Bunching problems on quilt top
 

I am quilting a quilt using intersecting straight lines. The lines are about 3" apart. The horizontal lines went in fine, although I noticed there was a little distortion/stretching when I sewed the lines closest to the edges. The main problem I have is when I come back and sew the vertical lines. I start getting bunching/puckering when approaching seams on the quilt top. Just some info:
- I spray basted my quilt. The backing looks perfect, no problems there. I also added some straight pins for good measure.
-I'm quilting with a walking foot- stitch length of 3.5
-It does not happen at every seam. About 40% of them I would say.
-I pressed my seams open when piecing.

Any suggestions? I go slow with the walking foot, keep any drag off the quilt, and keep it smooth and flat as it feeds. My gut tells me it's a problem with the basting- that maybe some of the seams aren't laying as flat as they should be. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks!

Did you start quilting in the center & work your way out? Also, sew one seam from top to bottom, then the next one bottom to top. In other words alternate your seam directions. If the first set of seams trapped fullness between the rows, you might have to take them out & re do.

Just wondering, when you did your horizontal stitching did you begin at the center and then progress to the edges? Three inches lines would give some play between the layers... does it depend when the walking foot reaches the sewn line as to the stretching on the open area? Also wondering if you would stitch an additional line of stitches at the 1-1/2" mark would solve your issues? I am positive someone with more experience than I will have an answer for you.
I am sorry about your problems.

Judy in Phx, AZ

If you heavily starch your quilt top before layering (as heavily as possible, as in several layers of spray starch allowing to dry in-between), this helps prevent the problem. Even now you can help the top by adding several layers of spray starch. Lay the quilt out on the floor on a large flat sheet to catch overspray, mist the top with spray starch, allow to dry (a fan speeds it up), mist again, let dry, etc. In other words, you don't have to iron. What the spray does is stabilize the fabric in the top so it is much less likely to get stretched while sewing. (Since you are not getting puckers on the back, I am wondering if the backing is unwashed fabric that still has the sizing in it; this too helps stabilize fabric and prevent it from stretching as you sew.)

The problem you are having is that the top fabric is stretching just a tiny bit with each stitch; by the time you get to where you need to cross the previous quilting line, a little bubble of fabric is between the needle and the line. This creates a pucker.

Since 60% or so of the time you are not getting the pucker, I think the spray starch misting several times may eliminate the problem for you.

If your machine allows you to ease up on the pressure, this might help too. If you ease up too much, though, you may start getting "tiny stitch syndrome" where the walking foot stops advancing the layers (a problem which is also created by drag).

I quite often would have that problem of bunching at intersecting seams. Once I lowered the pressure on the presser foot , problem solved.

It also depends upon what type batting you are using. If it is polyester, it tends to shift between the layers, even though the top and backing may be secured, the middle layer or strands of the batting may still shift.

Thanks for the suggestions. My machine doesn't have the ability to lower the pressure on the presser foot, so that option is out. I wish I did have that option because a lot of what I have read suggests that. Adding more quilting lines at 1.5" like someone suggested might help hold things down too, I just prefer the look of less quilting. Guess it might be a trade off I have to make. I know the puckers will hardly show once it is washed, but they still bug me! I just felt that it was for sure a basting issue since some seams were laying perfectly flat as I crossed them and others 'stood up' a little. Does anyone have any tips for spray basting, especially when adhearing the top? All the tutorials I read give great detail about spreading the back taut (which I think I do well) but not much give details about spreading the top.

Just commiserating: I just finished doing FMQ on a huge top that I had pieced about 3-4 years ago. So Many Puckers! I chalked it up to poor piecing but reading these notes I can see how my fmq could have done it too. I usually so baby quilts so this was a new experience for me! I decided to come here and read...

Comment on not allowing top pressure to be adjusted....I thought all machines had that capability? Maybe not vintage? When I use my walking foot I always lowered the top pressure by a few numbers