I don't know if anyone has had this problem,but here is what happened. After I brought my quilt home from being long arm quilted, I noticed two pulled seams. I don't know how it happened unless the long arm machine stretces the fabric and pulls it. But here is what I did---I took some stitch witchery and put it in the seams and fused it together. Now it all blends in together again. After I finished t he quilt top I checked it over very carefully and repaired things where needed, before I took it to the shop. So I am bafled by the pulled seams.

I don't really understand what you mean by pulled, but yes when you put it on a frame for quilting it does pull it taut, it should not stretch anything out of shape or pull apart a seam unless it wasn't secured well and then I think it would only happen on the ends.

No, pulled seams can happen at any interior corner. If the fabrics had different degrees of give and/or are turned in the blocks there is uneven give across the surface. An observant LA quilter will notice and adjust but it is troublesome to work at one tension and then find a spot that needs TLC. I think this is one of the arguments LAQ's have for not mixing your fibres in a quilt.

This can happen if the seam allowances aren't a 1/4", as a longarmer will roll it tight to prevent tucks when quilting. I see it a lot in older quilts esp hand pieced. Idon't roll them as tight.

This is all good to know, thank you for asking this question, and for all of the answers :D:D:D

Kathy the seams pulled apart. I don't know how much plainer I can explain. It separated and I did backtitch all my seams.

Thanks for all your answers. I figured it happened on the LA. Maybe the fabrics slipped when i was sewing it too---I don't know.

I have taken to making a two-stitch backstitch in my lock stitches on the end of seams, because I've found that just taking one backstitch sometimes is not enough if the piece is later stretched.
Seems to help.
'

What stitch length did you use for piecing?

when your quilt is 'loaded' to be long-arm quilted it is stretched tight and smooth across the quilting area. this puts lots of tension on the seams in a pieced quilt. i have noticed often interior seams pull apart. i usually try to 'fix' them as i quilt but at times it is too much for the quilting to take care of it. in those places i put some sort of (mark) to identify the spot so repair can be done after the quilting. it can be from thread breaking as easily as from not being secure in the first place. i try to kind of pull on areas of my piecing to make sure seams are not coming apart while i am constructing so i can identify problem areas before loading it on the frame. your fix sounds like a good one.

when i took quilts to a la. a couple of times it came back with pulled seams i think thread broke i took tiny stiches to secure it you couldnt see it

Dear CKCOWL--These were interior seams that pulled apart. I did paper piecing and sometimes the seams pulled when I took the paper off but I fixed them as I went. Maybe I missed a couple too--I don't know. but I figured the pull mainly came from the LA. The Stitch Witchery has worked just fine- can't find the pulls after I fixed them.

I found that PP comes apart sometimes, too, on the interior seams. So I always start EACH little seam with a backstitch (I start the seam one stitch in, and stitch backwards once before going forward) and then I backstitch at the end of each little seam as well.
I also use a 1.8 stitch.
No pullouts.

dear toomuchfabric--Thanks for everyting. did you use regular paper piecing paper or copy paper. I used PP paper. I love PP piece except for the pulled seams.

No problem Amma. I figured there were some good answers out there.

I use foundation paper sometimes, and I use computer paper sometimes! That's when I want to take the paper off.
Sometimes I use muslin or used dryer sheets when I want to leave in the foundation.

And, I use a Very Small stitch, which makes getting the paper off So much easier, too.