Separating at the seams
 

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to the quilting scene. I've made a few queen sized quilts for friends/family and after a little use and a wash or two they all seem to be getting tiny separations at some of the seams. I always make sure to pre-shrink my fabric before starting to sew and try to be as careful as possible with the seam allowance (usually I do 1/4 inch).

Does anyone have any other tips for avoiding these separations? Or is it just natural wear and tear?

Thanks!

Stitch length- 2 or 1.8, be consistent with that 1/4" seam allowance. I personally think that if the quilting is too sparse, it causes stress on those 1/4" seams, so as I was instructed, a long time ago, no more than a fist of open space between quilting lines.....Recommend washing on gentle cycle and also delicate dry.....how often are these quilts washed? Just my personal thoughts on this subject.

Do you check the seams after you sew the blocks? I make sure to check them all to make sure nothing slipped. Every once in a while part of a seam will be less than 1/8 and I will rip and resew.

How did you quilt it? STID is a good way to secure the seams and while it is a bit tedious, it does help with opening seams.

What stitch length are you using? You may need to shorten it. Also, this can happen if it has not been quilted closely enough. Although some battings say you can quilt up to 10 inches apart, quilting closer will yield a sturdier quilt. Also, the quilting distance should be measured in all directions, including the diagonal. Finally many folks wash the completed quilt before gifting. Better that a seam pops & you can fix it before gifting.

yes, that underneath fabric can move and not give you a full 1/4 seam allowance on both pieces you sewed. always check that. cotton fabric is what you are using? also maybe more quilting on the finished product too. even if it is just next to the seams.

tighten your stitch length

Probably the biggest thing.....choose a fabric with a firmer weave. It holds up much better. Loosely woven fabrics shred.

If I end up with a seam allowance that is too small, I stitch a second (and some times third if the seam allowance is really worrisome) line of stitching along the seam allowance right next to but not on top of the original seam in a very tight stitch length. I find that if I try to rip a seam out that is too narrow, the the fabric in the seam can unravel and I end up with less fabric than what I started out with, and that amplifies the problem.

I wash all my quilts after finishing them in the harshest conditions I think it may encounter. If it's going to be used by a child, I use the hottest water and dryer temperatures. I look for loose seams or whatever problem that might show up so I can fix them. As I have become a better quilter over the years, I'm more confident that my quilts will survive harsh treatment in the hands of others.

Shorten your stitch length. As long as your stitch length is shorter, good quality fabric is used & your seams are consistently 1/4" there should be no seam problems. My grandkids have quilts they have had since they were babies that have been washed at least twice a month & no seams have come apart. The quilting on most of them is 6" apart.

I am always paranoid about stitch separation. Started topstitching over seams..time killer though.

Also, check your tension. I just finished fixing 2 quilts that came into Project Linus. They had not even been washed, but the seams showed loose stitches due to uneven tension. One little pull on the right thread, and the whole seam would be history.

How far apart are your quilting lines? The farther apart the quilting lines, the more stress is put on seams.

Also, your machine may not be giving you a balanced stitch. If you can pull out the bobbin thread easily, you tensions are not set properly.

I am soooo old school that I soak my quilts in the bath tub with some quilt soap, rinse twice and drain in a plastic laundry basket..dry outside on a sunny day, with the backing side up..Of course this is a hand quilted queen quilt.
After 7 years she still looks very good .

As for some of my most used quilts I have not had any breaks in the seams.
I think it has to do with the stitch length,fabric weave and shrinkage of the fabric and a true 1/4 inch stitch.

I watched a video by National Quilters Circle (Helen Thomas) and she basically repeated what you are saying. The closer the quilting, the better chance for longevity in a quilt, even if the package says more space is allowed between quilting.

Great suggestions everyone! My tension and stitch length seem to match up with what you all are recommending, but I think my quilting definitely needs to be closer together. I'll take this all into consideration with my next project!

What kind of thread are you using? I used rayon thread for 1 quilt. I pressed my seams and they looked gorgeous. When I tried to move the top from the ironing board it started coming apart at the seams. Rayon does not like the heat required for cottons.

It's frown upon but I still do this: I want a teeny smidgen of the underneath fabric to show when I'm sewing a seam. It's better then having a pulled seam down the road.

If I'm pressing a seam open, I use 1.6mm stitch length. If I'm pressing it to one side, I use 2mm stitch length.
I definitely agree with all those who've suggested stitching in the ditch & quilting closer together -- if it's going to be a bed quilt, I wouldn't recommend quilting farther than 2" apart.

The other thing to consider is how you're laundering it. A queen-sized quilt will get damaged in a top-loading home washing machine. The center agitator will pull on it too much, snapping stitches at any weak points. I take mine to the laundromat to wash in a commercial front-loading machine. In between washes, I vacuum it with a piece of hosiery over the end of the hose. Also, make sure to never use fabric softener -- especially liquid fabric softener -- as it will damage cotton (including cotton thread).

Finally, I personally love, love, love 100% cotton quilts, but quality polyester thread might help your seams. It is less prone to breaking than cotton. Otherwise, be sure to use a good cotton thread. My personal favorite is Aurifil 50/2, but Gutermann 50wt thread is also very good & is available at JAF.

I just wanted to say Welcome to the board and hope some of the responses help you out.

Washing in a machine that is small or has an agitator causes more strain on the quilt also. I wash quilts in a large front loader washing machine,shorter cycle and higher spin so it gets dryer.

Check your thread tensions - occasionally one of my machines "adjusts itself" - so the stitching is not inerlocking at all - and will pull out very easily.

As others have said - check both sides of your seam - once in a while the bottom side of the seam wanders -

I know many do not agree with my way, but it has worked for me. It's not always the length of your stitch (however I agree with shorter stitches) or if your bottom fabric slipped to be narrower than the top fabric. To me, I find that BACKSTITCHING at the beginning and ending of EVERY seam helps deter that 'separating of seam' issue. I don't believe that just because another seam crosses that first seam, that it will secure it. That's why I don't like to sew strips and then SUBCUT my squares for a block. When I made a queen size RAIL FENCE quilt; by the time I was to sew all the blocks together, the seams were starting to 'separate' and I went back and secured every one of them with a backstitch of sewing. Took longer to do that than if I would have cut the individual strips and sewn them (with backstitching) for the individual rail fence blocks. Even when I sew squares together for a 4-patch or a 9-patch, I backstitch at the beginning and ending of each little square. It doesn't make it any bulkier than some people thnk it would. I don't sew for hire, so I'd rather take that extra time to do it this way. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. {chuckle}

Don't know how you quilted it but if you pressed the seams open and then Stitch in the Ditch that would cause separation. I use to sew with a 2.5 stitch length until I saw some of Leah Day's videos. She used a very short length, 1.7 or 1.8 I think. Since I started using this length I have not had any problems

It could possibly be the stitch length that is giving you problems. Set your length to 2.0 and see how that works for you.