Looking for Guidance!
07-23-2016, 09:10 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 2,489
Looking for Guidance!
I was gifted a full sized comforter that was store bought. I actually really like it, but it is not quilted at all. It appears to have been "birthed". It is also pretty fluffy. In the short time I've had it, the filling seems to be shifting a it. I'm using it at the cabin. I'd like to quilt it, or maybe tie it, but not sure. If I quilt it....how? Smooth as best I can, and pin like crazy? I usually just jump in and "do it", but I'm drawing a blank. I don't really want to take it apart. Any ideas??
07-23-2016, 11:06 PM
#4
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,140
Honestly, I don't think those shifts/bunches are going to come out, so I'd probably put as little work into it as possible knowing it may not last very long -- especially once washed. So that means, I'd tie it. And I wouldn't drive myself crazy with the pins, because at the end of the day, it may not even be batting. I would not tie closer than 4" apart as that's just going to make any irregularities with the batting/fill that much more glaring. Not to mention, when whatever's in there fails, you'll be so much happier you're not having to pull out 4x more ties (2" apart = quadruple the number of ties of 4" apart).
Often enough I've seen comforters that are just 2 pieces of fabric sewn like a pillowcase & then fiber fill is stuffed or blown in before the top seam is sewn shut. If it were me and I wanted the quickest project I could have that was still going to produce a pretty respectable result, I'd rip the top seam (or at the absolute bare minimum, pull out 2-3" of stitching so I could have a look inside to see whether it's batting or fill and cut a small sample for a burn test to identify the fiber content).
Once I had the top open, I'd turn it inside out & vacuum with brush attachment to get rid of all those little fuzzy balls that tend to especially gather around seams. Whatever was inside goes in the trash. Next, I'd measure the length & width from seam to seam and cut a piece of batting 1/4" smaller (need room for height of batting). Since this is supposed to be a simple project, I'd go ahead & glue baste it to the front of the quilt before turning it right side out. Press to dry glue. I'd put some pins in to make sure the backing is secured. You could try maybe a glue stick or something less messy to put on the wrong side of the backing fabric to see if you can get that to help secure your batting to the backing, but I think you'll still need some pins. After that, quilt or tie as desired. If you plan to wash it more than once or twice a year, or if it's likely to get quite a bit of abuse from small children and/or pets, I would definitely machine quilt it no farther than 3" apart -- 2" apart would be better. You can quilt straight lines, but typically diagonal (on the bias) lines are more secure. The reason is that they will allow for a bit of give before stitches snap from stress.
Hope that helps. I know it's more work that what you were wishing for, but sometimes that extra 30 minutes up front will save us hours down the road. But, it's up to you & whatever you decide is the right choice!
Often enough I've seen comforters that are just 2 pieces of fabric sewn like a pillowcase & then fiber fill is stuffed or blown in before the top seam is sewn shut. If it were me and I wanted the quickest project I could have that was still going to produce a pretty respectable result, I'd rip the top seam (or at the absolute bare minimum, pull out 2-3" of stitching so I could have a look inside to see whether it's batting or fill and cut a small sample for a burn test to identify the fiber content).
Once I had the top open, I'd turn it inside out & vacuum with brush attachment to get rid of all those little fuzzy balls that tend to especially gather around seams. Whatever was inside goes in the trash. Next, I'd measure the length & width from seam to seam and cut a piece of batting 1/4" smaller (need room for height of batting). Since this is supposed to be a simple project, I'd go ahead & glue baste it to the front of the quilt before turning it right side out. Press to dry glue. I'd put some pins in to make sure the backing is secured. You could try maybe a glue stick or something less messy to put on the wrong side of the backing fabric to see if you can get that to help secure your batting to the backing, but I think you'll still need some pins. After that, quilt or tie as desired. If you plan to wash it more than once or twice a year, or if it's likely to get quite a bit of abuse from small children and/or pets, I would definitely machine quilt it no farther than 3" apart -- 2" apart would be better. You can quilt straight lines, but typically diagonal (on the bias) lines are more secure. The reason is that they will allow for a bit of give before stitches snap from stress.
