Help with Mountains & Mole Hills

[DoryJM]

I've been quilting along and doing okay with pretty much everything (thanks in HUGE part to Darlene's 3 day beginners workshop and my guild's letting me practice on our charity quilts) until yesterday. A friend of a friend called and wanted me to quilt her quilt. I took a break yesterday afternoon and went to her office to pick it up.

I get there and its laid out on the floor. A nice 9 patch, set on point with shadow boxes. Then I look closer--its bumpy and lumpy eveywhere, but not huge bumps, just lots of small ones. The borders do have a nice ruffle effect, though;)

After complimenting her color choices and piecing (this was a 6-year project for her) I explained that my inexperience probably would not allow for getting all the ruffles out and the quilt would most likely have pleats and tucks to take up the excess fabric. This quilt is going with her son to college and she, literally, doesn't care. She's just so happy at the prospect of having it done when he leaves next weekend that tucks and pleats are the least of her concerns.

So...HELP...What do I do?????

When I load it, do I pin it on square (it almost is) and use Bonnnie's steam method to try to eliminate some of the puffiness?

And how exactly does that work? Pin the top, then steam, then baste it down? Same with the sides? Or baste if first and then steam?

I'lll post a picture of the quilt as soon as I find the card reader--but I'm afraid its in Washington with my DH:(

[Quilting Heidi]

Dory,

If they aren't bad then more than likely you will be able to get most of the puffiness out...it doesn't sound like it is really bad. Start with Starching and Bonnie's steam method just on the ironing board. More than likely that will take care much of it. Then load it like you normally would making it as square as possible. Use the steam and starch if needed as you go. Let the fullness lay where it belongs and resist the urge to smooth it out as you will only push it out and it will get worse as you roll. I would baste in areas if I needed too and then starch. I would also use a puffy batting like Dream Puff or another poly that would fill up some of the bumps filled up. Good luck!

[DoryJM]

Heidi, thanks for the tips. I hadn't thought about different batting. She sent it with Dream Select, but I actually have a Dream Poly and a Dream Puff here that I bought to try out. (I'm 100 miles away from the nearest store where I could actually buy some, but you can bet I'll always have it on hand from now on:D)

I've never used either of these...which would you suggest? The poly or the puff?

[meg_marsh]

Love the Dream Puff and it will help with puffiness!!

[Quilting Heidi]

Dory,

I use dream poly and puff almost exclusively. The dream puff will really fill it in and give you a great show! I love that you can quilt the stink out of it and it just doesn't get stiff either. It does take a little getting used to the thickness of it but I think it is quickly becoming my favorite. Here is a link to a quilt I did for my daughter and I used puff on it and you can see that I did really small quilting and some more open areas so you can see what I'm talking about. http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=9921&page=1#pid89068

I'll have another one posted by Monday but if you look at the link on Sharon's Foam from earlier in the week you'll get a sneak peak of that quilt. http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=12211

[RitaR]

Dory, I just had a quilt I'd finished, brought back, at my request.. the one border was fuller than the quilt top and outer border.. I took out the swirls in that little border and put in a picket fence.. it really helps eat up the fullness without tucks and puckers.. I've also reversed the picket fence top on a wavy border and it seemed to use up even more of the excess fullness. Until I find something else.. I'm hoping I can use this same pattern on anything with extra fabric to work in. On the blocks or in the blocks, I don't know as it would matter if you steam before or after pinning/basting down but then I've not had to do it much, only once, I think.

RitaR

[ksomeit]

I baste the top and sides once on the machine so it is square. Then the fullness is in the middle. I then spray with spray strach, and I let dry. I may have to repeat it a couple of times to get all the fullness out but it works. Then I quilt if still a little full I will quilt swirls to help move it around.

As I baste the quilt I may have help it along to get square by giving a gentle tug here or there (in front or back of the needle position)

[quiltmonkey]

Dory, wise words of advice from a fantastic beginner's DVD I have from Kimmy Brunner. "Machine Quilting for Beginners" by Kim Brunner is full of tried & true tips for those troublesome quilts.

She has a great tip on those with lots of fullness: Don't overquilt it. Use large big quilting designs so that the fullness has a place to go. If you overquilt, the fullness just moves to another area and doesn't lay flat.

Here's the link to her DVD if you're interested:

https://www.canadianlongarmsupplies.com/index.php?crn=352&rn=1742&action=show...

[DoryJM]

Wow...thanks you guys for all the advice and help; this will certainly help with my quilting--or at least I keep telling myself that! Got to get over the fear of even loading the darn thing!!

Heidi...that quilt is beautiful! Your daughter must just LOVE it!!

[Quilting Heidi]

Dory,

Thanks my daughter actually pieced it. I was thrilled when she told me she wanted to make a top. She hadn't quilted since she was 10 or so. She is now 24 and I think has a whole new appreciation for things. I'm getting a new machine and told her today that she could have my 1+ and I think she was actually excited! That is great news to these ears! She is very talented and I know she could do some wonderful things. I pushed myself on her quilt and went somewhat out of my comfort zone, or should I say just thought outside my curvy box! LOL the diamonds were a true surprise and I really like the affect so I'll use that one again. Just remember to try to relax and all will go fine!

[BethDurand]

So when are we going to see the video of Bonnie's fab. starch and steam method? I've been getting a series of friendly quilts lately, and I'm visual. I need a picture of this process.

thanks,

Beth

[DoryJM]

I finished the mole hill today...what a chore. If this woman was going to give me quilts regularly, we'd have to come to some sort of understanding. The quilt only got worse, the more I looked at it. None of her seams were pressed, some of it was hand pieced, some of the squares were actually appiqued (if you can call it that) on, lots of tucks in corners where she tried to get them to meet properly. It would be a good example of what not to do.

