Is there something really wrong with my quilt???
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 459
OK I was writing my comment while more details came forward. So you made the quilt start to finish from clothes and it sounds like your client doesn't know anything at all about quilting or even sewing for that matter so she is definitely upset over the shops comments because she doesn't know any better. Oh brother, what a predicament. Like I said above, the shop has sewn seeds of unhappiness in the customer and now she probably doesn't know who to believe. As expensive as the shipping is, I really think you need to offer to pay round trip shipping for the quilt to get back to you so you can fix things and carefully inspect all the seams. I realize you are operating at a loss by doing this but if you want a happy client who will not spread bad reviews about your services you need to make this right. Another option is to find a shop, quilter or guild in her area so she can get a second opinion. The shop certainly made things sound worse than they appear in the pics you posted. And I understood your post to mean that these pics came from the shop where they said the quilt was lacking in structural integrity. I just don't see it lacking structural integrity from those shots. Yes, the stitches are unregulated and look a bit large and yes there are some untrimmed threads, but unless those quilting stitches are 1/4" or bigger (what so many refer to as "toe catchers")and untrimmed threads are removing several stitches of quilting with a little tug, I think the issue is aesthetic not functional. To truly know if there are structural issues, have her pop the quilt into the washer and dryer. If it comes through the wash still intact, she has her answer and if it doesn't you will have your answer.
#13
Super Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sunny Florida
Posts: 4,431
Please note my post is meant with a kind heart to help you. I can't tell if the quilt will fall apart from the quilting but I do see some issues. You didn't mention your techniques or experience with quilting these types of projects so that may also be a factor also.
I am seeing inconsistent stitches. Some are longer and then some are shorter. On the next to last picture, there are cross-over stitches- a lot of them. The corner of binding has a wrinkle and the corner is not a true 45 degree corner. There is another lose thread thread on the binding and two rows for a few stitches. Did you start and stop when stitching that corner? I don't think the quilt was squared correctly looking at that binding corner.
I wish you the very best solution for the issues. Learn and grow from this experience in your quilting journey.
I am seeing inconsistent stitches. Some are longer and then some are shorter. On the next to last picture, there are cross-over stitches- a lot of them. The corner of binding has a wrinkle and the corner is not a true 45 degree corner. There is another lose thread thread on the binding and two rows for a few stitches. Did you start and stop when stitching that corner? I don't think the quilt was squared correctly looking at that binding corner.
I wish you the very best solution for the issues. Learn and grow from this experience in your quilting journey.
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 459
Please note my post is meant with a kind heart to help you. I can't tell if the quilt will fall apart from the quilting but I do see some issues. You didn't mention your techniques or experience with quilting these types of projects so that may also be a factor also.
I am seeing inconsistent stitches. Some are longer and then some are shorter. On the next to last picture, there are cross-over stitches- a lot of them. The corner of binding has a wrinkle and the corner is not a true 45 degree corner. There is another lose thread thread on the binding and two rows for a few stitches. Did you start and stop when stitching that corner? I don't think the quilt was squared correctly looking at that binding corner.
I wish you the very best solution for the issues. Learn and grow from this experience in your quilting journey.
I am seeing inconsistent stitches. Some are longer and then some are shorter. On the next to last picture, there are cross-over stitches- a lot of them. The corner of binding has a wrinkle and the corner is not a true 45 degree corner. There is another lose thread thread on the binding and two rows for a few stitches. Did you start and stop when stitching that corner? I don't think the quilt was squared correctly looking at that binding corner.
I wish you the very best solution for the issues. Learn and grow from this experience in your quilting journey.
#15
My question is regarding your experience of five years is that using your long arm or overall quilting/piecing experience? As for my comments I realize they are not complimentary, but I do not intend them to be hurtful in any way. First as to the fabrics used, adding knits to the mix should have been avoided in this particular case. Knits and tee shirts involve a different prep process which take more time. As to the actual quilting. Learn from the comments here. Lock your stitches and trim tails. No stitch regulator? Then you need lots more practice, or invest in a stitch regulator for your machine. Another question. Were you happy with the finished quilt, or just glad to get it done? I spent three days once ripping all the quilting out of a king size. Not my quilt so I wasn’t personally or emotionally vested so didn’t mind, although the quilter was upset about having to do it over. My last piece of advice is if you are going to quilt for others be sure to make something you are proud to put your name and reputation on.
