Problem with warped quilt
05-16-2020, 11:39 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Problem with warped quilt
I have just finished a Lone Star wall-hanging with 5 different piece borders. It's about 55 inches square. This was all made using the Quilt As You Go technique, so the quilting was done in stages. At no point was I aware that the quilt was not flat. All the borders were measured carefully and were definitely square when added. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention?? Anyway, I hung it up two days ago and was horrified to see that it was "cupping" badly. The large Lone Star centre was bowing out. The quilting evenly dense over the whole quilt, so that could be part of the problem, but it's hard to believe that just adding more quilting to make it uniformly even across the whole quilt is going to solve this problem. Is there something else I should be doing? I've removed the binding already in case that was too tight and was drawing in the edges. Any advice would be much appreciated!
05-17-2020, 03:31 AM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 196
This happens sometimes with this type of quilt. First thing to try is sream... take it to the ironing board and steam it. Lots...then lay it out on a hard surface and cover it with books or some heavy objects.. you may have to repeat this a couple of times. Hope this helps.
05-17-2020, 04:12 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 1,687
i have heard of this happening with lone stars, though I don't know the solution. just thought it would help alleviate any self guilt, since it probably has absolutely nothing to do with your piecing, measuring, or quilting. Wondering if you could trim away some of the seam bulk from the center of the star, if that would help?
05-17-2020, 04:31 AM
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
Two thoughts came to my mind. I have done both on quilts that did not hang right and were warped. A smaller one I washed and blocked out like I would a sweater. The other one I washed and hung to dry with weights across the bottom then pressed
05-17-2020, 04:34 AM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,458
I would try blocking it out on the floor on a clean sheet. If it still has a A or B cup in the center, I would try running a hand stitch in radiating gather lines from the center out to gently “ pull” the center in from the back. Since it is a wall hanging, it would not be visible and it might work?
05-17-2020, 04:57 AM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: New England, USA
Posts: 2,951
I am so sorry - I know how frustrating it is finishing a quilt only to find out that something is not quite right.
Not knowing how "cupped" you quilt is, my first step would be to try and block it with steam on a flat surface or a light spray of water.
So, for all my hanging pieces, I always add a pocket at the bottom of the quilt for a thin piece of wood. This is intended to keep the quilt flat and straight on the bottom as it hangs. If you were to do that to your quilt, you might be able to as juliasb suggested - the wood at the bottom would stabilize the entire bottom and if you were to clip some sort of weights to the pocket or the wood itself, it would distribute the weight to the shorter sections while not distorting the quilt edge. I might start with the quilt dry and apply just steam from a steam iron as it hung. Then if that did not work try a spray bottle with water and at last resort wet the entire quilt.
So - just as an afterthought and thinking out loud here- if it is not cupped badly, you might be able add the pocket as I suggested at the bottom and then add one or two near the center - slide in some thin slats of wood and let it hang. A 55 inche Quilt is a fair size quilt with some weight to it - with the pockets and wood slats it might hang just fine after awhile ....
Not knowing how "cupped" you quilt is, my first step would be to try and block it with steam on a flat surface or a light spray of water.
So, for all my hanging pieces, I always add a pocket at the bottom of the quilt for a thin piece of wood. This is intended to keep the quilt flat and straight on the bottom as it hangs. If you were to do that to your quilt, you might be able to as juliasb suggested - the wood at the bottom would stabilize the entire bottom and if you were to clip some sort of weights to the pocket or the wood itself, it would distribute the weight to the shorter sections while not distorting the quilt edge. I might start with the quilt dry and apply just steam from a steam iron as it hung. Then if that did not work try a spray bottle with water and at last resort wet the entire quilt.
So - just as an afterthought and thinking out loud here- if it is not cupped badly, you might be able add the pocket as I suggested at the bottom and then add one or two near the center - slide in some thin slats of wood and let it hang. A 55 inche Quilt is a fair size quilt with some weight to it - with the pockets and wood slats it might hang just fine after awhile ....
05-17-2020, 05:21 AM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Pockets - great idea!
I would say that the "cupped" area is about a C cup!
I wondered about putting some wood slats to the back, but I wasn't sure how to fix them. Pockets!! Brilliant!!
I've started to do some more quilting in an attempt to even out the loft. I can't tell as yet whether or not it is helping. Once this is finished, I shall press it well, then cross my fingers!
Thanks for the suggestions....I shall let you know if anything works to save it!
I wondered about putting some wood slats to the back, but I wasn't sure how to fix them. Pockets!! Brilliant!!
I've started to do some more quilting in an attempt to even out the loft. I can't tell as yet whether or not it is helping. Once this is finished, I shall press it well, then cross my fingers!
Thanks for the suggestions....I shall let you know if anything works to save it!
Originally Posted by eparys
I am so sorry - I know how frustrating it is finishing a quilt only to find out that something is not quite right.
Not knowing how "cupped" you quilt is, my first step would be to try and block it with steam on a flat surface or a light spray of water.
So, for all my hanging pieces, I always add a pocket at the bottom of the quilt for a thin piece of wood. This is intended to keep the quilt flat and straight on the bottom as it hangs. If you were to do that to your quilt, you might be able to as juliasb suggested - the wood at the bottom would stabilize the entire bottom and if you were to clip some sort of weights to the pocket or the wood itself, it would distribute the weight to the shorter sections while not distorting the quilt edge. I might start with the quilt dry and apply just steam from a steam iron as it hung. Then if that did not work try a spray bottle with water and at last resort wet the entire quilt.
So - just as an afterthought and thinking out loud here- if it is not cupped badly, you might be able add the pocket as I suggested at the bottom and then add one or two near the center - slide in some thin slats of wood and let it hang. A 55 inche Quilt is a fair size quilt with some weight to it - with the pockets and wood slats it might hang just fine after awhile ....
Not knowing how "cupped" you quilt is, my first step would be to try and block it with steam on a flat surface or a light spray of water.
So, for all my hanging pieces, I always add a pocket at the bottom of the quilt for a thin piece of wood. This is intended to keep the quilt flat and straight on the bottom as it hangs. If you were to do that to your quilt, you might be able to as juliasb suggested - the wood at the bottom would stabilize the entire bottom and if you were to clip some sort of weights to the pocket or the wood itself, it would distribute the weight to the shorter sections while not distorting the quilt edge. I might start with the quilt dry and apply just steam from a steam iron as it hung. Then if that did not work try a spray bottle with water and at last resort wet the entire quilt.
So - just as an afterthought and thinking out loud here- if it is not cupped badly, you might be able add the pocket as I suggested at the bottom and then add one or two near the center - slide in some thin slats of wood and let it hang. A 55 inche Quilt is a fair size quilt with some weight to it - with the pockets and wood slats it might hang just fine after awhile ....
05-17-2020, 05:24 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Thanks, I'll try the steam and blocking method! Right now I'm adding more quilting to the star, but I don't think that will completely solve the problem. So, when I'm finished, I'll try steam, blocking and weights. 
Last edited by LindaAlex; 05-17-2020 at 05:29 AM.