Using steam, I managed to get the majority of the fullness out. The outside border was the worst. I took a million pictures that I'll upload if they turned out. The card reader (and DH) will be home tomorrow.

She's coming out tomorrow to pick it up and if her quilting standards are the same as her piecing standards, you all can just start calling me Dawn or Karen or Darlene or just plain old Quilt Diva right now!:P

She's a very nice lady (although I do think she needs a different hobby) and I do hope she likes it. I just did a very lazy, big meander everywhere like Shana suggested. I do think it turned out well, or as well as can be expected.

Thanks everyone for all your advice and help!

[ffq-lar]

She will think you are a miracle-worker and bless the ground you walk on!!

[Bekah]

Dory I think she has a twin and her twin is my regular customer. drives me nuts, she also "just want it quilted,dont' care about none of that stuff" meaning pleats tucks out of square etc. she is older and uses a mixture of polyester, cotton and who knows what else she finds lying around. Her husband helps her piece too. and her quilts are all over 100 inches. Tried Bonnie's starch and steam, guess what, don't do that if you have polyester knit squares snuck in the top here and there. it is not pretty.

I think you are just doing such an awesome job of going forward. Quilt Diva fits you perfectly

[DoryJM]

Linda, when I read your comment, I almost spit my coffee out all over my computer! Give me a little warning if you're going to make me laugh that hard.:P No one has ever mentioned me and miracle-worker in the same sentence--unless its been to say that I need one!

Bekah, I'm so glad this lady is probably not going to be a regular customer or that if she is, it will be smaller stuff from now on. This quilt was challenging, to say the least.

However, she seemed happy with it when she picked it up....

I have pictures and will post them if I get a chance today. Thanks for all your kind words and support!

[Mary Beth]

Originally posted by DoryJM

She's a very nice lady (although I do think she needs a different hobby)

I know a few people like that

[Bonnie]

There are several in the area where Dory lives that I could be sure to call to let them know that a new quilter is in their area...and several in the Reno/Sparks area.....:P Now Dory didn't I say I loved you..... I'll keep my big mouth shut.:cool:

[quiltmonkey]

Be nice, Bonnie... Be nice, now...

[DoryJM]

Bonnie...YOU are gonna be in BIG trouble if you don't watch out:D Shana will beat you up for me:P:P

[quiltmonkey]

:o Oh goodness! I don't think I wanna be messin with Bonnie; She's tough. I'd surely be on the losing end.

[DoryJM]

Darn!! I was sure you could take her;)

Okay, well, its a good thing she's clear across the Country!!! That Bonnie girl is somethin' else!

[Bonnie]

Sweet Cuddly Ol' ME.....I'm just minding my own business here and what happens...I get threaten by Dory....and for some odd reason she things my buddy Shana is going to do the deed....HUH......

All I did was offer to send you some very special customers That I really don't every want to see again.;) (and for that matter neither do you.) One (Mimi) lives right there just outside of Graeagle, wouldn't be any bother for her to come to your house.........and look what I get.:P:cool::cool:

Man and I thought we were friends.....;)

[chickenscratch]

Dory,

I would try starch and press then be real careful rolling it up. You might even want to starch and press with it loaded. Pinning right in the middle of those hills might also help.

Be sure to use a nice fluffy batting and a good edge to edge design to suck up those bumps.

[sammi357]

This has been a good thread to read. It helps to know ahead of time what to look out for with quilts as well as to have a little 'ammunition' tucked away in the old noodle for escaping bad situations. I'm looking forward to the post of the list of longarm hints.

I have had a couple of these types of tops, a dgf's dm made them, and she had the onset of Alzheimer's. So, dgf sent them to me for quilting. Now granted, I'm a newbie, but some of the spots in the quilt had HOLES, ripples, wonkiness, one was applique and the raw edges poked out. Some of the basting from the applique was still in the quilt..white thread on dark fabrics. but, they were a keepsake of her dm's last work.

Sew, HOW much do you do?

I cruised by one of the LQS's here, and peered very closely at the owner's quilts...she's won international contests. They do raw-edge applique all the time, and they just sew, sew sew over the edges. It's all freehand and they seemed to just go around the item til it was tacked to their satisfaction.

sew, I did the same thing. I did try to piece the holes back together, but I didn't find all of them. When it was on the la, I sometimes hand basted the hole together, then stitched it together in a shape that covered the hole, like a leaf or a flower shape, or if it was a raw edge, ie , a leaf, I did a similar colored thread and made the edge jagged and "leafy"

dgf was tickled with the quilts, but she's also probably not about to tell me if she didn't like it. (well, maybe she would! lol!)

the worst part was one of them was very out of square, and I did not try to square it up, just loaded it 'as is'...well, by the time I got to the end, the backing was SHORT on one corner. I rolled it back to the other end, and trimmed a corner off, Rolled it back down to the end, and hand-stitched the patch onto the corner without taking the quilt off the la. That was a challenge, but it barely showed when it was quilted.

I guess my question is, WHAT are the rules? I have seen these perfectly beautiful quilts, with the quilting lines all perfectly spaced, and not a backtrack or a crossing in sight...and I look at mine...and well, um...............

[BethDurand]

Keep in mind that these beautiful quilts with perfect quilting lines were probably pieced by someone with more skill than me, and certainly quilted by someone with more skill. And that is why we are all of to PPP (practice, practice, practice)

Keep reading here too. You learn so much!