Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums >
  • Main
  • Help with "pillowing" >
  • Help with "pillowing"

  • Help with "pillowing"

    Old 07-27-2017, 03:14 PM
      #1  
    Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Jul 2017
    Posts: 8
    Default Help with "pillowing"

    Hey, everyone! This is my first post and it is a question if you guys don't mind...

    My 2 year old is moving to her first big girl bed so I am making a quilt for her. She picked the fabric and the shape! But since I didn't have much time, I chose to use jelly rolls. This is my first jelly roll quilt and I am having some issues with "pillowing" as someone pointed out to me. Especially in the heart part... Is there a way to fix this? Why is it doing this?

    Also, is there a good way to square this up? Any tricks? I know the bottom 2 rows are too dark, they are coming off...

    Thanks everyone!
    Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	Resized_20170727_160101.jpeg
Views:	868
Size:	1,009.4 KB
ID:	577437  
    SewWhatBekah is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 04:04 PM
      #2  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: May 2011
    Location: Pacific NW
    Posts: 9,444
    Default

    I would block it, especially since you haven't squared it up yet. Spritz some water on it, just enough to make it damp, and work out the wrinkles as best you can with your hands. Get it as squared and straight as you can, then stick rust-proof pins in the corners and edges through to the carpet and let dry. Then square the top.

    p.s. I'd leave the bottom 2 rows on, I think they're fine! Or, remove the bottom row and attach it to the top. That will help balance it and I don't think ANYONE will notice the darkness at all.

    eta: just realized you asked for help in squaring. Here's how I do mine, for the most part. I take a square 12.5" ruler, align it at each corner, and trim all corners first. Then I get my 36" long architect's ruler, fold the quilt in half (making sure to match the trimmed corners carefully), align the ruler with the cuts I just made, and trim the centers of the quilt.

    Last edited by Peckish; 07-27-2017 at 04:09 PM.
    Peckish is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 04:11 PM
      #3  
    Power Poster
     
    sewbizgirl's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Oct 2010
    Location: Mississippi
    Posts: 26,118
    Default

    What I would do is figure out which blocks are too big and causing the bulk, and take their seams in just a hair. You may not even have to do all of them to fix the problem.

    Your quilt is ADORABLE and the bottom rows look fine. I wouldn't change them. They give it personality.
    sewbizgirl is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 04:12 PM
      #4  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Jul 2014
    Location: Illinois
    Posts: 2,140
    Default

    I haven't heard the term "pillowing", but I'm guessing you're referring to the stretched out fabric. Usually that's caused by one of 3 things:
    Fabric isn't cut on on straight of grain.
    Fabric is stretched during sewing
    Seams are not consistent size

    If it's a pre-cut, one would hope it's cut on the straight of grain, but it isn't always. If you catch it before you start sewing, you might see about exchanging it.

    To prevent stretching, I heavily starch my fabrics before I start sewing. Sizing also works well.

    To get a consistent seam, you can use a seam guide, a 1/4" (patchwork) foot, or a piece of tape on your machine bed to mark 1/4".

    At this point, I'd suggest trying to press (NOT iron) the top with a lot of starch or sizing. It won't be perfect, but it might be good enough. To square it up, after pressing, fold it in half left to right (making sure the fold lines up with the center of the heart) and cut the 2 edges; then fold in half the other direction & do the same.

    PS- I think the darker rows give a nice ground for the quilt. Maybe live with them overnight & see if they still bug you. Sometimes we can be our own harshest critics.
    Bree123 is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 04:27 PM
      #5  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Apr 2016
    Location: Blue Ridge Mountians
    Posts: 7,075
    Default

    This is a great quilt. Your daughter will just love it. The white is pillowing because it was cut on the WOF and has a lot of stretch in it. Peckish has a brilliant idea to follow to fix it. In addition, I would use a thin, all cotton batting, like dream cotton "request". Then after quilting your quilt, I would wash it so it will wrinkle up like an antique quilt, making any remaining pillowing look natural. Work hard not to quilt any pleats into it....but remember your little girl will love it no matter what.
    Jane Quilter is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 05:29 PM
      #6  
    Power Poster
     
    QuiltnNan's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Mar 2011
    Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
    Posts: 51,430
    Default

    most of the 'pillowing' can be drawn up with the quilting later... the denser the quilting, the more it will draw up
    QuiltnNan is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 06:20 PM
      #7  
    Power Poster
     
    Join Date: Dec 2008
    Location: Western Wisconsin
    Posts: 12,930
    Default

    I would lay it out flat, wrong side up, and mark seams where excess fabric is causing "pillowing". Take to sewing machine and just sew over existing seams except making the seam a little bigger in the areas of excess fabric. No need to rip out any seams as none of this extra stitching will show later. I would do this before starching and ironing, or blocking, to minimize the amount of excess fabric.

    The likely cause is that the white strips were cut a bit off-grain, resulting in slightly bias edges that stretched when you sewed the strips. Spray starching the strips before sewing would have stabilized them and prevented this; however, spray starching precuts can create a different problem if the strips shrink. With this kind of pattern shrinkage would not have mattered, so it would have been preferable to starch before sewing.

    Some of the excess will "quilt out", but it's best to minimize the excess as much as possible.

    Last edited by Prism99; 07-27-2017 at 06:23 PM.
    Prism99 is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 07:24 PM
      #8  
    Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Jul 2017
    Posts: 8
    Default

    thank you all, I appreciate the suggestions and encouragement!
    SewWhatBekah is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 07:27 PM
      #9  
    Power Poster
     
    SusieQOH's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jul 2017
    Location: Central Ohio
    Posts: 15,211
    Default

    That's a beautiful quilt !! I didn't know what pillowing was until now.
    SusieQOH is offline  
    Old 07-27-2017, 07:33 PM
      #10  
    Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Jul 2017
    Posts: 8
    Default

    I am sure that is not the "technical" name of it, but that was what someone else called it. Who knew!
    SewWhatBekah is offline  
    Related Topics
    Thread
    Thread Starter
    Forum
    Replies
    Last Post
    bearisgray
    General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
    65
    02-01-2024 09:04 AM
    bearisgray
    General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
    21
    05-09-2017 05:30 PM
    vjohn1006
    Pictures
    111
    07-26-2014 03:14 AM
    cbjlinda
    Main
    6
    04-29-2013 02:20 PM
    LLWinston44
    Pictures
    65
    02-18-2013 06:09 AM

    Posting Rules
    You may not post new threads
    You may not post replies
    You may not post attachments
    You may not edit your posts

    BB code is On
    Smilies are On
    [IMG] code is On
    HTML code is On
    Trackbacks are Off
    Pingbacks are Off
    Refbacks are Off


    FREE Quilting Newsletter