Hi All-
what do you do in order to fix a quilt that has pulled away from the seams? it looks like I might have missed some spots when I sewed the thing together. Now it's been quilted and washed a few times (it's my sons) and some pieces have pulled away from the seams. what do I do now? any suggestions? I'm really bumming. I'm just a beginner but boy did I learn a lesson. check all seams as I sew!!!

If it was handquilted you might try whip stitching the raw edges together. If it was machine quilted you might go over the open areas with a zig zag or decorative stitch.

It has happened to all of us at one time or another. When you are are working with 1/4 inch or smaller seams they don't always hold up. It also happens sometimes if the fabric is more loosely woven.

Depending on how long the open seam is and how many I would re stitch it matching the color top thread and bobbin thread with the quilted threads. You can also use a small dab of fabric glue to help if it is just a small area. I used a small bit of fabric glue and hand stitched the seam back together on my first quilt when we found one small 1 inch seam not holding after we got it all quilted and ready for the binding. I was bummed to, but it happens.
Good luck.

I would try whip stitching it. Hope you can fix it.

Two of my first quilts have this problem, at the time I thought a quarter inch seam was optional LOL. Learned that lesson quick!! Now that have pretty big holes at the seams. My son even hides things in his like it's a pocket. :) I think I will take them apart since they are just tied anyway, and put proper batting in (use the really really cheap stuff at the time), and do a proper binding (did the fold over thing since I was afraid to try anything else).

I hope you can get yours fixed though! Maybe you could whip stitch it and put a patch over the spot to protect it? Could do some sort of Applique to make it look like it was done on purpose....

Rachel

I use wonder under that has started to peel off the backing. I peel it off the backing and tuck it in the spot I want to repair making sure to get all of it tucked in. Then iron. I usually zig zag with some matching thread over the repair.

OK, I"ve got a question...what's a whip stitch? sorry...I have no idea what that is. I was thinking about putting a piece of fabric over the holes (some are tiny, one is a good couple of inches) but I don't know how horrible that would look? but I guess it's better than having holes in his quilt. it was machine quilted by a long arm so not taking that apart! LOL! it's probably also due in part to me using cheap walmart fabric (I didn't know any better....) thanks so much for the help everyone!!

[img]http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...pstitch-sm.gif[/img]

Video: http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Sew...itch-140618083

Though the video is for a hem, you'd do the same technique with the two sides of your split fabric held together like the picture I posted above.

Hope that helps!
Rachel

I have used stitch witchery (?) comes on the same set up as scotch tape. I cut a piece the size of the boo boo, tucked it under with a tweezer then ironed it shut. Worked good. I now use a much smaller stitch, because I also had problems , especially if I was cutting across seams, with the seam coming apart at the beginning and end of the piece.

Can you put an applique over it after you secure the seams?

DUCK TAPE! It'll fix anything :lol:

No, really I would hand stitch it where it needs it.

I have done the same. It works really well

That's a heart breaker!

Depending on how old the sons are I'd just put a patch over the problem(s) and then sew a pocket on top of the patch.

Create open and closed pockets: Put velcro on a couple of pockets, buttons on others, and try a small zipper on another. Your sons will survive but your grandsons will be thrilled to bits to have secret pockets of their very own.


I don't WASH my quilts. I push them into a washer with detergent and water and push them around again a little later and then I'll probably walk by and push them again.

When I get bored with that I let the washing machine drain and spin.

Then I let the washer fill and then I start pushing the quilt around again, making sure to get the quilt moved around in the water. If the water looks USED I let the washer drain and spin and re-fill it again for another pushy rinse.

Finally I let the washer drain and spin for the last time.

I sort of stick the quilt into the dryer so the backing is on the outside and face is roughly folded inside. I run the dryer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

If I have a large clean place on a rug I spread out a large sheet and then spread out the quilt to dry on the sheet. but speading the sheet over a bed and putting the damp quilt on that works just as well. Honest!

Sounds like a long time consuming thing, doesn't it? But it took me a long time to make the quilt! and I done this often enough to see the whole process as a "Walk By".

Seems to save a lot of wear on the quilt tops. And none of the seams get the stress of being twisted around in the washer.

if it's straight seams across and down, i'd add a folded strips of fabric across the seams and stitch down on both sides. this should catch the fabric better and no more should come undone.
good luck.

What is wrong with the "fold over thing"? Why isn't it a "proper binding"?

It happens to us all from time to time. I also hand stitch as best I can. And sometimes you just gotta applique over the repair if it is too visible. You can either replace the offending piece with another and applique over it, or apply something completely different over the area.

I would think hand stitching would work.

What is the pros and cons of "proper binding" vs "the fold over thing"?

Regarding the "proper binding" vs "the fold over thing", as with most things, there will be more ways to finish a quilt than any of us will likely ever attempt. The edges of quilt seem to take a lot of wear and the way it is finished doesn't change that...but some seem to be easier to replace than others. To facilitate replacement of worn bindings, I've known some to use 4 piece bindings...one for each side.
The "fold over thing" will likely wear sooner if it is but one layer of fabric at the edge...and likely does not have the stay stitching that an applied binding will create if machine sewn one side and hand sewn on the other. Bias binding keeps the wear from being on grain...but straight of grain binding can be cut just slightly askew and accomplish nearly the same goal. It's always the quiltmaker's choice...I'm not in favor of restrictions of any kind... These differences are some of what I celebrate about our craft. Hope this helps.

Thank you for answering. Your answer makes a lot of sense. I would think if a quilt is just going to be a wall hanging a fold over edge would be sufficent(sp).

Yes sorry I didn’t see this question before, but I did not mean to insinuate that regular binding is better than fold over binding. I still use fold over for picnic blankets etc… But yes these quilts from 10 years ago that I made have the fold over binding, and as you could guess by the holes in them, the quilts are well loved. The fold over binding has not held up as well as a regular binding would have I think because it’s only one thin layer of fabric on the edge. The way I do my standard binding it ends up being two layers. Plus I personally like the look of a regular binding over the fold over, but that is solely my own personal preference. At the time I would have preferred to do that kind of binding on these quilts, but I was too scared to attempt it. So it wasn’t that I thought the fold over was wrong, just that at the time it was all I could do. Everyone has their preference for binding, and if you like the look of the fold over, then do it! :) Sorry if my comment made it sound like I thought fold over was wrong, it’s not at all, just not my own preference.

Cheers!
Rachel