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 459
My question is regarding your experience of five years is that using your long arm or overall quilting/piecing experience? As for my comments I realize they are not complimentary, but I do not intend them to be hurtful in any way. First as to the fabrics used, adding knits to the mix should have been avoided in this particular case. Knits and tee shirts involve a different prep process which take more time. As to the actual quilting. Learn from the comments here. Lock your stitches and trim tails. No stitch regulator? Then you need lots more practice, or invest in a stitch regulator for your machine. Another question. Were you happy with the finished quilt, or just glad to get it done? I spent three days once ripping all the quilting out of a king size. Not my quilt so I wasn’t personally or emotionally vested so didn’t mind, although the quilter was upset about having to do it over. My last piece of advice is if you are going to quilt for others be sure to make something you are proud to put your name and reputation on.
Again, it's far from perfect. But I got request all the time from customers asking me if I can do a quilt for X$. Most of the time, I can, but it will not be as perfect as a quilt worth 2X more would be. Most people have a fixed budget for a project like this, they don't really care about perfection. Not everyone can afford a 1500$ quilt.
My stitches are not even, true. But if my customer doesn't care at all, because she get a quilt for a price she can afford, I don't see why I should only practice on charity quilt instead of selling my quilts.
I understand that many quilters may disagree with me on this subject. I respect that. But my post was to get a another opinion about the technical or structural problem that I might not be aware off.
That being said, I see your comments as constructive and I thank you for them.
#17
I agree with feline fanatic's advice regarding contacting the quilt shop and asking what problems they see with the quilt.
How did you deal with starts and stops? Did you backtrack, or did you knot and bury the threads? That might not be a good idea with knits, since the knots might not be large enough to stay buried. Did you use a larger than usual seam allowance for the knits, so that they won't ravel? Are they the type of knits (e.g. T-shirts) that should have an interfacing? Is the quilting sufficiently dense? Is the quilting stitch length too large? How about the stitching in the piecing? Is the quilting tension good? (It looks okay in the pictures, but are we seeing both sides of the quilt? Tension can look great on top, but terrible on the back.) Those are some of the things that would affect the structural integrity of the quilt, and we can't really judge any of those issues from the pictures.
I want to say this nicely, so please don't take offense. Your comment about how much time you spent on the quilt, compared to how little you charged, is worrisome. It implies that spending more time on something excuses a poor product, and I don't think that's how you feel. Customers want to get a bargain, but they expect to receive a good product, no matter how much they pay.
How did you deal with starts and stops? Did you backtrack, or did you knot and bury the threads? That might not be a good idea with knits, since the knots might not be large enough to stay buried. Did you use a larger than usual seam allowance for the knits, so that they won't ravel? Are they the type of knits (e.g. T-shirts) that should have an interfacing? Is the quilting sufficiently dense? Is the quilting stitch length too large? How about the stitching in the piecing? Is the quilting tension good? (It looks okay in the pictures, but are we seeing both sides of the quilt? Tension can look great on top, but terrible on the back.) Those are some of the things that would affect the structural integrity of the quilt, and we can't really judge any of those issues from the pictures.
I want to say this nicely, so please don't take offense. Your comment about how much time you spent on the quilt, compared to how little you charged, is worrisome. It implies that spending more time on something excuses a poor product, and I don't think that's how you feel. Customers want to get a bargain, but they expect to receive a good product, no matter how much they pay.
#19
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 459
Here's the picture of the quilt before it was all finished, just to get an idea of the size and model. The star shape were just quilted in cercle connecting the points so the quilt would be stabilized without risking any damage to the not-quilting kind of material. The border was quilted with feathers.
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#20
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,538
From what I can see there are thread tails that should have been knotted and buried. A quilt made from different fabrics is more difficult to make and quilt. Does the quilt shop she took it to offer machine quilting? I would find out if they are just looking to criticize the quilt to get her to use their services. If you washed the quilt before sending it, it sounds structurally sound to me.
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