Question for Longarm Quilters
 

and Quilters too...

Do you check the backing fabric as you quilt to make sure there are no wrinkles?

As we know in the quilting world, Stuff Happens! I received my quilt back from the quilter and there is a fold down (1/4 inch each side) for about 25 inches. There are other issues too.

I am not a "live with it" girl in this case. This was a time intensive project with machine embroidery which involved multiple hoopings, over 90 lady bags, plus one inch sashing blocks.

My decision is made and I am UN quilting. Yes stitch-by-stitch and 50 inches x 50 inches. It will be re-quilted by a different quilter and loved again. LOL!

Do you check your backings? Do you re-adjust the different layers?

Just wondering the correct process to help me understand. Thank you.

PS: I will address all the issues at a later date with the original quilter.

Ouch, I’m sorry that happened to you, they should have checked over everything before returning it back to you! And absolutely it’s not acceptable and I would contact them about it!
When I am long-arming, I check my quilt back a bazillion times throughout the process to ensure that my stitches are good, and that there are no issues going on. I do not want to spend my time frogging!!

The back should be tensioned on both sides to prevent this. I would definitely take it up with the longarmer.

Yes, I check the back many times during the quilting process. In fact everytime the quilt is rolled. I also use side clamps to keep tension on the backing. The quilter needs to be told that you were not satisfied.

Perhaps speaking with the quilter should be done before you unquilt it.

I only long arm for myself, but yes, I check the back as I go. Each time I roll, I look at the part that I just quilted. I float my batting and my top, so before I start the next stitching, I check the back part coming up. I should add that my older long arm machine can throw it's own little fit every once in a while, and I have had to rip out the last row of panto stitching more than once, therefore, I am extra diligent. I can reload, but I don't like too.

Edited to add: It sounds like she didn't clamp the sides to stabilize them. If she has a 30" Longarm, that would be one rolling if she used a wide stitching pattern.

Rhonda, I check each roll to make sure there are no wrinkles. If one gets past me after I take it off, its my job to frog and fix it for the customer. That's what they are paying me for. Please contact your LA person before you spend a lot of time taking out. Brenda

Thank you for your comments Everyone! It helps me understand the process.

Yes, I will update the quilter at a later time. My focus is UNquilting for now and rescuing my project.

ETA: There was a typo in my original post. It should say "bugs" not bags. LOL!

At least take pictures so that you can show her what happened. She should have caught it when it came off the machine.

Rhonda, if you had a sewn in wrinkle/pucker, definitely contact the LA quilter and ask that she/he fix it. Definitely should be free of puckers when it goes home!

That being said, one reason I prefer to have customer use my backing is that I can make sure it's square--unsquare/wonky backing is more likely to result in puckers or weird wrinkles--but a wrinkle going straight down would mean the sides weren't clamped well and straight across would just be weird!

I would also add that when customers hand me a backing that is unpressed and don't want to pay to have me press, I will load and then spray with water and roll back/forth and let dry to get it smoother.

I would take it back and give the LAer the opportunity to fix it. Maybe she noticed it and maybe not - stuff happens sometimes, no matter how careful we are, but if she\he refuses to fix the problem my quilts would go elsewhere in the future.

This is what I do and as the quilt is rolled on the frame I tug plus run my hands from the center out on both sides.
I would also take a picture to show her . . . If she is reputable I would give some money back and/or offer a free quilting for another quilt. She can't learn from her mistakes if she doesn't know about them.

I think you should have the LA'er do all the repair. Let her know immediately. You paid her so she should provide a good product. There should be no extra cost to you for the repair.

I agree with all the above comments.
This quilt you describe should not have gone home in that kind of condition. That is not acceptable.

I agree with Ali. If I were the quilter I would want to see it in person, not just a photo. The least she should do is un-pick it for you! I guess this is a good time to emphasize that you should plan on spending some time with the long armer when you drop the quilt off to discuss exactly what you want, and also when you pick it up. YOu should examine both the front & back before you pay.

Thanks again for your help.

Please let me add clarification about the wrinkle. The longarmer pointed out the wrinkle to me when I picked up the quilt. It looked like it could be tacked down with matching thread and be OK.

My backing was square and pressed. It had 5 inches on each side to allow for the extra fabric needed. My quilt was also square. The quilter had previously quilted a friend's quilt (same embroidery design and similar fabrics) and it looked nice.

Thank you again for your experience and help. This is truly a lesson for me in my personal quilting journey and a small glitch in the life of quilting.

I’m a newcomer to having a long arm but I check everything constantly.

Hard to believe a professional quilter would make mistakes such as this and not rectify it before sending it back to you. I would be so upset that she didn't check the back as she went along.....I mean she had to see it as she rolled the take up bar!! I would ask for a partial refund and tell her why you have to have the problem fixed and that someone else will be getting paid to repair the problem she caused.

