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Preventing seam separation

Preventing seam separation

Old 03-02-2018, 11:56 AM
  #21  
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If I were you, considering the 3 stitch length, and the loose weave of several of the fabrics, I would sitd with a wide decorative stitch on every seam, or at a minimum a serpentine. Holding this quilt together is the most important consideration.



"The quilt that I had a problem with I used quality quilting fabric, but I was inexperienced and did random straight-line quilting from edge to edge on all different angles. But not nearly enough. So some parts of the quilt had several inches without any quilting.

For this quilt I did Slightly larger than 1/4 inch seam allowance, should that be enough insurance that it will hold up? My stitch length was 3, I didn't know I should piece with smaller stitches!! Also, the fabrics are all interlock (t-shirt), flannel and thermal fabrics (it is a memorial quilt made from clothing, which I've never done before). My sashing at the seam I'm worried about is all interlock, so maybe this should be reassuring since it doesn't fray??"

Last edited by QuiltnNan; 03-07-2018 at 07:02 AM. Reason: remove shouting/all caps
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Old 03-06-2018, 10:06 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Prism99 View Post
If you have scraps left of the interlock fabric, you could create a test strip to kind of test the seam. I would seam two strips of the interlock, sandwich it with some leftover batting and backing, and sew quilting lines 2" apart just as in your original. Then twist and pull on the strip every which way to see if the seam holds up against stress.
Ok so I tried this. I made a test piece and pieced and quilted it as I did with the quilt. Even with moderate pulling, the stitching was popping left and right!! I tried several stitch lengths and zig-sagging but nothing really helped. Both the piecing and the quilting are not holding up!!!

I considered for a minute requilting this, even in a different pattern if needed, using stretchy thread. But then I considered that if I quilt with stretch thread it will probably leave the regular thread I used for piecing even more vulnerable to popping!!

So I've realized I've done this all wrong. But I have two thoughts:

1. If I requilt it using regular thread in a traditional stippling pattern, perhaps having a less linear quilting pattern will prevent as much stress on any given line of stitching or individual stitch? In theory I could see how this could help.

2. Someone mentioned above that I could have lined the knit fabrics with a woven interfacing before piecing. It's too late for doing this before piecing obviously. But what about possibly using a lightweight fusible interfacing on the entire pieced front? I'm not sure how this would affect the feel of the quilt but it seems like this might be the most secure option???

Anyone have any thoughts?
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Old 03-06-2018, 10:17 AM
  #23  
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You might have to chalk this one up to lesson learned. Even if something is cotton it can be stretchy and unsuitable for a quilt. After all your work, I hope you don't get discouraged from making another quilt. You seem to have really a talent for quilting.
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Old 03-06-2018, 10:42 AM
  #24  
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I didn't see anyone mention anything about the thread you're using. Don't use old thread. Don't use rayon thread. In my experience, serger thread isn't good for quilting either (others may disagree with me, which is fine). Use a good quality cotton or polyester thread. Don't use thread that says "hand quilting" because it will mess up your machine.
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Old 03-06-2018, 12:10 PM
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I have been giving this quilt some thought. If you are willing to take the quilting out, as in option #2, I think there are several things you can do to make this quilt strong. If you decide to take out the quilting, be sure to Google "how to skin a quilt" before you start to get some tips on how to make this job easier and faster.

After looking at your quilt some more, I think that a lot of the issues arise from the use of cotton interlock for the sashing and backing. I used cotton interlock for my daughter's dresses years ago, so I know how soft and stretchy it is. Most people who make t-shirt quilts, whether or not they first use fusible interfacing on the t-shirts, use regular quilting cotton for the sashing. Sewing a stretchy fabric to a non-stretchy fabric will prevent the seam from stretching enough to break the thread, even if you use a straight stitch instead of a small zigzag.

It is not a good idea to try to replace the sashing fabric. However, I am thinking you could replace the backing with a woven quilting cotton. Quilting would do what I described above -- secure a stretchy fabric to a stable fabric, preventing the quilting thread from breaking. I do think you might have to change to a smaller, closer-together quilting pattern (it could still be straight lines) to make sure that only small distances of the interlock seams are exposed to stretching.

