|
Ask them if they square up their blocks before they assemble the quilt top. Also, don't add borders without checking your quilt top is square. Squaring up quilt blocks is essential.
Annette |
Cute YouTube video! My feeling is this...You should try to go to all of the effort that you can to deliver a "perfect quilt" to the LAQ. Measure, square up, etc. But let's face it, NOBODY quilts a "perfect quilt." NOBODY! A LAQ should have a bit of tact and gentleness when letting someone know that their quilt is wonky and if it's minor, then just let it be and deal with it as best that you can. If it's majorly flawed, then kindly help by showing the piecer how to fix it properly, so that you can quilt it for him/her to look its best.
Afterall, it is a hand made item and not a cheapo-made quilt done in some foreign country on machines. It's going to have some flaws and character. |
Originally Posted by JustAbitCrazy
(Post 6504170)
If I were you, I'd also make up a paper to give your customers which outlines steps they should take to prepare the quilt top for longarm quilting. Include : top and backing all need to be square, all loose threads on back of quilt top need to be trimmed, etc. It's amazing how many good piecers will come with a lovely top which is just not square. I guess they just don't bother to check for that and measure it in several places once it's finished. And it's important for you to know if it's out of square, and how much, before you tackle it.
|
Absolutely tell them! Explain that the tensions on a long arm machine REQUIRE that the quilt and borders need to be flat and square , and if they are not, the results will not be as nice a they would want. So many times, folks think you can"quilt it out", but trying to put a wonky quilt on a frame just make it worse.
|
My daughter, a long armer, usually informs the customer of the problem with the edge and tells them how to solve the problem. No long armer wants to send out a product that it not professional.
|
That is why I got out of the quilting for others business. I would call the customers and they would tell me to do what I could so they accepted the pleats and gathers but it was a real pain.
|
Just love the video. Thanks Good One!
|
I didn't understand the need to be so "squared up" and often just stuck my borders on after doing a good job squaring up blocks and other parts, until I started LAQing. Wow! After spending so much time with the piecing, doesn't everyone want a nice, flat, pucker-free finished quilt? One other thing to think about--make sure if you provide the backing to the LAQ, that you have cut it square--part of the reason that the LAQ asks for extra backing/batting(besides the quilting process and pinning to the frame leaders)to to provide enough backing if they need to square it up and still have enough fabric!
|
Wonky Quilts
Make sure when smoothing the quilt on the frame, to keep your hand movements horizontal from the middle of the quilt to the Left/right side. You may find yourself smoothing in a diagonal direction, and actually pulling the sides of the quilt down.
Another thing. if the borders are wavy...pin and then secure the sides first as you roll the quilt. smooth, from the inside out, working in any fullness in the borders and securing the ends. Now, when doing your meander...work from the outside in..using a slightly smaller meander (not so much that it's obvious) on the borders, and increasing the size slightly in the middle of the quilt. When I have a quilt with borders...and I know they are waving...and I have a seam somewhere in the border, that is where I make a tuck, if I have to. I secure the sides of the quilt...and then Stitch in the ditch on the seams seperating the border from the inside of the quilt top...and use a piano key type design for the border...lines about 2" apart. For the corners of the borders...I do a diagonal line from inside the border to the very edge...I put my piano key lines right to the mitered line. You can stop at the very end of the border section (usually a seam there where the side meets the top or bottom border, then put a design in the corner that is left open. If there is extra fullness still...go back with each roll and do a small meander in every other piano key section. If you look on Youtube for Jamie Wallen, you will find some great helps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=756YpBu-xuk The above link will take you to Jamie's tutorial on piano key borders. I really like his corner treatment. Marge
Originally Posted by mamagrande
(Post 6503717)
I have a (new to me) HQ 16 and a few friends have asked me to quilt their tops..problem is their wonky tops, with wavy borders. I am just using a loose meander and try to make it as straight as I can but sometimes I get folds/gathers in the borders and middle of the quilt .:(
I feel bad but what can I do?? Should I tell them the correct way to make a border by measuring thru the middle...or would they feel offended. |
Another thing you can do. If you have quilt magazines you don't use any more...find one with a tutorial on how to do the borders, or whatever is wrong with the customer's quilt. Gift them the magazine...."I am finished with this magazine, it's got lots of good helps for doing borders (flying geese, half square tris, etc.)." I do this with mailed in quilt tops and now with those coming into the shop...just subtle hints. Also, if I have the customer in front of me...I'll show what I had to do to make the borders fit...and then if they ask how to avoid the fullness...I will explain the process to them (and lately I give out how to sheets). Free lesson for them, less headaches (we hope) for us on the next quilt.
Marge |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:43 AM. |