Yes I'm sure a refund will be issued without questions or reservations when I see the quilter. I'm dealing with UNquilting myself and saying I'm just adding a little more love into the quilt.

yes , backing should be checked each time you roll the quilt. she should give you your money back .

She shouldn't have given it to you that way to begin with. ( good luck )

In these days of the Statler Stitcher, not as much attention seems to be paid to the little things. My daughter, when long arming, without a stitcher, was often checking both sides of the quilt for imperfections.
After I put my best in a quilt, I do not want a careless person to ruin it. I do not know what the answer is, but until then we will have to be choosy in picking a long armer. Too bad, because we do pay good money to have our treasures quilted.

I have back and neck issues so bending over is a chore for me so I installed a logitech camera to the under side of my quilt machine so I can at least see the bobbin stitches. I also feel by hand once in a while too. Plus while I'm advancing the quilt I'll run my eyes along the section of the back that's showing on the back bar as it advances. I try to make sure there's no folds or wrinkles in my backing before I attach it to the frame.

I keep a mirror tile on my quilting table, every turn of the bars I am checking, smoothing, adjusting, looking the length of the area. Then I start to quilt again, stop after a few inches and look again. I check, double check with every bobbin change too. I hate ( un-quilting) so am very diligent. It is much more time saving to ensure all is correct than to undo and redo.

Yes, I check backings as I go. I hate to see pleats in the backing AFTER I am done, so I check before, during and after each row is quilted. That is a lesson learned the hard way.

I'm assuming the first quilter was paid for her services and not doing the quilting as a favor. Why wouldn't you go back to her and ask her to unquilt it and do it correctly. She must be aware of her mistake, or if not, should be make aware of it. I think you have every right to do so.

Thanks for your replies. I am more than half-way on my journey of Un-quilting. It's not a terrible process. I am learning a great lesson and gaining a little knowledge about quilting and myself. So win-win!

My original posts asked a question about the long-arm process. It was never about addressing the issues with the original quilter. As I mentioned the issues will be addressed personally at a later time. I will see her in the next week or two and we will chat. It is not an urgent matter.

I had to give myself some time and distance with the matter and needed to consult with other quilters first. This was a new situation that I haven't experienced before and wanted to gather my thoughts first.

At this time, I am not requesting anyone else to do the un-quilting. It is intensive and a project that could have additional mishaps. It's not a project to delegate to others.

The issue of the fold was pointed out to me by the quilter. I thought it would be an easy fix that I could live with and the quilting also appeared fine. After careful consideration I made the decision to fix the error. I am not a "live with it" girl. The setback just adds a little "grit and grace" to my quilt and I will love it even more.

Again,thanks Everyone! I appreciate your helpful tips and comments on the long-arm process. I feel that I can now "gracefully" provide valuable feedback to the original quilter and help her in her quilting journey too.

When the quilt is finished, I want to see love and grace in it and not an un-happy experience.

Thanks Everyone!

This happens because the longarmer didn’t cut the batting to the width of the backing.

As the quilt winds on the takeup bar, the outer edges begin to flop around because of the slack and a pucker can result.

This can happen whether the quilter is using a computerized system or freehanding.

One LA I used had skipped stitches and many many bad starts and stops, and loopy tension in all the curve stitching I called her she said that was normal and to expect perfect was unreasonable. I took the quilt and another that was nicely quilted to show her what was 'reasonable'. She was miffed I asked for a refund. I found out later she bought the LA and expected to quilt for others to pay for it and didn't know anything about how to do it. No one in the guilds (I belong to three) would use her after seeing my quilt after I did a showing her 'reasonable work' at Show and Tell. Another LA did an excellent job of requilting it . How a business handles complaints from a guild member will have consequences on the business and if she doesn't know that, she will soon.

this is exactly why this can happen. Other reasons would be an off square back (which Rhonda already said was not the case), a back that was pieced with grain going several different directions (a problem I ran into with a customer quilt and could not solve with the backing she gave me--so I knocked off 1/2 the price), and recently I had my own quilt with flannel backing and the quilt design was pulling the back first one way then the other and creating ripples--had to unstitch and starch/steam and make sure those side clamps were doing their job! Hope this helps you for figuring out in the future Rhonda--sounds like you did your part though.

I would say this is only one of many reasons this can happen. Don't make assumptions.
For a short list: not stretching the back with clamps; if it's custom quilted, quilting from the outside in; clamping backing and batting, rather than just backing; out of square/poorly pieced backing (not your problem, from what you said); not pinned/rolled squarely on the frame; not stretched/free of wrinkles on the roller bar; not checking the backing with each roll.
As a longamer, I have to admit familiarity with most of the above :(

Whatever the root cause (and only the longarmer would know for sure which mistake she made), it's definitely not something I would be happy with. I'm glad she pointed it out to you and didn't try to hide it, but sorry you had to put so much extra effort into correcting the issue.