Hello everyone!!! PLease help me before I go nuts.
I have a 8 in. piece of backing, the batting and now I am using 2 in. strips to diagonally cover this, so I can make a scrappy quilt. My question is this: When I am sewing the strips onto the backing, it all goes well until I turn it over and my backing piece is puckering where ever I have sewed and it's ugly. I dont want an ugly quilt when I turn it over. What did I do wrong? I have attached pics of front and back of my square. The other square I have made looks worse than the one you see here.
Thank you and any help would be much appreciated.

Are you using a walking foot? If not, that may help a lot.

First silly question - are you using a walking foot?
Are you pinning the layers together so the backing stays flat?
Is your stitch length too short?
Any of these will cause puckering.
Why not machine your strips to muslin or similar, join your blocks, and then make a sandwich with batting and backing so you quilt it all at once.

I am most definitely using a walking foot. Thank you for your response. Is it because I sewing diagonally maybe? I just don't know.....

diagonally could cause puckering because you are sewing along the bias.

Yes I am pinning. Yes I am using a walking foot and my stitch setting is set as long as it can be. THe reason I am doing it this way is because I wanted to try the scrappy quilt way combined with quilt as you do method. Am I making sense? I am so new at this, my sewing lingo may sound a little nutty!! Thank you for responding.

When I read the idea off the net, it never told me to get ready for puckering. Had I known this, I would have never started. LOL and I wanted to really do this. Thank you for responding. I need all the help I can get.

I don't know if this will help but maybe you can try adjusting the thread tension so it's a little loose.

sometimes stitching one line one direction and the next from the opposite direction helps. also not having too short a stitch length.
you could also use spray basting if necessary. then the fabric would not move on you. and it can be repositioned if need be before stitching.

I agree with alternating direction of sewing the strips.

I will try that, thanks!!!!

check your tension, maybe lengthen your stitch a tad and press and starch the backing fabric. I've done this quilt as you go thing and no puckers so it must be possible... I used fusible batting, only pinned the first strip. If you have spray baste, maybe try that instead of pinning? On something this small, the pins may be causing the puckering? Just a thought!

Starch is a good suggestion. Starch the backing fabric into cardboard so it will behave!

that is what I was going to suggest. Starch it stiff.

Thank you. I have tried all the above, with and without pinning, tension adjusting, etc., alternating sewing directions, but I haven't tried the starching the backing fabric. I will try that next. THank you everyone for all your suggestions, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY

You are quilting along the bias grain of the backing fabric. The bias grain is very prone to stretching.

I avoid this problem by heavily starching my backing fabric before layering a quilt. Starch stabilizes the backing and prevents puckering.

Some people use spray starch, but I prefer my own method -- especially for large pieces of fabric such as quilt backings. I mix a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water, lay the fabric out on my kitchen island, "paint" the starch on with a large wall painting brush, toss the fabric in the dryer, and iron with steam.

On the QAYG table runners I have made, I starched the dickens out of the fabric, and I also pressed after each additional strip was added, finger pressing doesn't work well with this technique for me. This kept the back from puckering for me :wink: :D:D:D

Also, make sure you are pressing, not ironing :D

Prism do you put the fabric in the dryer when it is wet?

Yes.

What about using a basting spray on both sides of the fabric before sewing it together

Basting spray is an adhesive and I think it remains somewhat sticky even after it dries. It's great for holding a quilt sandwich together, but I wouldn't try to use it as a stabilizer -- especially since starch does that job well.

I've not done this, but I was wondering, what if you start sewing down with the middle strip and working yourself out to each side? You could adjust fabric out as necessary then.

Good Luck!! :thumbup:

I also iron the sandwich where I am going to sew because I think it does help with the puckering.

this would be my idea

I think the reason you are having a problem is that you are sewing on the bias. It stretches easily. All the suggestions you have gotten are good, but I think starch may be the answer for you!! Let us know if it helps!

Ditter

What kind of batting are you using? How thick is it?

Try a thinner batting - that may help.

I've used this "pattern" but putting it only on muslin foundation and then adding a lightweight batt and the backing. I would guess having that batt there combined with the bias is what might be creating this for you. You might have to forego the qayg idea with this design?? So goes life--sounds like a good idea but it didn't work! Always another learning experience out there.

if you are using a walking foot and it is puckering maybe its because your stitches are to long that will cause puckering because sometimes when i want to gather i will make my stitchesas long as possible and it will sort of pucker the fabric and if you can pull the threads and it sort of gathers up then your stitches are probley to long, hope this helps.

I can't wait to hear how it worked after the starching idea....that sounds like the solution to me.

I had that happen just last week. I used my 'best friend' the ripper and tore it all out. I then set it aside because I was frustrated. Now with all of these wonderful suggestions, I can go back to it with renewed inspiration! Thanks.

Have you try lowering your feed dog's. It sounds like it is pulling your backing to fast. and you do need to alternate your direction on each strip. I have my machine set at stitch length 4 with feed dogs lowered just so the teeth are at the plate.

First and foremost, I would NOT be pinning. I have not pinned since I discovered spray basting. Pinning is just way too time consuming and frustrating.

I had this problem when I did my bursting star quilt because I was stitching in the ditch around the star. Used my seam ripper alot! I found that if I repositoned my safety pins frequently that helped alot.

I never knew alittle starch could make such a huge differance...Oh My has made my life so much easier.

Lots of helpful suggestions here already!!! Perhaps try spray basting just the backing fabric to the batting...not the top fabric? Let us all know if you find a solution that works for you.

Patti

1. 505 basting spray the backing to the batting.
2. Alternate sewing direction with each seam.

Try it - you'll like it.

Yes a walking foot, basting it down. Have you tried the basting spray? Just make sure you cover the surrounding area with newspaper.

I would use a walking foot..also..spray starch your backing. This may help you..lay your backing on a flat surface..spray with quilt basting spray..then lay your batting on top of that. I think Quilt basting spray is a Godsend. Hope this helps you.

I haven't read all the posts yet, so someone may have already said this. You may need to adjust the PRESSURE of the foot. It's a dial we rarely adjust - and when it's pushing down TOO HARD, even with a walking foot, you'll get puckers.

Have you washed the fabric yet? If not it may not be noticeable when washed!