Hope that helps. I know it's more work that what you were wishing for, but sometimes that extra 30 minutes up front will save us hours down the road. But, it's up to you & whatever you decide is the right choice!
07-24-2016, 07:04 AM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
I agree I wouldn't put a lot of work into it.
Originally Posted by Bree123
Honestly, I don't think those shifts/bunches are going to come out, so I'd probably put as little work into it as possible knowing it may not last very long -- especially once washed. So that means, I'd tie it. And I wouldn't drive myself crazy with the pins, because at the end of the day, it may not even be batting. I would not tie closer than 4" apart as that's just going to make any irregularities with the batting/fill that much more glaring. Not to mention, when whatever's in there fails, you'll be so much happier you're not having to pull out 4x more ties (2" apart = quadruple the number of ties of 4" apart).
Often enough I've seen comforters that are just 2 pieces of fabric sewn like a pillowcase & then fiber fill is stuffed or blown in before the top seam is sewn shut. If it were me and I wanted the quickest project I could have that was still going to produce a pretty respectable result, I'd rip the top seam (or at the absolute bare minimum, pull out 2-3" of stitching so I could have a look inside to see whether it's batting or fill and cut a small sample for a burn test to identify the fiber content).
Once I had the top open, I'd turn it inside out & vacuum with brush attachment to get rid of all those little fuzzy balls that tend to especially gather around seams. Whatever was inside goes in the trash. Next, I'd measure the length & width from seam to seam and cut a piece of batting 1/4" smaller (need room for height of batting). Since this is supposed to be a simple project, I'd go ahead & glue baste it to the front of the quilt before turning it right side out. Press to dry glue. I'd put some pins in to make sure the backing is secured. You could try maybe a glue stick or something less messy to put on the wrong side of the backing fabric to see if you can get that to help secure your batting to the backing, but I think you'll still need some pins. After that, quilt or tie as desired. If you plan to wash it more than once or twice a year, or if it's likely to get quite a bit of abuse from small children and/or pets, I would definitely machine quilt it no farther than 3" apart -- 2" apart would be better. You can quilt straight lines, but typically diagonal (on the bias) lines are more secure. The reason is that they will allow for a bit of give before stitches snap from stress.
Hope that helps. I know it's more work that what you were wishing for, but sometimes that extra 30 minutes up front will save us hours down the road. But, it's up to you & whatever you decide is the right choice!
Often enough I've seen comforters that are just 2 pieces of fabric sewn like a pillowcase & then fiber fill is stuffed or blown in before the top seam is sewn shut. If it were me and I wanted the quickest project I could have that was still going to produce a pretty respectable result, I'd rip the top seam (or at the absolute bare minimum, pull out 2-3" of stitching so I could have a look inside to see whether it's batting or fill and cut a small sample for a burn test to identify the fiber content).
Once I had the top open, I'd turn it inside out & vacuum with brush attachment to get rid of all those little fuzzy balls that tend to especially gather around seams. Whatever was inside goes in the trash. Next, I'd measure the length & width from seam to seam and cut a piece of batting 1/4" smaller (need room for height of batting). Since this is supposed to be a simple project, I'd go ahead & glue baste it to the front of the quilt before turning it right side out. Press to dry glue. I'd put some pins in to make sure the backing is secured. You could try maybe a glue stick or something less messy to put on the wrong side of the backing fabric to see if you can get that to help secure your batting to the backing, but I think you'll still need some pins. After that, quilt or tie as desired. If you plan to wash it more than once or twice a year, or if it's likely to get quite a bit of abuse from small children and/or pets, I would definitely machine quilt it no farther than 3" apart -- 2" apart would be better. You can quilt straight lines, but typically diagonal (on the bias) lines are more secure. The reason is that they will allow for a bit of give before stitches snap from stress.
Hope that helps. I know it's more work that what you were wishing for, but sometimes that extra 30 minutes up front will save us hours down the road. But, it's up to you & whatever you decide is the right choice!
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