Replacing the backing fabric and adding closer quilting would probably be enough. I am not an expert on fusing interfacing to stretchy fabrics, but I am thinking that trying to fuse a single piece of interfacing to your quilt top would be difficult because of all the seams. If you do want to try fusing, definitely make up a test block with your fabrics first, including seams, to make sure it will do what you want. Also, the brand and type of interfacing you use would be very important. The wrong kinds would add considerable weight and stiffness to the quilt. My concern about using a lightweight fusible such as Pellon P44F, which is often used to line tie silk before cutting into shapes for quilts, is that it might not be heavy enough for the cotton interlock. Again, if you want to try this, test the fusible on a scrap of the interlock to make sure it will prevent it from stretching.

It seems to me that changing the backing fabric to a woven cotton would be enough. I would spray baste the quilt sandwich together to ensure the top fabric does not stretch while you are quilting. If you really, really want to line the quilt top, then instead of fusible interfacing, I would look for an extremely lightweight muslin, prewash and dry it for shrinkage, and spray baste that to the underside of the quilt top. Muslin will not dissolve or come apart the way fusible interfacing eventually does, even if the muslin is very fine. You would want to spray-baste these two layers together -- which makes it a temporary fusing. The muslin would be the very cheap kind -- as thin and flimsy as you can find. You do not want a heavy, good quality muslin for this job.

Honestly, though, I don't think you need to line the quilt top if you (1) replace the backing with a woven cotton, and (2) quilt more closely. Maybe make up a test strip to test. If threads still break, then add the fine muslin lining to the top.

Edit: Peckish has a point. What thread did you use for the quilting? In addition to all of the above, I would recommend switching to the heaviest polyester thread that looks good. Polyester thread is stronger than cotton thread, so a polyester thread the same weight and ply as a cotton thread will be less likely to break. Glide is an excellent brand, but Superior Threads has good ones too. I would look for a poly thread with a weight similar to Glide. Bottom Line, for example, would be too fine. Look for a matte finish in the poly thread, if possible. (Glide is slightly shiny, as are many polyester quilting threads.)

Last edited by Prism99; 03-06-2018 at 12:18 PM.
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Old 03-06-2018, 12:41 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by geri b View Post
what size is this quilt? On some garment fabric, like in t-shirt quilts, it is advised to back the fabric with a non woven fusible lit weight interfacing....in the piecing process, might be something to remember if asked to do another memory piece.....
I think what you have done in the quilt design is sufficient to keep the integrity of the piecing in tact.
agree, i took a t shirt quilt class and we were told to always iron on fusible lit weight interfacing
to keep material from stretching...
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Prism99 View Post
Edit: Peckish has a point. What thread did you use for the quilting?
I used aurifil 50wt cotton for the quilting. But honestly I'm not sure what I used for piecing. I hadn't made a quilt in about 2 years and pulled some white from my thread stash. The label was gone and i did not consider my thread choice at that moment to be very important because I went into this project very naively. I started piecing on a day that my local quilt shop was closed so just went for it.

I'm curious how much the threads would snap on a regular quilt if I reproduced the test i did today with quilting fabric. I've never tested the tensile strength of my stitching with a regular quilt. I'm sure the stretch factor makes it way more vulnerable to snapping but I'm also thinking that if I pulled on my other quilts in the same way I could break some threads too. Just a thought.

Anyway, the most important thing to me is that this quilt is durable. I'm afraid I really screwed up this project. I quite honestly am feeling very overwhelmed by where to go from here. No matter what, it seems like the only insurance I can buy on this is to take it apart (thanks for the tip on that btw) and requilt with a stabilizer of some sort and a closer-knit pattern and a much stronger thread. I also think I will educate the family on treating it like the fragile thing that it is. All of that combined, I'm sure, will improve its durability. I plan to stick with the fleece backing, since the one request the family made was a soft and comforting backing. I just need to make it work while including that.

Thank you everyone for all of your valuable advice and time. I sure have learned a lot and am humbled by this experience.
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Old 03-06-2018, 02:23 PM
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I had problems with the seams separating when using a stitch length of 2.5 so I changed to 2.0 for regular piecing. It’s working well, although much harder to rip if I manage to sew part of the block wrong. For paper piecing I use a stitch setting of 1.6. I use pantos to quilt on my Longarm. I make sure there are curves and swirlies that will hold the Quilt together from all angles. I rarely have a spot that is a 2 inch open space although I use Warm & Natural which says you can Quilt at 10 inches.
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Old 03-06-2018, 02:49 PM
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I just read that you used fleece for the backing and am glad that you are going to use something to stabilize the quilt top. That’s too many stretchy things together. There are good stabilizers that aren’t stiff. Maybe the Pellon website can help you with your decision. This is a pdf that could help you. http://www.joann.com/on/demandware.s...acingGuide.pdf
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