Am I crazy?
 

I have a quilt which I took to a local longarm quilter. She used inferior wool batting, and when I washed the quilt all the batting dissolved and left a lumpy mess. (I've since found high-quality (washable) wool batting to use in my subsequent quilts.)

I love the fabric in this quilt, took so much care in the piecing, and I keep thinking about it. I am considering taking the quilting out so that it can be quilted again with quality batting.

If anyone has done this, please tell me, am I crazy to spend the time picking out the quilting? It can't be that hard, right?, just time consuming.

Thanks for your input.

I would pick it out. What have you got to lose?

No, you are not crazy to redo the quilt.
How long ago did you have it quilted? I would bring it to the longarmer and complain. She should be made aware that she is either using poor quality batting, or not quilting it enough to fulfil the minimum quilting requirements of that batt. Some batts without a scrim or haven't been needle punched need to be quilted very densely.

I've taken one apart after a longarm quilting fail. It took a while, was an annoyance, but I was ultimately glad I did it. You will be, too.

Jan in VA

I have done it - it was a pain, and I had to throw out the back fabric because it was old. You may cuss all the way thru it but when it is done, you will be glad you did it.

Is this LA'er new? Why did she use inferior batting?

Sounds like a winter project while sitting in front of the Tv in the evenings!

I have done it and yes it is tedious but you will be happy with the results.

If you don't do it you will always wish you had. Go for it!

Would this be a situation in which a battery operated moustache trimmer would help? I saw someone mention this trick in a different thread when one needs to unsew a seam, but I have never tried it myself.

it's a tedious chore but doable--make sure you work from the back and have good lighting!

Good luck with unpicking.

Sounds like a good project to do while you watch tv. I have always supplied my own batting so that I know what is in my quilt.

I agree with everyone else. But you absolutely NEED to show the longarmer before you skin it so she knows there is a problem with the batting she is using. How can she (or he) fix the problem if they don't know it exists? You may be pleasantly surprised and the longarmer may just offer to requilt it at no charge in order to have a happy customer.

Please, let your longarmer know. I know I would want to know if a client was unhappy with my quilting, ANY aspect of it. Additionally if I had a batting that did not perform after washing I would most definitely not want to use it in any more quilts and may just go back to the manufacturer.

Did the batting also beard? This is a common problem in wool battings, especially ones that don't have a scrim or haven't been treated to be washable.

I did it once and was glad I did. I loved the quilt and did not want to waste all of the beautiful fabric and lots of money. I set aside a bit of spaced and worked on it an hour a day until done. I re-quilted it. After I washed it all evidence of the previous quilting was gone and it looked great. My problem was that I had used a quilting thread that was absolutely wrong. I used white, 40 weight thread on dark colors. Ugly! I re-quilted with a matching color and it was quite nice. Glad I did it.

Not knowing you personally I can't really say if you're crazy or not, BUT, you would not be considered crazy to take out all the quilting and "have a redo." You'll be so much happier if you do. Your heart will smile every time you see the 'redo' for sure! Good luck and please post pics when it's done!

What a great idea! It can cover and keep her warm while she rips. PBS is running a Downton Abbey marathon starting tonight and running all weekend. Too warm to cover up with the quilt but would be perfect entertainment to rip by.

I agree with Feline, you don't have to "confront" her/him, just make them aware and maybe ask if there is anything they can do about it, you may be happily surprised. I certainly would want to know if there was a problem with my work or products, a bad review can ruin their reputation. And don't forget to let us know what you decide and how it works out. I have skinned my own quilts before because I wasn't happy with my own quilting!

Not all wool battings are washable, so it might not be a quality issue. I recall someone describing the Hobb's Tuscany wool batting dissolving in the way you describe, when washed (but that was a test wash of the batting itself, when not incorporated into a quilt). But the longarmer should have mentioned if it was not a washable wool. I agree, definitely tell her what happened.

First, take a picture so you a " before picture", then take the quilt to the LA and discuss what happened, how, and what are the two of you going to do to fix this. You could offer to skin it, the see what she is going to fix. (If she says she wont fix anything, well then you know where you stand with this LA). My technique for skinning is to work from the back,and with a small ripper, slide the blade under 1 stitch until it is gently sliced. Go up 3-5 stitches and slice one stitch. Repeat for about 18 inches. Flip to the right side, lift one stitch in the middle of the 18 picked stitches and lift. The entire 18 Inches should gently lift up. No pulls, no holes, rips, tears,or fabric distortions. Good luck...how about a before and after picture? Wish I was there to help

The LA needs to know what happened with the batting. Her response will tell volumes about her business ethic.

I agree with everyone's posts...

Definitely take a "before" picture.

Definitely show the LA'er. As a LA'er myself, I would be HORRIFIED to know that the batting did this!! I would immediately figure out some way to make you (my customer) happy. I would want to know so that I don't use this batting ever again!!! And as Jane Quilter said, offer to "skin" the quilt yourself, and see how your LA'er reacts as far as reparations go.

Good luck with the skinning/frogging. Yes, it's very, very sad, but you will be glad you did it in the long run.

I completely agree. In some markets, it is more important to customers that they get the least expensive batting than that the batting is high enough quality to withstand the rigors of washing & daily use. For future reference, the type of batting, type/color/weight of thread & quilting design should all be agreed to in writing before the LA begins her work. If that was done & the batting she used should have been washable, I would contact her first & if unresolved, contact the batting company. As long as you abided by the recommended washing instructions, they should stand behind their product & offer you a free replacement batt.

