question for long armers
 

so..I have a 90 x 108" quilt on the frame now..I am doing ruler work on it, about 1/3 of the way done. I have been asked by a friend of 30+ years to make a quilt for his wife's casket..this is going to be a rush job..but I have a plan.
My question is..how hard is it to take a quilt off the frame then get it back on again without puckers/problems?? I need to do her quilt by late next week..but I have to remove the one on there first. I plan on doing a white wholecloth type..with a large cross, a bible verse, and a mix of white and gold thread.I'm not worried about doing her quilt in time..just getting the first one back on okay. I've never had to remove a quilt partway through before. Anyone ever done this??

You can remove and put it back on - no problem. Just be careful when you put it back on the frame. Pay attention to the fabric (puckers, etc) and take your time as you do it. It will be fine.

I've removed a quilt and put it back on, a couple of times, it's not a problem. You can do it, it's more bulky to deal with but you'll be able to do it.

If you have time, I would suggest stabilizing the current quilt before you take it off the frame. You can do that by quilting long stitches that can be easily removed later, or by SITD. Stabilizing it will make it a lot easier to re-load on the frame.

Water soluble thread! :thumbup:

I float my quilt tops, so having to take off the quilt and put it back on isn't that hard since it's only the backing that I'm attaching.

I agree. It will be so much easier to re-load. I’ve only had to take a few off the LA mid-stream, but always stabilize the entire quilt (especially the sides, top and bottom edges) before removing it. I will usually stabilize with large basting stitches every 18-24” to prevent shifting when re-loading.

Should not be a problem. As mentioned, you can either baste to stabilize before removing the sandwich from the frame or float the top when you reload it. Just make sure you keep smoothing everything as you reload.

I should explain that I baste in a grid-like fashion horizontally and vertically in rows 18-24” apart. Not one stitch every 18-24 inches, lol...

I forgot about that option. Good idea! Just remember to use it in the bobbin and on top both, or you will have to remove it as you quilt.