Hand quiltin Grammy

Hi I am hand quilting a full size quilt on a hoop. I have to quilt with my fabric fairly loose on the hoop because if I quilt with the fabric very tight it hurts my thumb. While I've read it is good to quilt with your fabric loose I've noticed at times I have trouble with the backing fabric either puckering or wanting to pucker. I basted with safty pins and pinned about every 4 to 6 inches. Any suggestions?

Debbie Feavel
Hand Quiltin Grammy

alikat110

Pin 3" should help

JustAbitCrazy

Make sure that when you are pin basting that the backing fabric is taped down tight (not stretched, but tight, not loose at all), and I agree that pinning a bit more closely (4" at the most) would likely help.

Tartan

I don't use a hoop but a Q-Snap floor frame. I always start by having all the sandwich taut in the frame with no wrinkles. I then gently push down in the center of the sandwich in the frame to creat a little slack for quilting. I think the same principal would work for a hoop. Put your sandwich in the hoop taut with no wrinkles and then push down gently in the sandwich center to create the lack.

Prism99

Pin basting is used a lot when machine quilting, but for hand quilting it's actually better to thread baste. I would recommend thread basting in-between the pins you already have in the quilt to secure the layers better without interfering with the hoop.

virtualbernie

That was going to be my recommendation. I would also take the pins out because the thread tends to get tangled up in the pins. Smooth out your back and rehoop leaving it slightly loose (not too tight and not too loose)

QuiltingCrazie

I agree with Tartan I do the same thing. I hand quilt in a hoop and I have it taught then I push in the center. I'm not afraid to adjust pins either and I have never had a pucker!!....yet lol I'm OCD not perfect.. I have more issues with the thread catching on the hoop versus pins but i do start off with a lot of thread. hope you solve it.

NJ Quilter

I pin-baste about the same distance as you. After I adjust my hoop to the area I'm quilting, I'll usually pull the backing fabric just a bit tighter in all directions possible to prevent the puckers. Most time this works. I'll sometimes get a tiny pucker but by the time it's washed/dried, you'd never notice.

Hand quiltin Grammy

I appreciate all the suggestions. I've never thread basted and I'm not sure how to do it. But I can see where it would in some ways be better than pin basting. I am sure these suggestions will help out a lot. Thanks again.

Krisb

Try Sharon Schambers thread basting method.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNy...e_gdata_player