As for the stitching, I would rip it out & re-quilt it (with Hobb's Heirloom wool).

You are definitely "not crazy". My friend had a quilt quilted by a longarmer and she was unhappy with the results. Soooo-with help of a few quilting friends that meet-we all worked and unquilted her quilt. It didn't take long and with many hands we got it done. We all knew she would not use the quilt that she worked so hard on. I say take out the quilting and you will be much happier. Good luck

I know there is a way to skin from the back with a rotary cutter. I've not tried it though.

I agree though with showing the quilt to the LA'er so she can know what happened in case her batting was just bad.

I have been known to take apart a queen sized quilt that I had quilted myself on my domestic machine because after I got it done I decided I didn't like the quilting. It didn't take all that long and after I'd re-quilted it I was very glad I did.

Take it apart from the back so you don't damage the top. It will probably also be easier to see the stitching from the back side.
Rob
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No, you aren't.

I've done it several times, not with a rotary cutter though. I do contract work for a local LAer and when she first started her business, she had a few easy-to-make mistakes. I've frogged a couple of quilts for her, and a few for friends and others.

I found the fastest and easiest way FOR ME was to use a box knife type of blade and, working from the back, pull the backing away from the batting to expose the threads, and just touch the thread. When the blade is sharp, the threads just melt away. The blade doesn't get anywhere near the top, and I've never had any accidents. It goes pretty fast. I frogged a queen size quilt in one afternoon. The down side is you end up with a thousand tiny pieces of thread all over the top. I usually use a lint roller, which works great unless it's a flannel quilt. :( I won't use this technique on flannel. When I find myself using any kind of pressure on the blade to push it through the thread, it's time to use the other end of the blade, or get a new one.

I found the most comfortable spot was at my dining room table, with good lighting, cheater glasses, an extra foam pad for my southern end, and my laptop playing something on Netflix that I can listen to but not watch, such as a movie I've already seen, or a documentary.

I agree here. let the LAer know what happened if it's been recent. I helped my neighbor "skin' a king size. I grabbed my 28mm rotary cutter. It's small enough and doesn't cramp the hands. Very little pressure and works like a charm. just spread the backing with a small amount of pull and slide the rotary cutter down. When she saw me do it, she got hers out and we had it done within 30 minutes. Did not cut into any fabric. We started with the binding. You just press the blade barely against the thread and away you go. I use my 28 mainly for issues like these.

This is what I usually do whenever I need to take out a long line of stitches whether pieced or quilted only I do use the smallest rotary cutter as tessagin mentioned. And as Peggi said, whatever you use it needs to be sharp because you do only just touch the stitch to cut it and then pull the fabric gently away so a few more stitches come out on their own. Sorry you have to do this but if you love the quilt top you made, you will be glad you did. And yes, talk gently to you LA'er so she knows what happened.

My "what did I learn today" moment! Thanks

I made a quilt top several,years ago, sent it to the longarmer and the finished quilt, once I received it, had tension issues. The longarmer suggested a charge of $60 to remove the flawed quilting and requilt, the same amount already paid for quilting. Yes, it was long and tedious, but I pulled out every stitch myself. I also inadvertently created some snags and small tears. Today, the quilt is requilted, those picked places and the tiny tears (I placed fusing between the quilt top and the batting to close the tears, then quilted over the area to secure it) just aren't noticeable if you don't go looking for them. People who have seen this quilt say it is quite striking. Me? I'm so glad it is finally done and moved on to its home.

I suppose the message is to please be more careful than I was when removing stitches. I think you are probably much more experienced in all the steps of the quilting processes than I was when removing those stitches. Good luck, and happy unsewing.

Sorry that you have had this happen.....absolutely make a formal complaint to the woman who quilted it for you. Pick it apart from the back side in sections, that way when a section is completely unpicked you will feel the accomplishment involved.

Another way to rip out all that quilting.
I've done this. Having three hands really works well. I put one end under the needle of the sewing machine, in this case it would be the top, lower the needle so it holds onto that fabric, lift the back and slice with a scalpel type seam ripper. Pull gently on the back as you slice down on any threads that are tight. It's surprising that it cuts only the threads and not the fabric.

I did this as a demo at our meeting, and used a clamp to hold the top to the edge of the table. And doing it this way, those thousand threads are longer and are easier to pick up.

All you have to invest is your time. I'd take it out, too, if I could find a way that wouldn't drive me crazy. So sorry this happened to you. Did the long armer apologize or offer to make it good?

I totally agree with susananne. You will always regret not taking it apart. You have nothing to lose except all the time it is going to take. Watching brainless TV should help with the tedious task ahead.

I think I agree, I would pick it out.

Oh!!! I am so sorry. So much work goes into the piecing. I would definitely take it apart and redo. Good luck.

I agree. Go to the longarmer first and show her what happened. You may both benefit from the learning process. Regardless of the longarmer's response (hopefully good), definitely worth skinning the quilt and getting it requilted properly. Good luck.

You go girl!
 

Been there done that! Just keep saying to yourself "I will love this when it's done". It's worth every minute that you spend taking out the quilting, especially since your top is something you a happy with. Only caution would be to take your time so that you don't cut the top. I on the other hand tried to hurry and nipped the top twice. So slow down and take your time. Good luck!