! Quilting wonky Double Wedding Ring
 

I'm afraid I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I do longarm quilting, and I agreed to do this double wedding ring for a client. I did not look closely enough at it when she dropped it off, and when I was loading it on the longarm, I realized just how out-of-square the blocks are. You can see the excess fabric in some of the plain sections in this photo. How the heck do I quilt this?

She and I had agreed on an all-over design for it - I think she was scared off by the pricing on custom quilting. But now that I look at the whole thing laid out, I'm afraid that trying to pantograph this will just quilt pleats in all over the place. I can't do that. I'm thinking I need to call her, and suggest strongly that we go with a custom design - so that I can encourage the areas to lay nicely under the needle as I go, and avoid pleating. Any suggestions? And ideas for what type of motif might work best? I'm thinking light quilting, rather than heavy, to allow the excess room to "puff" between the stitching lines. Fortunately (I think), she chose a poly batting with a fair bit of loft, so that will hide some of the issues when it's done.

Help, please! I was hoping to start this today, and if I can't figure out a plan I'll have to unload the whole thing and put my next quilt on to avoid falling behind too far.

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Definitely call her and have an honest conversation about the problems you are facing and what needs done so the quilt finishes nicely. Do discuss pricing and if you feel that she doesn't want to pay the extra, offer to give it back so she could maybe find someone else. Customers don't always understand just how badly it will affect the quilt when they don't keep to a 1/4" seam! I know exactly those problems having just finished one my mother made many years ago....extra fabric, skimpy seams, huge seams, just a big mess. Took me forever to just decide on how to quilt it! You might want to add an extra layer of batting, to puff up into the areas of extra fabric. Maybe the old saying "less is more" would be a very good thing for this quilt? Good Luck!

I agree with the other posters. Don't do anything until you have contacted the customer. If you have to take the quilt off the frame, at least you have a good picture of the issue. While you are waiting, you can view my favorite long arm video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzoL7ddTEnA

PaperPrincess - thanks for posting that I really enjoyed it. I have noticed that usually it is the piecer not the quilter who says you can quilt that out!

PaperPrincess, thank you for that link! What a great video!

I don't understand why this person didn't fix these problems while she went along. It must have been obvious that the background pieces weren't fitting properly.

I have been criticized for trying to be accurate with my seams and piecing. After that video....I will always be careful even though I do my own long arm work. Not good, and mostly pantos, but as best as I can do. It is harder to work the extra in. I had it in one border. I still don't know how it happened, but I have been more careful after that.

Could you custom quilt it for the same price, if you do a lot less quilting as you suggested? I think that's what I would offer her.

When you have it on the frame are you floating that top? I pin the free motion side to the leaders, roll up to where I have basted down the batt, and use that line as a guide and then baste the top to that......then as I set it up, I can ease in any fullness better and I also use elasticed clamps on sides(3 per side) to keep all at same taunt ness.....also, if you set your speed a bit higher than you usually work at and slow down your movemen a bit, the stitching will ease in the fullness without puckers. I have one on now where she bordered her backing(8 inches)---- but it's not done correctly ( a bit ruffly). So when I pinned to leaders there was a sag in center....so I tucked in some used "practice" pieces(my little sandwiches to test stitches--- about the size of a diaper) under free motion side roller leader to take up slack...quilted that section....perfect! Now it is good...don't know what the last section will bring(another added on border)!

Thanks for your comments everyone. sewbizgirl, I think that is what I am going to do. I did a couple of sample pieces, to see how well I can quilt in fullness with a couple of designs. Had pretty good luck with a tight stipple, but still ended up with some pleats at the end. Geri, your suggestion might help me there. I also did an open design, which worked pretty well. Left some puffy areas, but no pleats.
So, I've sent off an email with a couple of photos, and I'll see what she comes back with.

You need to contact her and either show her the pictures or have her over to where the LA is. I had this same problem with poor workmanship and even after telling this client that since her quilt did NOT lay flat and that I would have to take tucks (she didn't measure her borders), I ended up refunding her payment. Sometimes it is NOT worth the problems this can cause.

If I were the client I would appreciate a phone call or an invitation to come over and take a look at it. I would not want you to lose money and I would like the opportunity to make my own decision about the quilt. If I could see what you are up against it would help me understand and learn how better to make my quilts n the future. Good luck!

if I was the piecer, I would appreciate a call - and suggestions on how to make it behave better.

If I was the longarmer, I think I would return it - along with an explanation of why I am returning it.

I am not a magician - although some longarmers seem to be!

I read a suggestion from another quilt I know about steam pressing the fullness out right on the frame. I've had to do that on a few of mine when my border and even a block or two came out with way too much fabric. Steaming helped quite a bit, enough that I was able to quilt with no problems. I'm now in the market looking for a hand held hopefully cordless steamer to keep in my quilting room. I hate lugging my iron in every time I need to steam out fullness. I don't wash my fabrics before I make my tops so I know I will have some shrinking which is good news for me in this case.

Thanks Snooze. I'll definitely give that a try. She liked my design proposal, so it looks like I have a plan. Hope I can pull it off.

Piecing problems aside, I think it would have helped a lot if the top had been properly pressed before it was brought to you.

Daffy

I thought some of you might like to see the end result. Not the whole top of course (I'm not that quick :) ) but I finished the first row of rings. Here is the same section I showed in the first post in this thread, after quilting (and steaming the heck out of it first). Thank you all for your advice.

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Looks like you accomplished a miracle.

The quilting looks great!

Amazing! I wouldn't have believed it.

Wow, that's a great job! I hope your customer will realize that you solved an unsolvable problem.

Daffy

I'm sorry you had all these problems, and am really glad you posted about it. It is even better that you have figured out a way to turn her lemons into lemonade as Irma Bombeck would say.

I have learned so much from all the answers and solutions offered. I had never really thought about what to do if there was a lot of slack in a quilt top. I don't pre-wash my fabrics, so am now going to be looking for one of those hand held steamers, just to have on hand. And, I like your minimal free motion quilting. It greatly enhances without making it look like it is too heavy. Great job.

That looks great! Nice save :)

Wow! Impressive solution! There's nothin' a bunch of quilters can't do when they put their collective experiences to work, is there! You people are the best!!!!!!! I say requirements for the next president of the United States should include being or becoming a quilter. Who else has such productive problem solving skills, now I just ask you :thumbup:

If anyone is interested in the end result, here's a picture of the finished quilt. I'm really pleased with how it came out - not perfect, but I didn't expect that given the starting point. I sure hope she's happy with it.

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Beautiful job! I really hope she appreciates the miracle you've performed.

Cari

One would never know that you had to work in all that puffiness.
The quilting is lovely.

Wow, that looks great!!! You did an amazing job. I thought it was a lost cause, based on your first picture.

Dina

that does look great! I agree - was really concerned w/ your first picture.

That looks amazing. Well done!

I think you've done a marvellous job. Simple, but beautiful.

This video may be helpful.

https://youtu.be/a-MdFDuTIws

Call her first! You may want to have her come over to see the dilemma that you are facing. Was this quilt hand pieced or machine pieced? DWR's are notorious for being out of square. I would be sure to let her know that you many not be able to correct it and keep it square using the current design option. Let us know what happens. I was just looking at another thread where a DWR has poofs throughout the top. I strongly suggested hand quilting so that she could stretch out each area in her hoop or to LA it with a bit of pull. It may be a quilt that a custom design is the only way.