Tucks On Back

[Alice]

I've been doing really well to not getting any tucks on my backs. But I just finished a king size quilt with 7 borders of various sizes! I used a pantograph pattern (requested by the customer) on the larger borders. So I quilted the borders on one long side first, then the center of the quilt and finally the other side. So far, no problem. I left the corners for when I quilted the top/bottom borders.

First border - OK. But then the last border ended up with a tuck that is about 1/4" deep (for a total of about 1/2" extra fabric) that goes across 5 of the borders! Not sure if basting this quilt first would have helped. The back is pieced and the customer even questioned whether it was square. Since there wasn't any fabric to spare, I loaded it as is.

My question is this ................. has anyone else had this problem and how did you address it with your customer? I've thought of taking those borders out and requilting but I'm not sure that will even work. Or, simply telling the customer of my issue and asking (1) if she wants me to fix it or (2) if she will accept it as is with a discount. If she accepts with a discount, what do you suggest?

This is one of my first and most faithful customers. It is a long-distance arrangement, so she won't be able to see the quilt before making a decision. I even thought of hand-stitching the tuck down (with her permission, of course) so that it simply looks like a seam.

Any suggestions?

[JoAnnHoffman]

The back wasn't square and it was pieced. That's two problems. And since there wasn't enough fabric to make it square, there really isn't much you could have done. Always square up your back and if the back fabric too small, call or tell the customer to make it right. You don't need to stress yourself out and give yourself a headache. Tell this customer the truth and charge her the normal price. She knew what she was giving you and next time she will have plenty of backing fabric for you to square up.

[Alice]

JoAnn, thanks for the confirmation of what I suspected all along. I have squared up backs for folks in the past, but in this case, I chanced not having enough to cover the top! My typical way to square up is to pull a thread because then the backing is situated on the straight or cross grain and will not stretch on the bias.

I think my customer will understand.

[Jerri]

This may be a bit unorthodox but I never square my backs:o I fold the backing in quarters, and then the quilt in quarters and lay the folded quilt on the folded backing - I can tell at a glance how much "extra" backing I have - this is done while the client is at the studio. This is where, if the backing is seamed - I place a safety pin in the backing so when I load the quilt so the seam is slightly off center. I mark the center of the backing - trying to pin selvages if at all possible to my zippers, which have marked centers. The only time I trim is if there are no selvages - then I only do the top and bottom. I roll, then pin the bottom to the roller - again aligning the center of the backing to the center mark on the zipper. Time is money and there is no need for this extra step if doing a panto or E2E IMHO:cool:. All that matters to me is that I have enough backing to clamp. If I am doing custom and have to turn the quilt to finish the side borders I trim to three inches when the quilt is off the frame, find the center and pin as before.

I have a centering tape on my back bar and as I load the quilt I always make sure the quilt sides are true to my beginning measurement. Also, if you are doing custom and work from left to right ( or right to left) don't stitch down the side on the right (left). I have found I get tucks because I do custom work consistantly from the right to the left and when I get to the right if stitched there is sometimes a "extra" fabric and if the side is stitched you will get a pleat. If doing a panto or E2E and work both sides equally I will stitch down both sides.

Hope this helps.....

[Alice]

Jerri, thanks. I've heard conflicting comments about whether or not to stitch down the side. Ironically, I don't have a tuck where it is stitched at the side. But because I have a total of 7 borders, as I get in to the fifth border, the side borders have already been quilted, even though I have not quilted the corners. And I'm getting some extra fabric in between those borders which I can't seem to ease in. It's a little hard to explain, but you might be able to visualize it if you think of 7 borders which total 25" into the quilt! I'm actually surprised that I didn't have more problems than I did!

I also may have pulled the top too taut which resulted in the excess fabric on the back. But the one end came out OK. The customer had seamed her back unevenly, with a seam that stretched across the width of the quilt toward one end. I didn't have any issues with that end. It was the end opposite the seam that I had problems with. And, if the back was slightly off-grain, it may have stretched somewhat toward the edge.

If you do get tucks, how do you handle with the customer?

I think it may have been a combination of things.

[Jerri]

If you mean tuck on the top - I talk with the customer during the initial visit. Measure the last border seam line then measure the out side edge - these two measurements are very rarely the same some are worse than others. Because I use the seam measurement as my guide I can show the customer right off. If the seam measurement 80 and the outside edge is 85 I use the 80 measurement as my guide to keep the quilt square. If you were to use the outside measurement of 85 the finished quilt would flare out at the edges because the inside would measure 80. If there is too much extra - they have two choices - can take it back on redo the borders or sign the work order acknowledging that there may be a pleat because I strive to keep the quilt square.

If there is a pleat on the back - I feel that it is the fault of the quilter and I remove the stitching and correct the problem. It is usually because of the issues I described above. School of hard knocks applies here:D - I check after each advancement. Clear as mud....

[Jerri]

I have used quilts as backing , and I have had multiple pieced backs with good results. In these instances I have the customer sign a release stating that there may be pleats because of the inconsistancies of piecing and the accuracy of 1/4 seam lines.