puckering on back when straight line quilting
 

On my last few quilts, there has been puckering on the back of my quilt, when the front looks fine. It almost looks like I have been trying to "gather" the fabric. (I think that is the term, it has been quite a few years since I sewed clothes.)

I haven't changed the way I pin, and I only do straight line quilting. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I keep thinking it is my walking foot or maybe the tension, but I thought I would ask you folks what you thought. The machine goes in for yearly check ups, so I haven't neglected her. I clean lint from around the bobbin after every quilt.

Thanks for any ideas.

Dina

When I get that, I think it's from one of the problems that Tartan suggested - from stretching the backing. I just posted in another thread how I don't use tape or clamps anymore when basting and I get less puckering than when I was taping my backing to the floor! (In fact I get pretty much zero puckering now!)

Oh, thank you both so much. This really helps. I think I must be stretching the backing. That makes sense. The thread is connecting in the sandwich whenI quilt, and I have no puckering unless I am quilting the sandwich. I have been using tape and clamps when I "make" the sandwich. I will experiment by avoiding one or both!!

Thanks again!!

Dina

Hi Dina. Are you sure, as the quilter above mentioned, might be stretching your backing just a little too tight?? I always told people that you want it not as tight as a tom tom (drum) but snug enough so when you move your hand over the backing, the fabric doesn't move. If you unclip an area, does the fabric sort of pop back?? Usually you can tell if the backing is too tight by looking at the back of the quilt after pinning. If you have stretched the backing too tight, you should be able to see a bit of puffiness on the back. Hang in there !! :)

I was making some oven gloves the other day and was having a terrible time with the back puckering! I ended up unpicking everything I'd done, because they were horrendous! The wadding I was using was thicker and seemed denser than normal wadding, and my mum suggested that perhaps my presser foot was putting it under too much pressure, which was kind of gathering up the back. I reduced the pressure and it looked waaaaay better! Now I just have to remember to put it back to normal once I've redone them all!

I have never thought of reducing the pressure on the presser foot. How do you do that?

Dina

Some machines have an "automatic" pressure setting. It's not always as easy as turning a knob like on my older machines.

what stitch length are you using. 2.2 for piecing is too tight for quilting.

I use 3.5 or 4. usually. I just like the way that size stitch looks.

Dina