Quilt backing
 

I am having a hard time getting my quilt backs quilted down flat with no wrinkles.
What is my problem ? I press fabric and pin very well but I am still having trouble with them.
Help please !

I buy large (108" wide) backs from Christian Lane. I donot wash them, just iron the creases using a bit of water spray.
They lay very flat.
I always had trouble if I'd washed the back before sandwiching - so I stopped.

do you tape the backing to the floor or if using a table, do you use clips or something to hold the backing in place?
i usually use spray basting so I don't pin anymore. it's difficult to get it to stay completely flat, for me anyway.
i hear starching it first helps a lot. tell us more how you put your layers together first

You may be pulling the backing too tight. Ask me how I know.

Hi
I know I am new to this site, but I found spray glue (fabric) that washes out excellent for ensuring no wrinkles, good luck

I do my sandwiching on my long dining room table. I take care pressing fabric and pinning but I'm still getting those darn wrinkles. I am wondering about starching pretty stiff though to keep it from gathering up .What does everyone think ?

I find it necessary to starch my backings- and then I use painters tape to hold them to the floor while I baste.

I hand quilt, so as I move my frame to a new area I make sure all layers are tightened and make adjustments as needed

When quilting, do you start in the center and work out? It also helps to stabilize the quilt with a vertical and horizontal seam if possible, then work out in quarters.

be careful of your dining room table with those pins. my girlfriend ruined hers but her Hubby refinished it for her. When i pinned i used a folding table. it has a one inch depth so i used the white clips Eleanor Burns sells on her site, Quilt In A Day. before that i used a folding picnic table and used binding clips. I would clip the backing in place, add the batting, smooth it in place and reclip. then add the top, reclip. then pin, pin, pin. good luck.

I have been using Sharon Schamber's method, it works very well. Last weekend my daughter and I used this method to baste her king size quilt- no wrinkles. You can watch her video on youtube.

The three things I do to keep puckers and wrinkles from happening ..iron or smoothout any wrinkles or fold creases, Spray baste instead of pins, and a walking foot.

I heavily starch my backing fabric before layering. This stabilizes the fabric so it is much less likely to pucker when machine quilting. My method is to mix a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water, "paint" this solution on with a large wall painting brush until the fabric is saturated, toss in dryer, and iron with steam.

Also, in my experience spray basting does a better job of preventing puckers than pinning ever did for me. I think this is because spray basting keeps the layers continuously "stuck" to each other; with pinning the "stuck" parts are 4 inches or so apart.

The really nice thing about 505 is that you can reposition the fabric if needed. Just be careful not to over due it. A little goes a long way, and your machine will appreciate it. BTW, no more pins for me either!

You must secure the backing, taught but not tight. Tape works for me.

I pin baste, but there are a few things that still give me problems. I've done 3 quilts of a certain pattern and each one gave me fits in the center. The center of the top is heavily appliqued in this area, and I'm wondering if the fusible makes it so rigid that it doesn't move with the backing. When I have normal fabric on normal fabric, I have no problems. Hmmm.

Are you hand quilting or machine quilting? Are you loading onto a rack?

Another Sharon Schamber fan here!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

When I baste, it is close enough that my no matter where i put my hand, I can always touch the basting. I know that basting is time consuming, but it is so important to keep my layers from shifting.

nancy42,
I have the same problem. I've done what the others have said here, spray, pin iron, starch, spread out on large surface; it doesn't matter.
My backing always wrinkles, shifts, whatever. When I move the fabric sandwich to the sewing machine, it moves on it's own, it seems.
I just say, "That's the way I quilt." "It's an original."

I hand quilt, and I have been using 80/20 Hobbs. Has anyone used the fusible batting and then hand quilt it? Any difference in the needling between the two?? I use a 14 or 16 inch pvc lap frame, and the only time I get wrinkles is when the backing is a looser weave than the top, but I manage to ease it in some places. Lots of times I have better backing, and there isn't any problems for me. Good luck in finding out the problem. Are you machine quilting? Or hand quilting?

When hand quilting, I smooth out the backing with the grain of fabric as I stitch, not on the diagonal. This has helped to ease any wrinkles away. Pulling on the diagonal is just asking for trouble!

I also hand quilt and I don't think it's possible to get the backing as perfectly smooth as what is done on a LA. Any ideas on this?

That's why I like my floor frame that adjusts to the full size of the quilt. I can stretch my backing out flat and layer on the batting and top with no basting needed. Back comes out flat each time. Here is where I posted pictures.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...me-t81725.html

Thanks, just saved it and hubby may need to make one for me. I've got a PVC frame from JoAnns but it doesn't hold a full size quilt.

I use basting spray and a few pins, have no problems.

Another Sharon Schamber fan here, though I pin instead of hand baste. The first one I did was almost too smooth, but the last one was perfect.

If you end up with the back being baggy, try spraying the crap out of it with spray starch and then steam the heck out of it with your iron. You will be amazed how much you can work out!