What to do with a warped top?
03-13-2011, 07:44 AM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Lorain,oh
Posts: 642
Originally Posted by Auntie B
OMG this made me giggle till I almost wet myself. Yes we have all been there at one point or another. You worded it just perfectly. Will pass this along to all my quilting friends. It makes me think of a fellow quilter who was quilting her queen size quilt, she said every once in a while, her machine would slow down and just chug chug chug for about 5 or 6 stitches. Then it would resume regular stitching for a few more minutes, and then again with the chug chug chug, and just drag for about 5 or 6 stitches. She got up from 2 go hours of solid quilting, held up her quilt and thought, what a great job she had done. Then she looked at the back of her quilt !!!!!!!!!!! And there, ever so neatly, she had quilted her soft vinyl tape measure into the back of her quilt. Quilting 101 , moral of the story, clean your work space before you start quilting !!!!!!!!!!! Greetings from Auntie B, Saskatchewan Canada.
03-13-2011, 07:49 AM
#42
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posts: 847
I had a quilt that started about twin size and ended about lap quilt size by trying to beat it into submission ot lay straight...
FINALLY - I purposfully cut it crooked...meaning I made it a wonky rectangle....I attached a ribbon to the top 2 corners - gave it to my Mom and told her it was a wrap quilt to tie around her shoulders and neck and was crooked because that's what the pattern called for and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not but hoped she did! She LOVES it!
I have decided when the fabric has a mind of its own and doesn't do what I want it to - to change my perspective and decide its perfect and exactly how I wanted it and then I become completely happy with it!
Hang in there - when you've beat it into submission and it is tea towel size that's when you have to worry!
FINALLY - I purposfully cut it crooked...meaning I made it a wonky rectangle....I attached a ribbon to the top 2 corners - gave it to my Mom and told her it was a wrap quilt to tie around her shoulders and neck and was crooked because that's what the pattern called for and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not but hoped she did! She LOVES it!
I have decided when the fabric has a mind of its own and doesn't do what I want it to - to change my perspective and decide its perfect and exactly how I wanted it and then I become completely happy with it!
Hang in there - when you've beat it into submission and it is tea towel size that's when you have to worry!
03-13-2011, 07:49 AM
#43
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DM IA
Posts: 23
How warped is it? If it is severely warped, you need to take the warped part out and resew the pieces together. If it is only a little bit warped, taking a extra deeper or shallower seam in the warped area should do it. If it is only slightly warped, pressing might help. If you want to hammer it into place, you would likely want to get the special mallet made for using on fabrics. I can't remember what the name of the tool is, but it came out a few years ago especially for making intersections flatter where several seams came together. If you do not want to purchase the special fabric mallet, you would be better off purchasing a regular rubber headed mallet from the tool section, rather than using a hammer. The metal head of a hammer would be a bit hard on your fabric.
03-13-2011, 08:37 AM
#44
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 39
Greetings. I love all the suggestions and they are what I do when trying to flatten a wavy border on a quilt before trying to topstitch it on a longarm.
What I often try to mention is the reason for the waves. Usually it is that a border has been added to the outside of the quilt without measuring the interior of the quilt and applying the border to that measurement easing in the excess.
I often take off these outer borders and shorten them easing in the excess there. It's easier to do that than to flatten an extremely wavy border.
Other times the waves are caused by bias and you'll see that a lot in quilts placed on point. Often times the only remedy for an on point wavy quilt is to add extra borders and ease in the edges.
If the waves aren't too extreme the steaming can help a great deal as well as hand basting the edges and pulling in your excess. Often times just using a very long stitch on you machine and sewing 1/4" in from the edge will bring the waves in enough to quilt out your excess once you are quilting your top. If you measure the interior length of your quilt top and then measure the outer edge of your border you'll see just how much you have to ease in. I've had them with 3" excess...those were the ones I redid the borders on :).
Are you quilting it on a frame or in hoops. Hoops and a thicker batting can do wonders. Good luck :).
What I often try to mention is the reason for the waves. Usually it is that a border has been added to the outside of the quilt without measuring the interior of the quilt and applying the border to that measurement easing in the excess.
I often take off these outer borders and shorten them easing in the excess there. It's easier to do that than to flatten an extremely wavy border.
Other times the waves are caused by bias and you'll see that a lot in quilts placed on point. Often times the only remedy for an on point wavy quilt is to add extra borders and ease in the edges.
If the waves aren't too extreme the steaming can help a great deal as well as hand basting the edges and pulling in your excess. Often times just using a very long stitch on you machine and sewing 1/4" in from the edge will bring the waves in enough to quilt out your excess once you are quilting your top. If you measure the interior length of your quilt top and then measure the outer edge of your border you'll see just how much you have to ease in. I've had them with 3" excess...those were the ones I redid the borders on :).
Are you quilting it on a frame or in hoops. Hoops and a thicker batting can do wonders. Good luck :).
03-14-2011, 03:45 PM
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Snohomish WA
Posts: 884
Unstitch the area immediately around the warp, then
literally take a 'dart' in the wavy piece, with the excess fabric folded to the back and a nice flat fold line on top, like we used to do making blouses or fitted skirt tops.
Gently press the dart flat, being careful to not stretch the dart, and topstitch closely along the fold line on top.
If the wave covers the whole piece, it was probably stretched so then you just make a little fold down the whole piece, and when it's topstitched, it just looks like it was seamed there on purpose. If anyone comments, say you had to piece it there. We all understand piecing to get enough to be able to cut that block! :o)
literally take a 'dart' in the wavy piece, with the excess fabric folded to the back and a nice flat fold line on top, like we used to do making blouses or fitted skirt tops.
Gently press the dart flat, being careful to not stretch the dart, and topstitch closely along the fold line on top.
If the wave covers the whole piece, it was probably stretched so then you just make a little fold down the whole piece, and when it's topstitched, it just looks like it was seamed there on purpose. If anyone comments, say you had to piece it there. We all understand piecing to get enough to be able to cut that block! :o)
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