I am sitting here taking a break, calming myself.

I was quilting along nicely on the LA, saw the end of the backing and realized there is more top on the pole.

My backing was too short! So I took the entire quilt off and am going to sew a strip on the bottom of the backing and pin the entire quilt back on the poles to finish. Fortunately, I have more of the backing fabric.

I re-measured to see how I could have done this. I had measured the width, not the length.

This is one mistake that will only happen once! I will re-measure everything more than once and look at it!

Thanks for reading my vent.

Jean

GRRRRR!! I just did a quilt and I cut the backing wrong twice! Poor math skills on my behalf! Good thing pieced backings are becoming more favorable. . . .

Yes, I've been there. Luckily, it was MY quilt and not a customer's. I simply loaded the back wrong. I learned the same lesson --- measure twice and pay better attention to what I'm doing!!

I've gotten as far as pinning the whole thing and realizing I didn't line the sandwich up properly!!!!! Not as bad as having it on the rails.... so I sympathize! smart thinking to buy extra backing!

I only quilt my own quilts. I would be so nervous working on someone else's. I do allow my friends to use my machine, but they are there doing the work.

One time I did a machine embroidery design on a friend's beautiful fleece. Even though I had practiced it, I was not comfortable and said I would never work on other's items again.

Jean

Been there, done that. <sigh>

Been there done that!

Oh, I'm so sorry!! Glad you noticed it just before you quilted off the edge! :( :(

No b/c I don't have a LA- they scare me LOL
Sorry for you though!

I just took one out of my Tin Lizzie last week like that. I had sewn leader cloth on the top, so I could quilt clear to the edge, and not taken into account that it would move the top down. Thankfully, mine was only about an inch. I just took it out and trimmed the border around the entire quilt 1/2 inch, then put on wide binding.

When this happened to me, I added a strip of batting by hand stitching it to the end of the main piece. Just sat on the floor and looped with the basteing needle while it was still on the frame. I was short by appx 6-8". I do the same when piecing 45" wide poly batting for a bed quilt.

My quilt is done. After realizing my backing was short, I removed it from the frame, sewed on another piece of backing. Repinned it to the poles, got back to the spot and continued. I bound it yesterday.

It feels so good to have this done.

Thanks for all the support, it is nice to have friends that understand. Now I will measure twice to make sure it fits. My late mother always said there is a lesson to be learned in all that happens.

That is another lesson I learned from my DH, whose hobby is woodworking. Measure twice, cut once. Unfortunately, I did not always heed his advise and have one quilt that has a 6 inch wide strip of different fabric on the back. Thought I was the first one to think of this idea--cut the too-short backing in 2/3-1/3 pieces, embroidery stitiched my quilt info on the alternating fabric and sewed it between the other two pieces. It gave the backing an interesting look.

Yes, I had that happen once. NOT FUN! A venting break is great! Wish I'd have thought of that a while back...

:):)

I know exactly what your feelings are ..................

I've never had this happen but I'm in a longarm guild and this issue was addressed at a meeting.

One longarmer had an interesting solution. She set her regular domestic sewing machine on the table where pantos go. She removed only pins at the bottom of the quilt, pinned on another piece of fabric, and sewed it to the bottom of the backing WITHOUT REMOVING THE QUILT FROM THE LONGARM. She simply pulled it to the back table and sewed the extra fabric on, then re-attached the backing to the belly bar with the new strip sewn on.

Well, another longarmer did her one better by telling us he did the same but not with his domestic machine. He sewed the extra strip on WITH THE LONGARM. Some people are just so creative.

I can see how this would work. Never thought of it. I just got upset and pulled everything off.

I hope there is never a next time to try your suggestions.