out of it, but then again, if I can help to fix a "problem quilt" then that should make me feel good about my skills. Can you tell I'm trying to look on the bright side?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 Originally posted by PamelaA I am new to the site. Just what is Bonnie's starch and steam method? Do you do it as you are piecing or when getting ready to quilt it? When I am piecing something that is going to be on a bias I do starch the fabric first but can it be done after the fact? I am learning so much from this site. You gals and guys are great. Pamela First off Pamela welcome to our favorite place to play.... to answer you first question click on the link below it will take you through Gable's first project and explain a bit more about what this thread is about. This magic trick is really used when you get a quilt in that has had major ruffling in the borders or you have blocks that are ballooning up and out of control.... There are a couple of pictures as well to give you an idea also. http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=7884#pid66637 Bias pieces are the worst to control...I have found if I starch the fabric really heavy before I even cut those pieces out they stay better in shape and I don't have the stretching you get otherwise. And the points stay perfect. These pieces should always be starched before cutting...otherwise when you stretch them out of shape its harder to get them back where they belong...you can do it either way, but before cutting works best for bias control. What Gable and the others are talking about is a quilt that wasn't preped correctly and they found that the blocks were ballooning...this method will take some to almost all the booboo out, but again if its stretched to much it will only go back in just so far. And Gable...none of us look for trouble that's for sure...and knowing how to fix a problem that maybe someone else would turn down should make you feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerri Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 Thanks Bonnie! That really helps in understanding the difference in full borders from bias and stretched out fabric and what fix is possible. Your awesome descriptions have been so helpful to me to be prepared when the next "full" quilt comes along! Thanks so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamelaA Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 Thank you Bonnie. Your post on how to do this was great and very helpful. I can well appreciate the reason for the towel. Thank you for sharing. Pamela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimmer Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 Pamela I sent you a U2U. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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